Venomous Snakes of Udon Thani

Post by **Techland** » January 26, 2011, 9:38 pm

> idea of size

Standard tiles 13"x13" (33x33 cm)?

Post by **Billg** » June 29, 2011, 5:22 am

Driving back to Udon from Suwankuwah the pick up in front of me ran over this guy. I stopped my car and took this picture, it was over 4ft long. I tryed to get a close up of the head but the bloody thing made a strike at me

, so with adrenaline running down my legs I got back into my car and went for a well deserved drink...

.
Can anyone identify ??

Bill

Post by **old-timer** » June 29, 2011, 11:16 pm

Billg wrote:
CIMG5915 [1600x1200].JPG
Driving back to Udon from Suwankuwah the pick up in front of me ran over this guy. I stopped my car and took this picture, it was over 4ft long. I tryed to get a close up of the head but the bloody thing made a strike at me , so with adrenaline running down my legs I got back into my car and went for a well deserved drink... .
Can anyone identify ??

Bill

OT's no expert, but it looks like a snake with a stomach ache.

OT.............. $\:D/$

Post by **Michael C** » June 30, 2011, 9:28 pm

Bill, your snake appears to be Naja siamensis (Siamese Spitting Cobra). The picture which was on the first page does not appear to work anymore and I do not have any of the variation that occurs in that region of Isaan. If you search for pictures of this snake on the internet, you will see many different patterns and colouration.

Post by **Billg** » July 31, 2011, 3:47 pm

Thanks Michael for the info =D> , I thought it might have been a brown Rat Snake, But for it to be a spitting Cobra

!! I should have got the missus to take the pictures :-" ,

Bill

Post by **Peterplay** » July 31, 2011, 6:36 pm

Sanukjoe, I saw your pic of the Heteropoda Maxima and I am surprised to learn that they are the biggest spiders. I have got heaps of them here and one of them even managed to climb up my leg when having a shower.
I think I was bitten once by a specimen in bed, causing me swelling of my feet the days after.

My question really is : why I have never seen them any bigger than maybe 18 cm (big enough though...) whilst they can as I read on Internet grow up to 30 ?
Or is there a spitting image being a different species ? They are bloody fast, really, but I assume that all of you have them in the house.

Maybe another thread could be opened on ants, especially the small red ones that cause me real discomfort when bitten.

Post by **Chriss** » August 6, 2011, 12:01 pm

Is this a Common Keelback and therefore harmless? It wandered around our front patio for ages before a neighbour caught it. He was seen lighting a BBQ afterwards, the neighbour that is not the snake.....

Post by **Michael C** » August 18, 2011, 9:54 pm

Sorry for the slow response, but I have not checked the forum for a while. The snake is a Xenochrophis flavipunctatus, sometimes referred to as a "Common Keelback". This one should be considered harmless and the most harm they can inflict is some swelling at the point of a bite. There is a very closely related species that looks almost identical and it should also be considered as harmless.

Not all Keelbacks are harmless. There is one genus, Rhabdophis, where the species look more harmless than the Keelback in the picture from the previous post (Xenochrophis flavipunctatus), looking like a European Grass Snake or American Garter Snake in their shape, scales and size, but the snakes of that genus should be considered potentially dangerous. Some of these snakes are docile, but the one to be especially careful around and should be considered dangerous is the Red-necked Keelback- Rhabdophis subminiatus.

Rhabdophis subminiatus:

Late last year, this species of snake put an 11 year old child in ICU for nearly a week and in a normal hospital ward for an additional two weeks. For some reason, the venom appears to have a stronger effect on people of European or half European/half Thai descent than normal Thais; although, I have heard of at least one Thai that had a bad reaction to the venom. The 11 year old child mentioned was half European/half Thai.

Post by **davecryan** » August 18, 2011, 10:38 pm

I live about 1 hr drive due east along the Mekong from Nong Khai, as the only farang in a well infrastructured village of about 300 people, Two weeks ago when the village was virtually empty of people (rice planting season ), I noticed a little head popping up and down as it moved along the bottom of the patio door, which was fortunately closed at the time. I checked it out and it was a snake about 1.2 M long and 30/40 mm in dia. Its colour was very distinctive, vivid bands/ hoops about 30 mm dia in yellow and green. I kicked the bottom of the door and it disappeared in a flash..a very lively snake. I had asked my wife about the presence of snakes before we moved here, about 3 years ago, and was told..."no have nua in village ".........bit like the philosophy of..." when a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there, does it make a noise ?................
I would like to know what it was, to convince my doubting neighbours and family.
Many thanks.

Post by **rickfarang** » August 19, 2011, 11:53 pm

Found four of these in the house over the last six weeks. Is it likely to be dangerous?
YouTube video: http://youtu.be/X8r3-L1Nb_s

.

Post by **ricks** » August 28, 2011, 2:39 pm

killed a small snake outside my bar last night green with white underside he was stopping customers coming into bar

Post by **old-timer** » August 31, 2011, 9:38 pm

OT was strolling home from the pub this afternoon and passed by this fella. I was daydreaming as usual and didn't really pay it much attention. Then I realised where in the world I was - I was in the country lane where my place is in Hampshire, England. So I thought it was quite unusual and took this picture to prove I had seen it.

No Idea what it is, other than a snake that had been run over recently. It was still alive and making a bit of a fuss when I left it to the magpies.

OT............ $\:D/$

Post by **Galee** » September 1, 2011, 10:10 am

It can only be one of two OT. Grass snake or Adder. The white markings on the head are unusual.

Post by **Astana** » September 1, 2011, 10:28 am

It could be one of the Uk's rarest and shyest snake, the Smooth Snake (Coronella austriaca) as the white markings are similar but usually black.

See link for comparison http://www.crislis.co.uk/adder/Smooth%20Snake.htm

Post by **Galee** » September 1, 2011, 11:03 am

I think you are right Astana, I didn't even think about that one as it's so rare. Sad if it is a Smooth Snake as it's the rarest reptile in the UK.

Protection
Due to its rarity, the smooth snake is strictly protected by British and European law which makes it an offence to kill, injure, sell/trade, capture or disturb them or damage or destroy their habitat.

Post by **Astana** » September 1, 2011, 12:37 pm

It fits the bill alright as it grows up to 70cm long, this snake is grey or grey/brown, with dark spots down the back.

There is also often a dark butterfly-wing shape on the top of its head (even rarer with white I guess) and it is only found in sandy heathland areas (restricted in distribution to Surrey, Dorset, Hampshire and some sand dunes in the north of England).

The smooth snake is harmless to people and pets, as it is not poisonous but sadly not immune to road traffic accidents.

Post by **Shado** » September 1, 2011, 1:47 pm

Looks quite similar to this photo of a young grass snake. (http://www.123rf.com/photo_7985678_youn ... white.html)

But then again I'm no authority on British snakes or any other kind of serpents.

Post by **Stevo** » September 1, 2011, 2:12 pm

Looks like a common grass snake to me.. The smooth snake has black markings on it's head/neck, not white.
also looks a bit too long for a smooth snake.

Post by **Astana** » September 1, 2011, 2:56 pm

This is a good game 'name the snake' take your pick of three or is it a?

Post by **old-timer** » September 2, 2011, 12:56 am

Looking at the picture shado posted, I would guess its a grass snake. But that's not unquestionable. We'll have to wait for Dr. Michael's expert opinion.
There is a dense woodland and farmers fields in the surrounding area it was found. No sandy heathland or sand dunes. There is a protected area for newts nearby, although that's probably irrelevant.

OT............... $\:D/$