Snake Encyclopedia
Search and identify 1,000+ snakes from around the world — with family, range, size, habitat, and how to tell similar species apart.
Fer-de-lance
A large, fast-moving pit viper found across much of Central America.
Tokara Habu
A small island endemic pit viper restricted to Japan's Tokara island chain.
Jararacussu
One of the largest South American lanceheads, a heavy-bodied forest pit viper.
Rhombic Night Adder
A widespread African viper named for the diamond-shaped blotches along its back.
Red Adder
A recently described small viper with reddish coloration, endemic to mountain ranges of South Africa's Cape region.
Central American Bushmaster
One of the largest snakes in the Americas, a massive, reclusive pit viper of Central American rainforests.
Kingsnake
A glossy constrictor famous for preying on other snakes, including pit vipers.
Florida Cottonmouth
A large, semi-aquatic pit viper of Florida wetlands, often confused with water snakes.
Death Adder
A short, ambush-hunting elapid that resembles a viper in shape and behavior despite belonging to the cobra family.
Mexican Cantil
A dark, bold-patterned pit viper of Mexican tropical lowlands, closely related to the cottonmouth and copperhead.
Taylor's Cantil
A distinctively patterned pit viper of northeastern Mexico, notable for its bright orange facial stripes.
Plain Mountain Adder
A subtly patterned, rarely seen small viper endemic to high-altitude grasslands of South Africa's Eastern Cape.
Western Rattlesnake
A widespread pit viper of the western United States and Canada, recognized by its dark blotches and rattling tail.
Northern Cottonmouth
A stout, semi-aquatic pit viper of southeastern wetlands, named for the white lining of its mouth displayed as a threat.
Eastern Copperhead
A copper-colored pit viper common across the eastern and central United States, known for its hourglass-shaped bands.
Cottonmouth
A heavy-bodied, semi-aquatic pit viper of the southeastern US, famous for the white interior of its mouth displayed as a threat.
Bardick
A stout, short-tailed elapid of southern Australia's heath and mallee, notable for its viper-like ambush hunting style.
Black-headed Bushmaster
A large, rare pit viper endemic to a small region of Pacific Costa Rica, distinguished by its notably dark head.
Northern Death Adder
A stout, ambush-hunting elapid with a viper-like body shape, found across tropical northern Australia and New Guinea.
Water Moccasin
A heavy-bodied semi-aquatic pit viper of the southeastern US, named for the white lining of its mouth displayed as a threat.
Jararaca
A widespread South American pit viper important pharmacologically, as compounds isolated from it led to the development of ACE inhibitor drugs.
Copperhead
A copper-colored pit viper common across the eastern US, known for its hourglass-shaped crossbands and reliance on camouflage.
Patagonian Lancehead
A small pit viper found further south than any other pitviper in the world, inhabiting the cold steppes of Patagonia.
Copperhead Rattlesnake
Despite the informal name, a rattle-less pit viper with a distinctive coppery, hourglass-banded pattern found across the eastern US.