Snake Encyclopedia
Search and identify 1,000+ snakes from around the world — with venomous status, family, range, size, habitat, and how to tell look-alikes apart.
Fer-de-lance
A large, fast-moving, and medically significant pit viper responsible for the majority of snakebite incidents across much of its Central American range.
False Fer-de-lance
A harmless colubrid widely known for mimicking dangerous fer-de-lance pit vipers through dramatic head-flattening displays.
Amazon False Fer-de-lance
A harmless, viper-mimicking colubrid of the Amazon that flattens its head into a triangular shape to fool predators into thinking it is a dangerous pit viper.
Terciopelo
A large, medically significant pit viper responsible for the majority of snakebite incidents across its Central American range.
Mexican Lance-headed Rattlesnake
A small rattlesnake of the central Mexican plateau notable for its distinctly narrow, lance-shaped head compared to most rattlesnakes.
De Vis' Banded Snake
A small, secretive elapid of inland eastern Australia's floodplains, closely related to the Ornamental Snake.
Kaulback's Lance-Headed Pit Viper
A lance-headed pit viper of remote montane forests along the Myanmar-China-Vietnam border region, named after naturalist Ronald Kaulback.
Ladder Snake
A large, robust Iberian colubrid named for the ladder-like pattern seen in juveniles, which fades into two dark dorsal stripes in adults.
Cuban Boa
The largest native snake in Cuba, a powerful constrictor known for hunting bats at cave entrances and adapting to a range of habitats across the island.
Florida Brownsnake
A small, common brown snake of Florida gardens and woodlands, closely related to the widespread De Kay's Brownsnake.
Flat-Nosed Pit Viper
A little-known montane pit viper of northern Myanmar and adjacent regions, noted for its flattened snout profile.
Ornamental Snake
A small, patterned nocturnal elapid restricted to the Brigalow Belt of central Queensland, listed as vulnerable due to habitat loss.
Semi-ornate Sand Snake
A fast, slender, striped sand snake found across dry savanna and semi-desert regions of Africa.
Desert Mountain Adder
A little-known rocky-terrain adder confined to arid mountain slopes along the Orange River region of southern Africa.
Jararaca
A widespread South American pit viper important both medically and pharmacologically, as its venom led to the development of ACE inhibitor drugs.
Arunachal Pit Viper
A green pit viper endemic to Arunachal Pradesh, part of a wave of newly described pit viper species from the eastern Himalayan foothills.
Jararacussu
One of the largest South American lanceheads, a heavy-bodied forest pit viper capable of delivering large venom yields.
Boomslang
A slender, large-eyed African tree snake famous for its potent hemotoxic venom delivered through rear fangs, making it one of the few colubrids capable of causing severe or fatal envenomation in humans.
Western Groundsnake
A small, highly variable desert snake that may be striped, banded, or plain depending on the population.
Yellow Rat Snake
A striking striped rat snake variant found in the Deep South, typically yellow or olive with four dark longitudinal stripes.
Gray-banded Kingsnake
A desert kingsnake famed for its highly variable banding of gray, orange, and black, native to the Chihuahuan Desert.
Black-Headed Snake
A tiny, secretive desert colubrid distinguished by a solid black or dark cap over the head, contrasting with its plain lighter body.
Black Swampsnake
A small, glossy black wetland snake with a bright red-orange belly, found in dense marsh vegetation of the southeastern coastal plain.
Spotted Skaapsteker
A slender, patterned southern African snake whose name derives from a folk belief linking it to livestock, though it is not dangerous to sheep or people.