Snakes

[fred2007]

We have quiet a few snakes in our area can anybody tell me which ones are harmless and which ones are the dangerous ones ? Any place I can find out?

[Rimmer]

A snake book will tell you.

[Farma]

The Ecology Asia website has photos and descriptions.

http://ecologyasia.com/verts/snakes.htm

Edited July 26, 2008 by Farma

[Tywais]

http://www.siam-info.de/english/snakes_poisonous.html

[Wandering]

Quick rules of thumb:

The bigger the head the more poisonous.

Glossy/shiny looking land snakes are often not poisonous.

If they try to get away from you quickly. They are probably not poisonous.

Although in Thailand, all snakes can wind up for dinner, so most flee from humans.

Obviously this is not exact or comprehensive, but when you are in the jungle and don't have a snake book on hand. (umh you know.... to smash them with)

BTW- Whenever I find a snake in the city, I catch it. Then if it is not poisonous, I release it safely in a remote field.

[elkangorito]

Quick rules of thumb:

The bigger the head the more poisonous.

Glossy/shiny looking land snakes are often not poisonous.

If they try to get away from you quickly. They are probably not poisonous.

This above post is complete rubbish.

Many venomous snakes have small heads, the exception being members of the Viper family. Harmless snakes can have large heads (Pythons).

Most snakes, venomous & nonvenomous are shiny, the exception being some members of the Viper family.

Most snakes are very shy & will only attack if cornered. Even a nonvenomous snake will behave this way.

Rule No 1.

Treat all snakes as venomous.

Rule No 2.

Do not attempt to kill a snake as you may be bitten when it tries to defend itself.

Rule No 3.

Most snakes are scared of things that are bigger than them (they cannot eat it).

Rule No 4.

If bitten, apply a "Constrictive bandage" (not a tourniquet) & avoid movement. Get medical advice promptly.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~bush/myth.html

http://www.outback-australia-travel-secret...ous_snakes.html

http://www.outback-australia-travel-secret...raliansnakestop

http://www.wikihow.com/Identify-a-Venomous-Snake

http://www.wikihow.com/Discussion:Identify-a-Venomous-Snake

http://www.snakehandler.com.au/?pid=main&p=31

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=1464732

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Snake-Bites-...l&hl=snake*

Edited July 27, 2008 by elkangorito

[BigSnake]

No not really to most people. Just treat them all as Harmful and keep your area(yard/garden etc) clutter free. Don't fear the BIGSNAKES, you can see them and give a wide wide berth, it's those little ones that can be so deadly.

[fred2007]

No not really to most people. Just treat them all as Harmful and keep your area(yard/garden etc) clutter free. Don't fear the BIGSNAKES, you can see them and give a wide wide berth, it's those little ones that can be so deadly.

well I guess you just trying to protect your family members

[elkangorito]

I searched the web in the hope that I could find a movie of how to apply a Pressure Immobilisation Bandage but alas, none were to be found.

It also appears that the definition of a Constrictive Bandage has changed. The new definition is Pressure Immobilisation Bandage. Previously, a constrictive bandage & a tourniquet were 2 different things. Now they are considered to be the same.

http://www.stjohn.org.au/index.php?option=...2&Itemid=34

Edited July 27, 2008 by elkangorito

[Naam]

Quick rules of thumb:

The bigger the head the more poisonous.

Glossy/shiny looking land snakes are often not poisonous.

If they try to get away from you quickly. They are probably not poisonous.

This above post is complete rubbish.

having lived in "snake countries" for more than 30 years i wholeheartedly second that. by the way, i always wonder why people who have no bloody idea of certain topics have to display their ignorance in an especially prominent manner.

[Guest Reimar]

Quick rules of thumb:

The bigger the head the more poisonous.

Glossy/shiny looking land snakes are often not poisonous.

If they try to get away from you quickly. They are probably not poisonous.

This above post is complete rubbish.

Many venomous snakes have small heads, the exception being members of the Viper family. Harmless snakes can have large heads (Pythons).

Most snakes, venomous & nonvenomous are shiny, the exception being some members of the Viper family.

Most snakes are very shy & will only attack if cornered. Even a nonvenomous snake will behave this way.

Rule No 1.

Treat all snakes as venomous.

Rule No 2.

Do not attempt to kill a snake as you may be bitten when it tries to defend itself.

Rule No 3.

Most snakes are scared of things that are bigger than them (they cannot eat it).

Rule No 4.

If bitten, apply a "Constrictive bandage" (not a tourniquet) & avoid movement. Get medical advice promptly.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~bush/myth.html

http://www.outback-australia-travel-secret...ous_snakes.html

http://www.outback-australia-travel-secret...raliansnakestop

http://www.wikihow.com/Identify-a-Venomous-Snake

http://www.wikihow.com/Discussion:Identify-a-Venomous-Snake

http://www.snakehandler.com.au/?pid=main&p=31

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=1464732

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Snake-Bites-...l&hl=snake*

I second that!

Just one more Rule: you NOT move fast just try to move slow away from an snake, special if you don't know which kind of snake is it!

Cheers.

[Dustoff]

It's pretty simple really and being bitten by a snake is actually a pretty rare experience.

If you live in snake country, don't go running around in your yard in the dark, or much of any other place where they may be, with bare feet or without keeping your eyes open. They, for the most part, do not WANT to bite you, they just want to get out of your way. If snakes wanted to bite pretty much of anything warm-blooded, water buffalo, oxen, dogs and those annoying kids next door would be going down on a regular basis - but they are not. Just don't go grabbing at them - same with me - or you will pay the consequences.

If bitten, whether a viper or neuro-toxic, you will feel almost immediate excruciating pain which is a message to get to a hospital right now (take the snake with you if at all possible even if you get bitten again)! If only minor discomfort from lotsa sharp little teeth, you are in no danger, just learning a lesson.

As with everything else, education rules...

[TheDon]

They are nothing compared to Australian snakes or me.

[elkangorito]

Quick rules of thumb:

The bigger the head the more poisonous.

Glossy/shiny looking land snakes are often not poisonous.

If they try to get away from you quickly. They are probably not poisonous.

This above post is complete rubbish.

having lived in "snake countries" for more than 30 years i wholeheartedly second that. by the way, i always wonder why people who have no bloody idea of certain topics have to display their ignorance in an especially prominent manner.

Right on, Doc (Dr Naam).

I do believe in the 80/20 rule whereby 80% of the worlds population are idiots & 20% are capable of thinking. If "Wandering" lives by his/her recommendations, he/she may not be around much longer.

Edited July 27, 2008 by elkangorito

[Galong]

Sorry to be picky, but there are no poisonous snakes... there are venomous snakes however. A poisonous animal is one that poisons you if you eat it. A venomous animal is one that injects venom if it bites you.

[apetley]

Sorry to be picky, but there are no poisonous snakes... there are venomous snakes however. A poisonous animal is one that poisons you if you eat it. A venomous animal is one that injects venom if it bites you.

To be really picky, poison means “any substance that can cause illness, infection, or death when ingested or brought into contact with the skin or bloodstream of an animal or human being.”

Venom is the poison secreted by certain reptiles and insects and injected by means of a bite or sting. Hence such creatures are accurately referred to as venomous, rather than by the more generic poisonous.

Venom also is occasionally (though rarely) used as a synonym of the more generic poison, so to use both nouns and adjectives interchangeably is not wrong, but to use poisonous of snakes and insects is seen as sloppy by some Standard users, as it is to use venomous for plant secretions and other substances. Snakes can be venomous; plants can be poisonous: it’s poison ivy, not venom(ous) ivy.

[Dustoff]

Sorry to be picky, but there are no poisonous snakes... there are venomous snakes however. A poisonous animal is one that poisons you if you eat it. A venomous animal is one that injects venom if it bites you.

When you are finished with your lesson, you may wish to consult a dictionary.

While venonmous may be preferred, both are correct and everyone knew what everyone else was talking about so why correct working communication?

[Galong]

Sorry to be picky, but there are no poisonous snakes... there are venomous snakes however. A poisonous animal is one that poisons you if you eat it. A venomous animal is one that injects venom if it bites you.

When you are finished with your lesson, you may wish to consult a dictionary.

While venonmous may be preferred, both are correct and everyone knew what everyone else was talking about so why correct working communication?

My dictionary says I'm correct. It's a small thing and I wasn't trying to make a big deal of it... thus I started my post with "sorry". It's not a big deal and I know that using the word 'poison' get the job done, but it's not technically correct, that's all.

And thanks, apetley, for your addition/expansion on the subject.

[LivinLOS]

The Ecology Asia website has photos and descriptions.

http://ecologyasia.com/verts/snakes.htm

http://www.siam-info.de/english/snakes_poisonous.html

Superb resources.. Thanks..

I had a golden tree snake (so the second link tells me) in my porch the other day.. We see the green (Oriental Whip) snake.. Called a simple tree snake many times to me here a bit and have had a couple of cobra sightings close by.

My GF has a near panic attack at the sight but I think they are beautiful, just dont want the living too close.

[colino]

Up in issan i have seen the bright banded red yellow and black crate snake ,, (very dangerous)

There is a harmless snake that looks like the crate,

so to remember which is which

there is a saying for this snake

Red next to yellow Kill a fellow .....

Red next to Black friend of Jack....

but to be safe if you see one just walk away

colino

[klikster]

Rule No 4.

If bitten, apply a "Constrictive bandage" (not a tourniquet) & avoid movement. Get medical advice promptly.

Can you explain how that would help the victim of a cobra or krait bite?

[phaethon]

Can you explain how that would help the victim of a cobra or krait bite?

In order to do its work a neurotoxin, like a haemotoxin, has to spread from the envenomation site to the rest of the body, this is done by either capillary lymphatic flow (unless you get really unlucky and the snake hit a blood vessel of significant size, in which case you've had it). A constrictive bandage will slow blood and lymph flow into and out of the affected area and might buy you a little time. I've never been bitten but I would apply a firm constrictive bandage providing doing so didn't delay transport to a treatment centre.

Haemostatic tourniquets, which cut off the blood flow to/from a limb, are risky because they don't just prevent the venom from leaving the limb but also the metabolic waste produced by the tissues of the limb. These accumulate and can, upon removal of the tourniquet, cause severe problems such as kidney failure when released en-masse into the blood stream as well as the risk of blood clots. The Oxford Textbook of Medicine (Warrell, 1983) suggests the use of tourniqets only where 'dangerously neurotoxic' venom is involved and where transport to a treatment centre is likely to be more than 30 minutes but less than two hours. In any case, if you must use a tourniquet, make sure the clinical staff know exactly how long a tourniquet has been applied. There have been cases, unbeleivably, where topurniquets haven't been noticed on arrival at hospital and left in place until the limb literally died.

[sassienie]

Treat all snakes as venomous and keep your distance.

No need to kill these animals. I have had several snakes appear on my property especially in the rainy season. In these cases I just turn on the hose, slash the snake with water which results in the snake very quickly sliding away never to be seen again, never fails.

[Beardog]

Probably the most common snake you are likely to see is a very common Keelback. they eat frogs ,toads, mice field rats & small criiters. they stay the hel_l away from our retriever(just wants to play with em) & hates contact with humans & other larger creatures. they come in many types in the Keelback family. It is possible to see a not so nice snake here in thailand as this used to be their inhabitant not ours. As mentioned before give it wide berth & they will usually go away.

here is a picture of a keelback . I have seen 8 so far. I regret my girl coaxed me into chopping this one up as he is not a problem. If you get one that is huge good on the BBQ. it tastes like chicken. It better be huge as there isn't much meat(all bone & hide) I think after trying a rather large keelback(not shown here) I will buy some chicken instead!

[Bengt]

We have quiet a few snakes in our area can anybody tell me which ones are harmless and which ones are the dangerous ones ? Any place I can find out?

Many snakes in this part of the world are venomous but harmless in some ways, the snake can discover you and the normal reaction is to run away because the snake fear you more in the reality.

If you should see a snake in real then my advise is that dont get to close unless you are quite sure what snake it is.

There are 2 kind of snakes that you should be aware of and thats the Kingcobra and the Spittingcobra but the chance to see a kingcobra in real is almost impossible and spittingcobra is not as common to but the typical venomous snake in Thailand is the naja kaouthia or the siamesic cobra and during my 8 years in Thailand I have seen a cobra only 4 times in the wild condition.

The Siamesic cobra is very venomous and you need medical treatment as soon as possible but the risc to be bitten is very rare and its a beautiful snake to watch but dont play whit it.

[Gary A]

The last snake I had a close encounter with was a Blue Krait. He was doing his best to get as far away from me as possible. Even if I had known that he has a deadly bite, I doubt that I would have killed him. I treat them all as if they are deadly and have never seen an aggressive snake although supposedly there are some.

[phaethon]

Cobras: just challenge them to a staring competition -

[missismiggins]

I agree, treat them all the same (as if they are deadly) even the non venomous snakes can inflict horrible bites - and also beware of the younger "baby" snakes, a lot of these have not yet learned to distinguish "prey" from "threat", these buggers (if venomous) can deliver a real overdose of venom. They simply cannot understand how much to deliver and can prove much more dangerous than a mature snake, that, will often give you a "dry" bite (i.e. no venom as a warning, as it understnads you are not prey, but simply a threat)

[Tim207]

Cobras: just challenge them to a staring competition -

You might want to be sure it isn't a spitting cobra before you try that.

[Canadianvisitor]

Well I'll be!

I was in Pattaya for a few days and I saw this huge snake.

Huge is about 1.5 metres.

It was golden brown with a golden belly.

I asked the locals what I had seen as it froze me as it came from the bush and went across the street.

They asked me if it was grey, I said "No."

They said "Then it wasn't a Cobra."

Are Cobra other colours than gray?