Snake Of Many Colours

[Quero]

Its head and most of its body were dark gray/green, but it had a bright yellow 'throat' and red-orange colouration on its back for about 2 cm behind the head. Ran to get a camera to snap a shot, but got back and it had slithered away.

Any idea what sort of snake this might have been?

[mjperry]

Always like to know what is it i've seen when i've come across them too, have referred to here before:

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

[Quero]

Always like to know what is it i've seen when i've come across them too, have referred to here before:

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

Thanks, MJP. I actually did a search here on TV before posting my question and had taken a look at the site you suggest. There's no photo of 'my' snake at that website, though.

Still curious....

[Sir Burr]

Probably a Red Necked Keel-Back snake.

Very common in Phuket.

Can't be bothered posting a picture, but, here is the description from Wikipedia. Individual snakes colouration does have a wide variation, especially juveniles.

"Red-necked Keelback (Rhabdophis subminiatus) is a species of snake. The snake has a greenish hue with red and yellow regions near the head. It grows to about 40 inches (one meter) in length. It generally lives near ponds where it consumes frogs. Its a rear-fanged species and the toxicity of its venom has been poorly documented. It is believed that a bite is not fatal unless an allergic reaction occurs".

[Quero]

Probably a Red Necked Keel-Back snake.

Very common in Phuket.

Can't be bothered posting a picture, but, here is the description from Wikipedia. Individual snakes colouration does have a wide variation, especially juveniles.

"Red-necked Keelback (Rhabdophis subminiatus) is a species of snake. The snake has a greenish hue with red and yellow regions near the head. It grows to about 40 inches (one meter) in length. It generally lives near ponds where it consumes frogs. Its a rear-fanged species and the toxicity of its venom has been poorly documented. It is believed that a bite is not fatal unless an allergic reaction occurs".

Thanks SB, that's the one! There's a photo of the critter at the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project website.

BTW, this snake, while previously thought to be harmless/non-venomous, has recently been reclassified as dangerous since there have been cases of bites with severe envenomation.

Edited August 19, 2008 by mfiskong

[Sir Burr]

In my experience, the Red Necked Keelback is probably the most common ground dwelling snake on Phuket. Never once have I seen this snake get agressive during many sightings. They usually, on sight of a human, make there way to the nearest cover, unlike Cobras that will stop, raise their body, spread their hood and hiss.

Being a rear fanged snake, their poison delivery system is inefficient. Front fanged snakes, like the Cobra, have hollow fangs and 'inject' the poison into their victims quickly, then let go and wait for their prey to die.

The rear fanged snakes don't have hollow fangs, but grooved. This means that the snake has to have a good hold of the prey whilst the poison trickles down the groove and onto the wound. They keep a hold of their prey until they are dead.

You would have to be very, very unlucky to be harmed by the Keelback as there are very few parts of our body that it could bite for it's fangs to be effective.

Edited August 19, 2008 by Sir Burr

[BigSnake]

Don't worry so much about what kind it was, just thank goodness it was big enough for you to see it and give it a wide wide berth.

[Nirvana]

Always like to know what is it i've seen when i've come across them too, have referred to here before:

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

Great site. But does it include all snakes i wonder as could not see one the Op mentioned

[LivinLOS]

http://www.siam-info.de/english/poisonous_animals.html is the link on that site for more than just the 'common snakes'..

The one being discussed is http://www.siam-info.de/english/snakes_natricinae.html 2nd down here..

I also have this site in my bookmarks http://ecologyasia.com/verts/snakes.htm

I recently had a small but beautiful golden tree snake in the roof of out porch / wash room is.. Caused screams and panic from my GF totally beyond any rational thought. Where I am now we sometimes see various ones sunning on the concrete road. Last house had a Cobra nest, that I wasnt happy about.

[Quero]

In my experience, the Red Necked Keelback is probably the most common ground dwelling snake on Phuket. Never once have I seen this snake get agressive during many sightings. They usually, on sight of a human, make there way to the nearest cover, unlike Cobras that will stop, raise their body, spread their hood and hiss.

Being a rear fanged snake, their poison delivery system is inefficient. Front fanged snakes, like the Cobra, have hollow fangs and 'inject' the poison into their victims quickly, then let go and wait for their prey to die.

The rear fanged snakes don't have hollow fangs, but grooved. This means that the snake has to have a good hold of the prey whilst the poison trickles down the groove and onto the wound. They keep a hold of their prey until they are dead.

You would have to be very, very unlucky to be harmed by the Keelback as there are very few parts of our body that it could bite for it's fangs to be effective.

Logical reasoning, but it is still important to recognize the snake for the level of danger it poses to pets and small children. I read a report of morbidity in relation to a bite by this snake in the Singapore Journal of Medicine (not sure if the name of the journal is perfect). The victim, thinking that the snake posed little or no threat of envenomation, kept one as a pet. He didn't worry when he was bitten on the finger so didn't seek medical care until the venom spread throughout his body. The recommendation of the physician who wrote the paper was that this snake should be reclassified as dangerous so that people don't unwittingly keep one as a pet. Here on Phuket where our pets roam free, it's also a good idea to know that a bite from this snake attacking a dog or cat may lead to serious envenomation.

Thanks again for identifying the snake. While I won't be killing any that I find at my home, I also won't pick one up and heave it over the wall! (BTW, the one I saw on the porch outside my kitchen didn't flee when confronted by humans, but instead remained alert with its head elevated and body seemingly ready to spring.)

[Nirvana]

http://www.siam-info.de/english/poisonous_animals.html is the link on that site for more than just the 'common snakes'..

The one being discussed is http://www.siam-info.de/english/snakes_natricinae.html 2nd down here..

I also have this site in my bookmarks http://ecologyasia.com/verts/snakes.htm

I recently had a small but beautiful golden tree snake in the roof of out porch / wash room is.. Caused screams and panic from my GF totally beyond any rational thought. Where I am now we sometimes see various ones sunning on the concrete road. Last house had a Cobra nest, that I wasnt happy about.

Thanks for info, very interesting. I would not be too happy about the nest either considering how many young are produced..

[Knightsbridge]

Oh hey, now I've seen the pic i saw one like this at Khao Mai Chao National park - crossed our paths...

[Thanks SB, that's the one! There's a photo of the critter at the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project website.

BTW, this snake, while previously thought to be harmless/non-venomous, has recently been reclassified as dangerous since there have been cases of bites with severe envenomation.

[hanno]

Being a rear fanged snake, their poison delivery system is inefficient.

A herpetologist Friend of mine may want to differ if he was still alive: he got bitten by a rear-fanged snake in Kenya 20 years ago and didn't survive the encounter