Snake Identification Please

[thetefldon]

I had a close encounter with this fellow late this afternoon. He was following the line of my boundary wall, the snake was on the field side, I was on the house side so I was elevated about four feet above him. I observed the snake for a couple of minutes before dashing in to get the camera. Unfortunately due to the lighting the photograph is not so clear plus I had a zoom lens on the camera.

Before I took the photo I noticed the snake was about 5' long and quite thick around the girth. It appeared to have yellow/buff and grey/black bands on its underside(if you magnify the photo you can just see these under the chin) while the back had very feint and thin horizontal bands across the grey/black scales.

My own thoughts are that its a King Cobra, since it looks similar to an 8' monster my neighbour killed a few weeks back.

Whatever the ID can anyone also say what the white spots on the body are (towards the head), I wonder if its about to shed its skin?

BTW he disappeared very quickly when he sensed my presence so I only got one photograph.

[kxfield]

That is definately a very vicious venemous creature. The white spots show that has indeed just shed its red outer skin, which it has had on for most of the last year. I am surprised it gave you time to get your camera. It usually shies away from the camera in case the flashlight from the camera illuminates its face, thereby allowing a hunter to get a good shot at it. Its latin name is "jatupornis promphanus" commonly called a red snake. That is one little slimy snake in the grass that no one would like to come across unless its dead.

[flexxx]

Its latin name is "jatupornis promphanus" commonly called a red snake. That is one little slimy snake in the grass that no one would like to come across unless its dead.

[Goshawk]

My own thoughts are that its a King Cobra

Not a King.. but just as deadly, if not more so 'cos this one will spit its venom at you (they always aim for the head) aswell as injecting it into you...

it's Naja siamensis or more commonly - Indo-Chinese Spitting Cobra

that is the second one thats cropped up on thaivisa in the last week or so..

Just leave it alone, no need to kill it.. it won't bother you (unless you go trying to get more pictures of it)

[Thongkorn]

Do they taste like chicken, It looks like a viper with the shape of its head, A cobra usualy has a fatter body than this one.But the photo looks deceiving, But Live and let live, leave alone

[thetefldon]

My own thoughts are that its a King Cobra

Not a King.. but just as deadly, if not more so 'cos this one will spit its venom at you (they always aim for the head) aswell as injecting it into you...

it's Naja siamensis or more commonly - Indo-Chinese Spitting Cobra

that is the second one thats cropped up on thaivisa in the last week or so..

Just leave it alone, no need to kill it.. it won't bother you (unless you go trying to get more pictures of it)

Thanks Goshawk appreciate the ID. Personally I am not in the kill them brigade, like you say I just respect them and leave them alone. I certainly won't be chasing after them to get pics, but I was just in the right place at the right time (and safe).

[Fore Man]

Can the OP tell us where he lives? I am in the northern outskirts of CM and have never come across one of these...yet anyway. Is the red snake prevalent all over Thailand or just in certain locales? Thanks.

[thetefldon]

Can the OP tell us where he lives? I am in the northern outskirts of CM and have never come across one of these...yet anyway. Is the red snake prevalent all over Thailand or just in certain locales? Thanks.

Perhaps "kxfield" can answer your question since I live in the South.

[F1fanatic]

I wish this post hadn't started!

A few months ago one of my dogs was barking v aggressively - it was so odd that I went to see what on earth the problem was. The snake I saw was v similar to the picture you've posted!

I'd assumed it was a Rat Snake (there are lots of rats/frogs/toads here and I see lots of Golden Tree Snakes), so I wasn't worried.

I heard the same bark more recently when she came across a cobra in my garden (obviously a cobra - even to me).

To look on the bright side, I now recognise my dog's 'snake' bark.

Hopefully, my dogs keep the snakes at bay whilst being intelligent enough to keep out of their way - although I wonder about the 'idiot' dog I brought from England who was getting way to close to the cobra that even I recognised! I had to grab him and back away carefully......

[sinnus99]

Can anyone identify this snake? I found it in garden behind the house in Chiang Mai. Is it dangerous to a small dog like miniature princess or chihuahua?

Thank you.

Edited July 10, 2010 by sinnus99

[anothertorres]

that's the dreaded 6-piece dog snake. it will make a queen of your princess...

[steffi]

That looks like a King Cobra to me but I don't see any stripes anywhere on it. The head looks King Cobra like to me.

Can anyone identify this snake? I found it in garden behind the house in Chiang Mai. Is it dangerous to a small dog like miniature princess or chihuahua?

Thank you.

[phutoie2]

My dog was chasing this one around the garden, a right ol ding dong between them, eventually I had to get a passing local man to take it away.

I think they had it for lunch.

Pretty sure its a rat snake (ngoo sing).

[girlbetterknow]

^Aww your dog looks like my child hood dog.

Why ever would you want to take a picture of it.. I would have ran atleast to China seeing ANY snake lol. Heard them Cobras can like jump at you from seven foot...