Can someone identify this snake?

[bubba45]

This snake was just outside one of my rooms this morning, I live in not far from the Four Seasons, north of Chiang Mai. A heavily wooded area. It was not aggressive, I used a pole to push it off the edge of the walkway. It was rather lethargic in that when I first poked it, it did nothing. When I shoved it harder, it slowly started moving away. I'd say it was around a meter long. Thanks.

[seajae]

mate, you have a easy disposition, if I had of seen it, it would be a dead one, they are the only snakes I like.

[Forethat]

Checkered Keelback...?

[BillyBobThai]

That is a live snake, would be better if is wasn't.

[Indrid Cold]

Malayan pit viper?

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

cannot offer even the most vague of opinions without seeing the head, but it does seem to have a keel back.

it also looks like it has just eaten something.

[canuckamuck]

Not a Malayan viper, keelback would be my guess. He was lethargic because he just had a big meal, but the checkered keelback is not aggressive or easily scared away either. I have had a few of these sneak up and give my feet a smell. Stupid buggers.

[krisb]

I know the name of it but because it's a Thai visa member I probably shouldn't mention their name. Its not poisonous, but it is slippery.

[Mrjlh]

Checkered Keelback my guess. Not dangerous or poisonous but will bite.

[klubex99]

It is a keelback.

Quite safe and will only bite if you stand on it or chase it into a corner.

The one in your first pic just ate. That is why it was lethargic. Probably a frog or a rat.

[klubex99]

If you ever see a snake with orange, black and white hoops all the way down its body sticking out of a bush. That could be the famous won ton ton snake. The best way to deal with it is to grab it by the end of the tail and run your other hand up the full length of its body, thus breaking all its bones and rendering it harmless.

Just make sure that your arm doesn't disappear up the arse of a Bengal Tiger.

Then you 'are' in trouble.

Edited August 17, 2013 by klubex99

[rene123]

The pictures I took of keelbacks look similar, but it is hard to tell considering the poor quality photos and without seeing the head.

[Indrid Cold]

keelback... how unexiting is there not a chanse it could be a viper looking like a keelback?

[bubba45]

The pictures I took of keelbacks look similar, but it is hard to tell considering the poor quality photos and without seeing the head.

Thanks for the responses. Yeah, unfortunately I could not get a better picture, of course it was a phone camera and I was not keen on getting too close! (I assume you're clicking on the image to enlarge them - the originals were worse, I used photoshop to better bring out the details of what can be seen.) The only comments I can expand upon are that it certainly didn't want anything to do with me, as it appeared to be solely interested in getting away. I showed the picture to my gardener, and immediately he said it was a "luam" snake. I don't have a thai keyboard, sorry. I don't know what that translates into in english, but my understanding is that snake in a constrictor type. My thai instructor thought that might be a type of viper.

While I never noticed it in the heat of battle, looking at the first image now the snake does appear to be bloated in part, which would explain the lethargy assuming it had recently eaten.

I saw the head only briefly, and the only comment I can make is that it was not unusual in any regard, and it certainly was not unusually large.

Finally, there's a small river behind the house, which has flooded in the past week. So, I've been on the lookout a bit more for snakes, figuring they'd move to higher ground. From what I read of the keelback, this would fit living near a river.

[willyumiii]

I can identify!

His name is Som Chai.

He is old keelback with drinking problem.

Som Chai mow again!

Not " just eaten" it is beer belly.

Som Chai loves Leo and Lao kao.,

If you still have him, please, give him a drink, point him south ,and send him home.

His family and I have been worried about him.

Thank you!

[BillyBobThai]

If I had a snake sniffing my feet, I would shit myself while going into cardiac arrest.

[cmsally]

The pictures I took of keelbacks look similar, but it is hard to tell considering the poor quality photos and without seeing the head.

Thanks for the responses. Yeah, unfortunately I could not get a better picture, of course it was a phone camera and I was not keen on getting too close! (I assume you're clicking on the image to enlarge them - the originals were worse, I used photoshop to better bring out the details of what can be seen.) The only comments I can expand upon are that it certainly didn't want anything to do with me, as it appeared to be solely interested in getting away. I showed the picture to my gardener, and immediately he said it was a "luam" snake. I don't have a thai keyboard, sorry. I don't know what that translates into in english, but my understanding is that snake in a constrictor type. My thai instructor thought that might be a type of viper.

While I never noticed it in the heat of battle, looking at the first image now the snake does appear to be bloated in part, which would explain the lethargy assuming it had recently eaten.

I saw the head only briefly, and the only comment I can make is that it was not unusual in any regard, and it certainly was not unusually large.

Finally, there's a small river behind the house, which has flooded in the past week. So, I've been on the lookout a bit more for snakes, figuring they'd move to higher ground. From what I read of the keelback, this would fit living near a river.

"ngu luam" is a python - its not a python

[bubba45]

The pictures I took of keelbacks look similar, but it is hard to tell considering the poor quality photos and without seeing the head.

Thanks for the responses. Yeah, unfortunately I could not get a better picture, of course it was a phone camera and I was not keen on getting too close! (I assume you're clicking on the image to enlarge them - the originals were worse, I used photoshop to better bring out the details of what can be seen.) The only comments I can expand upon are that it certainly didn't want anything to do with me, as it appeared to be solely interested in getting away. I showed the picture to my gardener, and immediately he said it was a "luam" snake. I don't have a thai keyboard, sorry. I don't know what that translates into in english, but my understanding is that snake in a constrictor type. My thai instructor thought that might be a type of viper.

While I never noticed it in the heat of battle, looking at the first image now the snake does appear to be bloated in part, which would explain the lethargy assuming it had recently eaten.

I saw the head only briefly, and the only comment I can make is that it was not unusual in any regard, and it certainly was not unusually large.

Finally, there's a small river behind the house, which has flooded in the past week. So, I've been on the lookout a bit more for snakes, figuring they'd move to higher ground. From what I read of the keelback, this would fit living near a river.

"ngu luam" is a python - its not a python

Thanks for that. But can I ask why you say that? I don't know much about snakes, but considering, I'd like to know more.

And in reading about the keelback, if indeed it's a keelback, it says they're not poisonous. But the articles I saw did not explain how they kill their prey. So, how do they kill their prey? Do they suffocate them, like a boa? Or do they just grab it and swallow alive?

[h90]

If I had a snake sniffing my feet, I would shit myself while going into cardiac arrest.

Back in Austria in the house close to the forest we often had snakes...you get used to it and the eat mouse and rats....

[isawasnake]

I would guess the oriental rat snake. Really hard to tell, good pics are important. This rat snake expands its neck area an in the picture. It is hard to tell if yours is doing this as well (which would make sense if you just prodded it), or if it just ate.

Edited August 17, 2013 by isawasnake

[isawasnake]

The pictures I took of keelbacks look similar, but it is hard to tell considering the poor quality photos and without seeing the head.

Thanks for the responses. Yeah, unfortunately I could not get a better picture, of course it was a phone camera and I was not keen on getting too close! (I assume you're clicking on the image to enlarge them - the originals were worse, I used photoshop to better bring out the details of what can be seen.) The only comments I can expand upon are that it certainly didn't want anything to do with me, as it appeared to be solely interested in getting away. I showed the picture to my gardener, and immediately he said it was a "luam" snake. I don't have a thai keyboard, sorry. I don't know what that translates into in english, but my understanding is that snake in a constrictor type. My thai instructor thought that might be a type of viper.

While I never noticed it in the heat of battle, looking at the first image now the snake does appear to be bloated in part, which would explain the lethargy assuming it had recently eaten.

I saw the head only briefly, and the only comment I can make is that it was not unusual in any regard, and it certainly was not unusually large.

Finally, there's a small river behind the house, which has flooded in the past week. So, I've been on the lookout a bit more for snakes, figuring they'd move to higher ground. From what I read of the keelback, this would fit living near a river.

"ngu luam" is a python - its not a python

Thanks for that. But can I ask why you say that? I don't know much about snakes, but considering, I'd like to know more.

And in reading about the keelback, if indeed it's a keelback, it says they're not poisonous. But the articles I saw did not explain how they kill their prey. So, how do they kill their prey? Do they suffocate them, like a boa? Or do they just grab it and swallow alive?

It is definitely not a python.

[Cobalt60]

Only worry about any snake being poisonous if you intend to eat it. Venomous now that's important.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[market trader]

If I had a snake sniffing my feet, I would shit myself while going into cardiac arrest.

Back in Austria in the house close to the forest we often had snakes...you get used to it and the eat mouse and rats....

Sure you had snakes that you got used to back in Austria. But you did not have cobras, banded kraits etc.

[geezer2]

his name is dave allbody knows him

[jollyposty]

yep agree with geezer2 that's dave saw him on crime watch uk last week.

[Mrjlh]

Try learning on this link: http://www.siam-info.com/english/snakes_poisonous.html

The pictures I took of keelbacks look similar, but it is hard to tell considering the poor quality photos and without seeing the head.

Thanks for the responses. Yeah, unfortunately I could not get a better picture, of course it was a phone camera and I was not keen on getting too close! (I assume you're clicking on the image to enlarge them - the originals were worse, I used photoshop to better bring out the details of what can be seen.) The only comments I can expand upon are that it certainly didn't want anything to do with me, as it appeared to be solely interested in getting away. I showed the picture to my gardener, and immediately he said it was a "luam" snake. I don't have a thai keyboard, sorry. I don't know what that translates into in english, but my understanding is that snake in a constrictor type. My thai instructor thought that might be a type of viper.

While I never noticed it in the heat of battle, looking at the first image now the snake does appear to be bloated in part, which would explain the lethargy assuming it had recently eaten.

I saw the head only briefly, and the only comment I can make is that it was not unusual in any regard, and it certainly was not unusually large.

Finally, there's a small river behind the house, which has flooded in the past week. So, I've been on the lookout a bit more for snakes, figuring they'd move to higher ground. From what I read of the keelback, this would fit living near a river.

"ngu luam" is a python - its not a python

Thanks for that. But can I ask why you say that? I don't know much about snakes, but considering, I'd like to know more.

And in reading about the keelback, if indeed it's a keelback, it says they're not poisonous. But the articles I saw did not explain how they kill their prey. So, how do they kill their prey? Do they suffocate them, like a boa? Or do they just grab it and swallow alive?

[bubba45]

Try learning on this link: http://www.siam-info.com/english/snakes_poisonous.html

Thanks, I'd seen that site and it has some good info. But I've come to the conclusion it's often quite difficult to identify a snake by its skin. Some are obvious, but many are not. Like the one I photographed. Though I believe there's a good chance it was a keelback, as some have suggested.

I'm still curious why two members said it is not a python.

[tw25rw]

Try learning on this link: http://www.siam-info.com/english/snakes_poisonous.html

Thanks, I'd seen that site and it has some good info. But I've come to the conclusion it's often quite difficult to identify a snake by its skin. Some are obvious, but many are not. Like the one I photographed. Though I believe there's a good chance it was a keelback, as some have suggested.

I'm still curious why two members said it is not a python.

It looks nothing like a python. the shape and scale of the head is all wrong.

[Goshawk]

pretty sure the OP's reptile is a Keeled Rat Snake... more so on viewing the 2nd photo.