Is the Speckle-headed Whipsnake venomous?

The Speckle-headed Whipsnake (Ahaetulla fasciolata) is rear-fanged and only mildly venomous. It is not considered dangerous to humans (its venom is weak and its fangs sit at the back of the mouth) but a bite can cause local swelling or irritation, so it should not be handled.

Is the Speckle-headed Whipsnake poisonous?

Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Speckle-headed Whipsnake is neither poisonous nor venomous.

Is the Speckle-headed Whipsnake dangerous?

The Speckle-headed Whipsnake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.

Where does the Speckle-headed Whipsnake live?

The Speckle-headed Whipsnake has verified records in 4 countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Colubridae

Speckle-headed Whipsnake

Harmless

Ahaetulla fasciolata

Speckle-headed Whipsnake — Ahaetulla fasciolata, © Gregory LeClair

5 photographs of the Speckle-headed Whipsnake. © Gregory LeClair.

The Speckle-headed Whipsnake (Ahaetulla fasciolata) is a rear-fanged, mildly venomous snake in the Colubridae family, recorded in 4 countries.

Family: Colubridae

About the Speckle-headed Whipsnake

The speckle-headed whipsnake (Ahaetulla fasciolata) is a species of colubrid vine snake found in Southeast Asia.

Description

It has a thin, elongated body, an extremely long tail and a sharply triangular-shaped head. Adults can measure up to 0.8 m. The upper body is usually brownish-grey, but can vary greatly to yellows, oranges, greens and browns, and may have ill-defined transverse bars on the neck and anterior part of the body, or may be solid in color. The belly is whitish with a black line near the ends of the ventral scales. The head is usually punctuated with dark spots. A thin dark line across the eye separates the darker head from the lighter cheeks. The upper lips and underside of the head are whitish with dark spots.

The scales pattern observed in specimens from Thailand were: ventral 227–238, subcaudal (187–192) + 1 paired, dorsal scales in 15 rows, 9 supralabial, with the 4th to 5th touching the eye, 1 preocular, 2 postocular. The anal scales are entire in this species.

Taxonomy

It belongs to the genus Ahaetulla, one of five genera within the subfamily Ahaetuliinae. The relationships of Ahaetulla fasciolata to some other Ahaetulla species, and to the other genera within Ahaetuliinae, can be shown in the cladogram below, with possible paraphyletic species noted:

Distribution

The snake is found in the Southeast Asian countries of Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Speckle-headed Whipsnake

Is the Speckle-headed Whipsnake venomous?: The Speckle-headed Whipsnake (Ahaetulla fasciolata) is rear-fanged and only mildly venomous. It is not considered dangerous to humans (its venom is weak and its fangs sit at the back of the mouth) but a bite can cause local swelling or irritation, so it should not be handled.
Is the Speckle-headed Whipsnake poisonous?: Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Speckle-headed Whipsnake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
Is the Speckle-headed Whipsnake dangerous?: The Speckle-headed Whipsnake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
Where does the Speckle-headed Whipsnake live?: The Speckle-headed Whipsnake has verified records in 4 countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Where it is found

Malaysia Indonesia Thailand Singapore

More Colubridae snakes

Classification

How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.

OrderThe broad group of scaled reptiles: all snakes and lizards: Squamata
FamilyA group of related snakes that share key traits: Colubridae
GenusA close-knit group of very similar species: Ahaetulla
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name: Ahaetulla fasciolata

Keep learning

Distribution from GBIF & iNaturalist. Venom status per CDC. Background: Wikipedia. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.