Venomous snakes of the world

Telling venomous from harmless

Folk rules exist, but every one of them has real exceptions. Use them to build awareness, never to decide whether a snake is safe to approach. In a real encounter, the only safe assumption is to keep your distance from any snake you cannot positively identify.

• ·A broad, triangular head suggests a pit viper such as a rattlesnake or copperhead, but many harmless snakes flatten their heads to mimic that shape when threatened.
• ·Vertical, cat-like pupils are common in pit vipers, while harmless species tend to have round pupils. Coral snakes, which are venomous, have round pupils, so this rule fails for them outright.
• ·Rattlesnakes often buzz a rattle, but young rattlers may have only a button, and harmless snakes can vibrate their tails in dry leaves to imitate the sound.
• ·The coral snake rhyme (“red touches yellow, kills a fellow”) only applies to North American coral snakes and does not hold worldwide. Do not bet a bite on a rhyme.
• ·You cannot reliably judge venom by color or size. When in doubt, treat the snake as venomous, back away, and give it room to leave.

Keep learning

• Are Snakes Dangerous? The Real Risk, in PerspectiveMost snakes are harmless and avoid people. Here is the honest picture of snakebite risk worldwide and how to lower your own.
• Snakebite First Aid: What to Do (and What Never to Do)A clear, CDC-based guide to snakebite first aid: the steps that help, the popular myths that hurt, and how to tell a serious bite from a minor one.
• The Most Venomous Snakes in the WorldWhat makes a snake the most venomous, why lab toxicity differs from real-world danger, and the species that stand out worldwide.
• Venomous vs Nonvenomous: How to Tell the DifferenceThe folk rules for telling venomous snakes apart, where each one fails, and why location-based identification beats guessing by sight.