Snakes of China

Every snakes in the Wildlife of China guide: 303 species, grouped by family or group. Each name opens its page with photos, identification notes, habitat and range.

Vipers

• Chinese Mountain Pit Viper Ovophis monticola
• Siamese Viper Daboia siamensis
• Chinese Moccasin Deinagkistrodon acutus
• Eastern Mountain Pit Viper Ovophis makazayazaya
• Short-tailed Mamushi Gloydius brevicaudus
• Alashan Pitviper Gloydius cognatus
• Halys Pit Viper Gloydius halys
• Rock Mamushi Gloydius intermedius
• Jiuzhai Pitviper Gloydius lateralis
• Nujiang Pit Viper Gloydius lipipengi
• Red-spotted Alpine Pit Viper Gloydius rubromaculatus
• Gobi Pitviper Gloydius stejnegeri
• Glacier Pit Viper Gloydius swild
• Horned Pit Viper Protobothrops cornutus
• Jenkins' Mountain Pitviper Ovophis jenkinsi
• Tonkin Pit Viper Ovophis tonkinensis
• Pope's Pit Viper Trimeresurus popeiorum
• Himalayan Pitviper Protobothrops himalayanus
• Mang Mountain Pitviper Protobothrops mangshanensis
• Gumprecht's Green Pitviper Trimeresurus gumprechti
• Guo's Green Pit Viper Trimeresurus guoi
• Chinese Green Tree Viper Trimeresurus stejnegeri
• Steppe Viper Vipera renardi
• Yunnan Bamboo Pitviper Trimeresurus yunnanensis
• Zayuan Mountain Pitviper Ovophis zayuensis
• Fea's Viper Azemiops feae
• Brown-spotted Pit Viper Protobothrops mucrosquamatus
• Short-tailed Pit Viper Gloydius brevicauda
• Ussuri Mamushi Gloydius ussuriensis
• Jerdon's Pit Viper Protobothrops jerdonii
• White-lipped Pit-viper Trimeresurus albolabris
• Zoige Pit Viper Gloydius angusticeps
• Gloydius changdaoensis Gloydius changdaoensis
• Lancang Plateau Viper Gloydius huangi
• Mount Liupan Pitviper Gloydius liupanensis
• Likiang Pitviper Gloydius monticola
• Gloydius qinlingensis Gloydius qinlingensis
• Shedao Island Pitviper Gloydius shedaoensis
• Strauch's Pitviper Gloydius strauchi
• Karuo Plateau Viper Gloydius variegatus
• Kaulback's Lance-headed Pit Viper Protobothrops kaulbacki
• Pingbian Mountain Pitviper Ovophis anitae
• Guanyinshan Mountain Pitviper Ovophis zhaoermii
• Dabie Mountains Pit Viper Protobothrops dabieshanensis
• Mao-Lan Pit Viper Protobothrops maolanensis
• Trungkhanh Pitviper Protobothrops trungkhanhensis
• Sichuan Lancehead Protobothrops xiangchengensis
• Nabang Pitviper Trimeresurus caudornatus
• Honghe Green Pit-viper Trimeresurus hongheensis
• Kunming Green Pit Viper Trimeresurus loong
• Nujiang Green Pit-viper Trimeresurus nujiang
• Yadong Green Pit Viper Trimeresurus pretiosus
• Sichuan Pit Viper Trimeresurus sichuanensis
• Tibetan Pit Viper Trimeresurus tibetanus
• Mamushi Gloydius blomhoffii

Cobras, Kraits & Sea Snakes

• Black-banded Sea Krait Laticauda semifasciata
• Brown Banded Cobra Naja fuxi
• Bungarus wanghaotingi Bungarus wanghaotingi
• Chinese Cobra Naja atra
• Inornate Sea Snake Hydrophis inornatus
• King Cobra Ophiophagus hannah
• Many-banded Krait Bungarus multicinctus
• Northeastern Hill Krait Bungarus bungaroides
• MacClelland's Coral Snake Sinomicrurus annularis
• Slender-necked Sea Snake Hydrophis melanocephalus
• Stokes's Sea Snake Hydrophis stokesii
• Suzhen's Krait Bungarus suzhenae
• Yellow Sea Snake Hydrophis spiralis
• Annulated Sea Snake (Hydrophis bituberculatus) Hydrophis bituberculatus
• Banded Krait Bungarus fasciatus
• Ijima's Sea Snake Emydocephalus ijimae
• Guangxi Coral Snake Sinomicrurus peinani

Keelbacks & Water Snakes

• Chinese Water Snake Myrrophis chinensis
• Wettstein's Mud Snake Hypsiscopus wettsteini
• Murphy's Mud Snake Hypsiscopus murphyi
• Bennett's Mud Snake Myrrophis bennettii
• Rainbow Water Snake Enhydris enhydris
• Bocourt's Water Snake Subsessor bocourti
• Beaded Water Snake Hypsiscopus plumbea

Colubrid Snakes

• Hunan Burrowing Snake Achalinus hunanensis
• Achalinus jianghuaensis Achalinus jianghuaensis
• Zong's Odd-scaled Snake Achalinus jinggangensis
• Szechwan Odd-scaled Snake Achalinus meiguensis
• Anderson's Slug Snake Pareas andersonii
• Anderson's Stream Snake Opisthotropis andersonii
• Ashy Kukri Snake Oligodon cinereus
• Assam Kukri Snake Oligodon catenatus
• Assam Mountain Snake Plagiopholis nuchalis
• Bamboo Snake Pseudoxenodon bambusicola
• Banded Wolf Snake Lycodon fasciatus
• Indochinese Banded Wolf Snake Lycodon neomaculatus
• Bella Rat Snake Archelaphe bella
• Big-eyed Rat Snake Ptyas dhumnades
• Guangxi Cat Snake Boiga guangxiensis
• Stoliczka's Asian Cat Snake Boiga stoliczkae
• Carinate Rat Snake Ptyas carinata
• Chinese Green Snake Ptyas major
• Common Mock Viper Psammodynastes pulverulentus
• Eastern Bronzeback Tree Snake Dendrelaphis proarchos
• Vogel's Bronzeback Dendrelaphis vogeli
• Korean Ratsnake Elaphe anomala
• Flower Snake Elaphe moellendorffi
• Qin Emperor Rat Snake Elaphe xiphodonta
• Eyed Cat Snake Boiga siamensis
• Formosa Slug Snake Pareas formosensis
• Blue-eyed Racer Gonyosoma coeruleum
• Boulenger's Keelback Hebius boulengeri
• Yunnan Keelback Hebius clerki
• Kuatun Keelback Hebius craspedogaster
• Fire-back Keelback Hebius igneus
• Western China Keelback Hebius maximus
• Heller’s Red-necked Keelback Rhabdophis helleri
• Cute Himalayas Keelback Herpetoreas abros
• Himalayan Keelback Herpetoreas platyceps
• Hong Kong Dwarf Snake Calamaria septentrionalis
• Indian Wolf Snake Lycodon aulicus
• Keeled Slug Snake Pareas berdmorei
• Huaping Wolf Snake Lycodon cathaya
• Namdong Wolf Snake Lycodon chapaensis
• Futsing Wolf Snake Lycodon futsingensis
• Painted Wolf Snake Lycodon pictus
• Boehme's Wolf Snake Lycodon synaptor
• Mountain Slug Snake Pareas macularius
• Nganson Bronzeback Dendrelaphis ngansonensis
• Eberhardt's Kukri Snake Oligodon eberhardti
• Joynson's Kukri Snake Oligodon joynsoni
• Ornate Kukri Snake Oligodon ornatus
• Hai Ha Mountain Stream Keelback Opisthotropis haihaensis
• Chang's Mountain Keelback Opisthotropis hungtai
• Striped Stream Snake Opisthotropis kuatunensis
• Sichuan Mountain Keelback Opisthotropis latouchii
• Zhao's Mountain Stream Snake Opisthotropis zhaoermii
• Laos Odd-scaled Snake Parafimbrios lao
• Baise Slug-eating Snake Pareas baiseensis
• Chinese Slug Snake Pareas chinensis
• Pareas dulongjiangensis Pareas dulongjiangensis
• Guanyinshan Slug-eating Snake Pareas guanyinshanensis
• Hampton's Slug Snake Pareas hamptoni
• Stanley's Slug Snake Pareas stanleyi
• Tiger Slug-eating Snake Pareas tigerinus
• Yunnan Slug Snake Pareas yunnanensis
• Chinese Mountain Snake Plagiopholis styani
• Pope's Keelback Hebius popei
• Stejneger's Bamboo Snake Pseudoxenodon stejnegeri
• South China Green Snake Ptyas multicincta
• Chinese Tiger Keelback Rhabdophis lateralis
• Siamese Red-necked Keelback Rhabdophis siamensis
• Ruhstrat's Wolf Snake Lycodon ruhstrati
• Small-banded Kukri Snake Oligodon fasciolatus
• Square-headed Cat Snake Boiga kraepelini
• Steppe Rat Snake Elaphe dione
• Sichuan Hot-spring Keel-back Thermophis zhaoermii
• Asiatic Water Snake Trimerodytes aequifasciatus
• Banded Stream Snake Trimerodytes balteatus
• Twin-spotted Wolf Snake Lycodon jara
• Yunnan Water Snake Trimerodytes yunnanensis
• Buff Striped Keelback Amphiesma stolatum
• Checkered Keelback Fowlea piscator
• Chinese Kukri Snake Oligodon chinensis
• Chinese Many-toothed Snake Sibynophis chinensis
• Eastern Water Snake Trimerodytes percarinatus
• King Ratsnake Elaphe carinata
• Manchurian Black Ratsnake Elaphe schrenckii
• Formosa Kukri Snake Oligodon formosanus
• Golden Tree Snake Chrysopelea ornata
• Green Rat Snake Ptyas nigromarginata
• Kosempo Keelback Hebius sauteri
• Indochinese Rat Snake Ptyas korros
• Khasi Hills Trinket Snake Gonyosoma frenatum
• Large-eyed Bamboo Snake Pseudoxenodon macrops
• Big-tooth Snake Lycodon flavozonatus
• Red-banded Snake Lycodon rufozonatus
• Mandarin Rat Snake Euprepiophis mandarinus
• Many-banded Cat Snake Boiga multomaculata
• Red-backed Rat Snake Oocatochus rufodorsatus
• Oriental Rat Snake Ptyas mucosa
• Oriental Whip Snake Ahaetulla prasina
• Peters' Odd-scaled Snake Achalinus spinalis
• False Habu Pseudagkistrodon rudis
• Radiated Racer Coelognathus radiatus
• Red Bamboo Rat Snake Oreocryptophis porphyraceus
• Red-necked Keelback Rhabdophis subminiatus
• Leonard's Keelback Rhabdophis leonardi
• Tiger Keelback Rhabdophis tigrinus
• Rufous Burrowing Snake Achalinus rufescens
• Slender Racer Orientocoluber spinalis
• Striped Rat Snake Elaphe taeniura
• White-spotted Slug Snake Pareas margaritophorus
• Abor Hills Kukri Snake Oligodon melanozonatus
• Achalinus dabieshanensis Achalinus dabieshanensis
• Daming Odd-scaled Snake Achalinus damingensis
• Achalinus dehuaensis Achalinus dehuaensis
• Emily's Burrowing Snake Achalinus emilyae
• Hainan Odd-scaled Snake Achalinus hainanus
• Huang's Odd-scaled Snake Achalinus huangjietangi
• Nanshan Odd-scaled Snake Achalinus nanshanensis
• Ningshan Odd-scaled Snake Achalinus ningshanensis
• Panzhihua Odd-scaled Snake Achalinus panzhihuaensis
• Pingbian Odd-scaled Snake Achalinus pingbianensis
• Shen's Odd-scale Snake Achalinus sheni
• Yang's Odd-scaled Snake Achalinus yangdatongi
• Yuinkai Mountains Burrowing Snake Achalinus yunkaiensis
• Ha Giang Odd-scaled Snake Achalinus zugorum
• Werner's Ornate Snake Amphiesmoides ornaticeps
• Brown Trapezoid Snake Smithophis bicolor
• Anderson's Reed Snake Calamaria andersoni
• Lingnan Reed Snake Calamaria arcana
• Berezowski's Reed Snake Calamaria berezowskii
• Jinggang Reed Snake Calamaria jinggangensis
• Mountain Jinuo Reed Snake Calamaria synergis
• Yunnan Reed Snake Calamaria yunnanensis
• Chin Hills Keelback Hebius venningi
• Chinese Bamboo Snake Pseudoxenodon karlschmidti
• Crying Keelback Hebius lacrima
• Hollinrake's Bronzeback Dendrelaphis hollinrakei
• Doria's Green Snake Ptyas doriae
• Twin-spotted Ratsnake Elaphe bimaculata
• Elaphe davidi Elaphe davidi
• Zoige Ratsnake Elaphe zoigeensis
• Pearl-banded Rat Snake Euprepiophis perlaceus
• Yunnan Olive Keelback Fowlea yunnanensis
• Gammie's Wolf Snake Lycodon gammiei
• Hainan Rhinoceros Snake Gonyosoma hainanense
• Gore's Bronzeback Dendrelaphis biloreatus
• Yingjiang Keelback Snake Hebius citrinoventer
• Jingdong Keelback Snake Hebius jingdongensis
• Johann's Keelback Hebius johannis
• Wa Shan Keelback Hebius metusia
• Hebius nigriventer Hebius nigriventer
• Eight-lined Keelback Hebius octolineatus
• Mount Omei Keelback Hebius optatus
• Sangzhi Keelback Snake Hebius sangzhiensis
• Tengchong Keelback Snake Hebius septemlineatus
• Shan's Keelback Hebius shantianfangi
• Weixi Keelback Snake Hebius weixiensis
• Yanbian Keelback Snake Hebius yanbianensis
• Youjiang Keelback Snake Hebius youjiangensis
• Burbrink's Keelback Herpetoreas burbrinki
• Herpetoreas tpser Herpetoreas tpser
• Gongshan Wolf Snake Lycodon gongshan
• East Himalayan Banded Wolf Snake Lycodon latifasciatus
• Sichuan Wolf Snake Lycodon liuchengchaoi
• Luding Kukri Snake Lycodon multizonatus
• Panzhihua Wolf Snake Lycodon obvelatus
• Rose Big-tooth Snake Lycodon rosozonatus
• Serrate-banded Wolf Snake Lycodon serratus
• Yunnan Wolf Snake Lycodon yunnanensis
• Zayu Wolf Snake Lycodon zayuensis
• Modest Keelback Hebius modestus
• Mountain Worm-eating Snake Trachischium monticola
• Double-striped Kukri Snake Oligodon bivirgatus
• Hampton's Kukri Snake Oligodon hamptoni
• Lungshen Kukri Snake Oligodon lungshenensis
• Nagao Kukri Snake Oligodon nagao
• Zhang's Kukri Snake Oligodon zhangfujii
• Chen's Stream Snake Opisthotropis cheni
• Guangxi Mountain Keelback Opisthotropis guangxiensis
• Lau's Mountain Stream Snake Opisthotropis laui
• Maxwell's Mountain Keelback Opisthotropis maxwelli
• Shenzhen Mountain Stream Snake Opisthotropis shenzhenensis
• Boulenger's Slug Snake Pareas boulengeri
• Dabie Mountains Slug-eating Snake Pareas dabieshanensis
• Black-eyed Slug-eating Snake Pareas melanops
• Black Snail-eating Snake Pareas niger
• Xiaoheishan Slug-eater Snake Pareas nigriceps
• Eastern China Slug-eating Snake Pareas orientalis
• Vindum's Slug Eater Pareas vindumi
• Hunan Mountain Snake Plagiopholis acuta
• Blakeway's Mountain Snake Plagiopholis blakewayi
• Nanling Mountain Snake Plagiopholis maculosa
• Western China Mountain Snake Plagiopholis pluvialis
• Turpan Sand Snake Psammophis turpanensis
• Adler's Keelback Rhabdophis adleri
• Black-barred Keelback Rhabdophis callichroma
• Chiwen Keelback Rhabdophis chiwen
• Hainan Keelback Rhabdophis confusus
• Kaiyuan Keelback Rhabdophis kaiyuanensis
• Shuicheng Groove-necked Snake Rhabdophis shuichengensis
• Rosebelly Worm-eating Snake Trachischium guentheri
• Sibynophis grahami Sibynophis grahami
• Jingpo Mountain Stream Snake Smithophis linearis
• Ningshaan Kukri Snake Stichophanes ningshaanensis
• Xizang Hot-spring Keel-back Thermophis baileyi
• Shangrila Hot Springs Keelback Thermophis shangrila
• Nyalal Worm-eating Snake Trachischium nyalamense
• Ringed Water Snake Trimerodytes annularis
• Angel's Mountain Keelback Trimerodytes praemaxillaris
• Jingdong Water Snake Trimerodytes yapingi
• Vietnam Water Snake Hebius chapaensis
• Hubei Keelback Rhabdophis nuchalis
• Oreocryptophis Elaphe porphyracea
• Rhabdophis tigrina Rhabdophis tigrina
• Zaocys dhumnades Zaocys dhumnades

Pythons

• Burmese Python Python bivittatus
• Desert Sand Boa Eryx miliaris

Pipe, Blind & Burrowing Snakes

• Jodi's Pipe Snake Cylindrophis jodiae
• Little File Snake Acrochordus granulatus
• White-headed Blind Snake Indotyphlops albiceps
• Brahminy Blindsnake Indotyphlops braminus
• Sunbeam Snake Xenopeltis unicolor
• Hong Kong Blind Snake Indotyphlops lazelli
• Lined Blind Snake Ramphotyphlops lineatus
• Hainan Sunbeam Snake Xenopeltis hainanensis

Frequently asked questions

How many snakes are in the Wildlife of China guide?

The guide lists 303 snakes of China, each with its own page covering identification, habitat and range.

Which groups of snakes are covered?

Vipers (55), Cobras, Kraits & Sea Snakes (17), Keelbacks & Water Snakes (7), Colubrid Snakes (214), Pythons (2), Pipe, Blind & Burrowing Snakes (8).