Poisonous and Nonpoisonous snakes
Variable Poisonous Nonpoisonous
Belly scales – large, cover entire breadth of the belly. – Small or moderately large, but not covering entire breadth of the belly.
Head scales – Small. In case of vipers large and with:- Large. Conspicuous pit between eye and nostril.
Third labial scale touches the eye and nasal shields in cobra, king cobra, and coral.Central row of scales on back enlarged, the under surface of mouth with only four infralabilas, the fourth being the largest in krait.
Fangs – long and grooved or canalized – short and solid
Tail – Compressed – not markedly compressed
Bite – Two fang marks with or without small marks of – a number of small teeth marks in a row
The main characteristics of common poisonous snakes found in India are given below.
Cobra (naag or kala samp)
1.5 to 2 meters long, black in color, head of the same width as the trunk, neck has a hood with a spectacle mark, 2 or 3 series of very dark or black belly scales under the neck, and divided tail shields.
King cobra (raj naag or raj sanmp)
2.5 to 4 meters long , yellow, green , brown or black in color, white or yellow cross bars on the body, hood without a spectacle mark, tail scales entire proximally and divided distally.
Common krait (manyar, chitti, or kawriya)
1-1.25 meters long, glistening black in color, single or double white arches across the back a short distance from the head, creamy white belly, and head converged with large shields, tail scales entire.
Banded krait
2 meters long, alternate black and yellow bands across the back, and other features s of a common krait.
Common green pit viper (bamboo snake or hars phisi)
30-100 cms long, vivid green in color, body flat and broad, head triangular with a pit between the eye and nostrils, yellowish white line on flanks, tail long with divided scales.
Russell’s viper (ghonus, daboia or khadchitro)
1.55 meters long, brown or buff in color, three series of black diamond shaped spots on that back, tail with divided shields, flat triangular head with a distinct V mark, belly white with broad plates.
Saw scaled viper (phoorsa, echis or afal)
50-75 cms long, brown, brownish – gray or greenish in color, triangular head with a white arrow mark, wavy line on each flank, diamond shaped area between the upper curves of the two wavy lines, small head scales, serrated body scales, broad belly plates, and tail shields entire.
