Snakes of Phuket

Phuket pit viper

(Trimeresurus phuketensis) (Sumontha et al, 2011)

So far I have recorded over 60 species of snake on Phuket island, however the Phuket pit viper is the only endemic species found here.

All photos © Matt Wilson 2022 (Last update April 2023)

Typhlopidae (Blind snakes)

  • Mueller’s’ blind snake (Argyrophis muelleri)
  • Brahminy’s blind snake (Indotyphlops braminusNO PHOTOS

Cylindrophiidae (Pipe snakes)

  • Jodi’s pipe snake (Cylindrophis jodiae)

Pythonidae (Pythons)

  • Reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus)
  • Brongersma’s short-tailed python (Python brongersmai

Xenopeltidae (Sunbeam snakes) 

  • Sunbeam snake (Xenopeltis unicolor)

Acrochordidae (File snakes)

  • Marine file snake (Acrochordus granulatusNO PHOTOS

Pareidae (Slug-eating snakes)

  • Common slug-eating snake (Pareas carinatus
  • Blunt-headed slug-eating snake (Aplopeltura boa

Homalopsidae (Water snakes)

  • Keel-bellied water snake (Bitia hydroidesNO PHOTOS
  • Schneider’s bockadam (Cerberus schneiderii)
  • Gerard’s mud snake (Gerarda prevostianaNO PHOTOS
  • Martaban water snake (Homalopsis semizonata)
  • Crab-eating mud snake (Fordonia leucobalia)
  • Cantor’s mangrove snake (Cantoria violacea)

Colubridae (Colubrids)

  • Yellow-spotted keelback (Fowlea flavipunctatus)
  • Speckle-bellied keelback (Rhabdophis chrysargos
  • Black-banded keelback (Rhabdophis nigrocinctus
  • Siamese red-necked keelback (Rhabdophis siamensis)
  • Triangle keelback (Xenochrophis trianguligerus
  • Speckle-headed vine snake (Ahaetulla fasciolata
  • Oriental vine snake (Ahaetulla prasina)
  • Keel-bellied whip snake (Dryophiops rubescens)
  • Green cat snake (Boiga cyanea)
  • Dog-toothed cat snake (Boiga cynodon
  • Mangrove cat snake (Boiga melanota)
  • Jasper cat snake (Boiga jaspideaNO PHOTOS FROM PHUKET
  • Drapiez’s cat snake (Boiga drapiezii)
  • Common wolf snake (Lycodon capucinus
  • Malayan banded wolf snake (Lycodon subcinctus
  • Laotian wolf snake (Lycodon laoensis)
  • Malayan bridle snake (Lycodon subannulatus
  • Ornate flying snake (Chrysopelea ornata
  • Paradise flying snake (Chrysopelea paradisi
  • Twin-barred flying snake (Chrysopelea pelias
  • Striped bronzeback (Dendrelaphis caudolineatus
  • Common bronzeback (Dendrelaphis pictusNO PHOTOS FROM PHUKET. ABSENT?
  • Elegant bronzeback (Dendrelaphis formosus
  • Wall’s bronzeback (Dendrelaphis cyanochlorisNO PHOTOS FROM PHUKET
  • Kopstein’s bronzeback (Dendrelaphis kopsteiniNO PHOTOS
  • Haas’s bronzeback (Dendrelaphis haasi
  • Brown kukri snake (Oligodon purpurascens)
  • Indochinese ground snake (Gongylosoma scriptum
  • Keeled rat snake (Ptyas carinata
  • White-bellied rat snake (Ptyas fusca
  • Indochinese rat snake (Ptyas korros
  • Oriental rat snake (Ptyas mucosa
  • Yellow-striped racer (Coelognathus flavolineatus) 
  • Copperhead racer (Coelognathus radiatus)
  • Red-tailed racer (Gonyosoma oxycephalum
  • Malayan ringneck (Liopeltis tricolor) NO PHOTOS

Pseudaspididae (Mock vipers)

  • Common mock viper (Psammodynastes pulverulentus

Elapidae (Elapids)

  • Yellow-lipped sea krait (Laticauda colubrina) Photos by Kat
  • Blue-banded sea krait (Laticauda laticaudata) NO PHOTOS
  • Yellow-bellied sea snake (Hydrophis platurus) NO PHOTOS
  • Small-spotted coral snake (Calliophis maculiceps)
  • King cobra (Ophiophagus hannah)
  • Monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia)
  • Sumatran spitting cobra (Naja sumatrana) NO PHOTOS FROM PHUKET
  • Malayan krait (Bungarus candidus)

Viperidae (Vipers)

  • Malayan pit viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma) ** NO PHOTOS FROM PHUKET
  • Phuket pit viper (Trimeresurus phuketensis)
  • Mangrove pit viper (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus)
  • Wagler’s pit viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri)

**Based on a reference from 1965 and one photograph in 2020

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