How can you identify a poisonous snake?
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How can you identify a poisonous snake?
Aug 09, 2022, 16:45 IST
Identification of poisonous snakes
Of the 330 India species only 69 are poisonous, comprising 29 species of sea snakes and 40 species of land snakes.
The following key will serve to identify poisonous snakes from non-poisonous snakes.
Biology Doubts page consist of more questions and answer related to this topic.
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Structures |
Characters |
Nature |
Snakes |
|
|
1. Tail |
Laterally compressed, oar like. |
Poisonous |
Sea snakes ( Enhydrina , Hydrophis ) |
|
|
Cylindrical, tapering |
Poisonous or Non- poisonous [Needs further examination] |
Land snakes |
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|
2. Belly scales or Ventrals |
Belly scales small, continuous with dorsal scales. |
Non-poisonous |
||
|
Ventrals are not fully broad to cover belly |
Non-poisonous |
Pythons |
||
|
Ventrals broad, fully covering belly |
Needs further examination |
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3. Head scales, Loreal pit, sub caudals |
Head scales small, head triangular No loreal pit |
Poisonous |
Pitless Viper (Ancistrodon himalayanus) |
|
|
Head scales small, a loreal pit between nostril and eye |
Poisonous |
Pit vipers ( Lachesis, Ancistrodon |
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|
Subcaudals double |
Poisonous |
Vipera russeli |
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|
Subcaudals single |
Poisonous |
Echis carinata |
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|
Head with large shields and no loreal pit |
Needs further examination |
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4. Vertebrals, 4 th infra labial, 3 rd supra labial |
Vertebrals enlarged, hexagonal, 4 th infra labial largest |
Poisonous |
Krait, Bungarus |
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Vertebrals not enlarged, but 3 rd supra- labial touches eye and nostril |
Neck with a hood and spectacle mark |
Poisonous |
Cobra, Naja |
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|
Hood absent, coral spots on belly |
Poisonous |
Coral snakes, Calliophis |
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How can you identify a poisonous snake? pdf
