15 Common Snakes in Indonesia

Snakes are a type of reptile that has no legs and is long-bodied. This snake has scales and is classified into scaly reptiles with various body colors that might catch anyone’s eyes because of its beauty. Snake is one of the most successful reptiles in the world and many are interested in maintaining the snake because it is also a snake including a pet that attracts the attention of pet lovers.

For the ones who love to see and collect reptiles, snake is one of those species that catch their attention. Especially here in Indonesia, where this country has a proper circumstances and habitat for snakes to live merrily.

Here, we present to you, 15 common snakes in Indonesia that you should see while you’re having a trip to this country.

1.King Cobra/Anang Snake (Ophiophagus hannah)

King Cobra is pretty famous for reptile lovers all over the world. Anyone knows that this type contains the most complete type of poisons including hemotoxin (make our body feel burned), neurotoxin (attack the nervous system and make the prey feeling sleepy all of a sudden), and cardiotoxin (stop the heart’s activities), which have the ability to kill human beings only in minutes.

King Cobra has a shape similar to Javanese Spoon Snake with brown blackish skin, but with a little bit of color gradation on the spoon-like head part. And, it is way longer, max up to 7 meters.

2. Sumatran Spitting Cobra (Naja sumatran)

This type of cobra likes to slip into local people’s houses at night while looking for some rats to chew. It likes to stay on bushes, ditch, and other shade places to take some rest.

The skin colors are around black and brown, with a signature of spoon-like head part just like other cobras have. Read another article: Endangered Animals in Indonesia – Dangerous Animals in Indonesia

3. Javanese Spoon Snake (Naja sputatrix)

This species is spread on all over areas in Indonesia. This one is categorized as venomous snake with neurotoxin and hemotoxin poisons.

Therefore, we need to be very careful when meeting this brown blackish skin, 2-3 meters in length, with a spoon-like head structure snakes. Read another articles Animals of Borneo, Natural Treasure in Indonesia, and Natural Heritage Site in Indonesia

4. Red-head Snake (Bungarus flaviceps)

The Red Head Snake is a rare species that inhabits lowland forests, hills and low mountain areas below 900 meters altitude, this rarity is rarely to be found near human habitation.

The lower body is pale white. It has strong neurotoxins poison in its body so we should be careful when we accidentely see it. Read more about Common Flowers in Indonesia and Mangrove Conservation in Indonesia

5. Weling Snake (Bungarus candidus)

Waling Snake is classified as one of the deadliest snake in Indonesia. We can easily find them in the lowlands areas.

Meanwhile, they’re easy to find since they have such zebra-cross skin pattern and have habit to sneak into the people’s houses.

We need to be mindful and paying attention when meeting this 1,5 meters snake, because they have such neurotoxin that might kill us when we don’t get proper handling within 20 hours after being bitten.

6. Welang Snake (Bungarus fasciatus)

This type is in the same genus with Weling Snake. They are common in appearances but Welang has alternating yellow in black skin colors.

On the other hand, they’re both nocturnal and are normally active around 9-11 pm at night. You may want to read about Native Animals in Indonesia, and Indonesia Wildlife. As well as read more about Common Tarantulas in Indonesia

7. White Snake (Micropechis ikaheka)

Unlike the name, this White Snake actually have a brown-blackish skin color. It has a unique habitual activity to bury itself to the ground to hide and take a rest.

Meanwhile, its natural habitat is around the coconut plantation, where the snake uses coconut shell piles to be used as their main habitat. White Snake is quite aggressive, poisonous, and be more active at night (nocturnal).

8. Eastern Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis)

The body color of the snake varies from a variety of uniform dark brown, black, chestnut or orange hue. The darker head color of the individual may be paler than the rest of his body.

Furthermore, we can find them around open grass areas and forest, and their favorite places to hide are big rocks and under the woods. Read more about Rare Flowers in Indonesia, and How to See Orangutans in Indonesia

9. Sunda Pit Viper (Trimeresurus insularis)

Although the name is “Sunda” Pit Viper, fortunately we can still see them around Alor, Bali, Flores, Lombok, Komodo, Sumba, and Timor-Leste area.

Sunda Pit Viper has smaller body range from 14-19 cm and likes to stay above the ground at the trees. The turquoise blue-greenish striking skin color makes this species easier to be spotted.

10. Picung Snake (Rhabdophis subminiatus)

What people really like about this Picung Snake lies on its lovely red-orange-yellow gradation colors on its neck skin. It can grow up to 1,2 meters in length but still have a pretty small body.

People used to classify Picung as low-level poisonous snake, but unfortunately nowadays, Picung turns out to have the ability to kill humans with their poisons.

11. Big Chilly Snake (Calliophis bivirgatus)

The Big Chili Serpent is a beautiful rare snake, very poisonous, and is a fanged elapid in front.

This snake dwells among the dead foliage on the forest floor, and lives exclusively on the ground, this snake usually appears at mid-morning, especially after the evening rain has occurred, after the pile of dead leaves has been wet.

We can easily recognize it by its red head and red tail.

12. Small Chilly Snake (Calliophis intestinalis)

This snake has that red-line signature on its upper skin and white-black zig-zag on its ventral part, that make it easily being spotted around humid forests, rice fields, village gardens and sometimes in unfinished lush gardens.

Small Chilly Snakes prefer to live at humid area with lots of water. It is South-East Asia endemic snakes. And is small (only 60 cm in length) and poisonous, too.

13. Indonesian Pit Viper (Parias hageni)

Usually found in Sumatera, this snake is quite shy and not aggressive. Active at night, live mainly in the trees but can also sometimes be found in the lower shrubs and forest bases. This snake prey on birds, rats and small mammals.

And, for additional names of snakes to see, here are several others that have lovely appearances and worth to be found once you have a chance to.

Others:

• Ground Snake (Calloselasma rhodostoma)
• Sumatran Pit Viper (Parias sumatranus)
• Bornean Keeled Green Pit Viper (Tropidolaemus subannulatus)
• Broad Banded Temple Pit Viper (Tropidolaemus laticinctus)
• Coastal Taipan Snake (Oxyuranus scutellatus)

Finally, those are several common snakes in Indonesia. If you have big interest in reptiles and time to explore, we suggest you come searching for those mentioned snake species above. But, always remember to be extra careful remembering most of the species are venomous, and they might possibly kill you at the moment. So please, keep on being careful along the way. And, happy exploring Indonesian beauties!