Identification of venomous snakes of Sri Lanka©

Kalana Maduwage

Paddle shaped tail, bite at sea or estuary

Round tail Sea snake (highly venomous)
(venomous or non-venomous)

Ventral scales extend full body

Ventral scales do not extend full width (venomous or non-venomous)
body width (non-venomous)

Triangular shaped head, well defined neck Oval shaped head, neck not well defined
(venomous or mildly / feebly) (venomous or non-venomous)

Loreal pit absent

Loreal pit present (highly venomous or
(venomous) feebly venomous)
Pit vipers

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 Large scales on head Numerous small scales Expandable hood, no enlarged
Cat snakes on head hexagonal vertebral scales,
(feebly venomous) True vipers subcaudals divided Cobra
(highly venomous) (highly venomous)

No hood, enlarged hexagonal

vertebral scales Kraits
(highly venomous)

Black dorsum, wide,

“Bird’s foot’ mark on head single white bands
Saw-scaled viper Ceylon Krait
(highly venomous) (highly venomous)

3 longitudinal rows of dark brown oval patches

along the body, white “V’ on head
Russell’s viper (highly venomous)

Black dorsum, narrow,

paired white bands
Brown colour, head covered Common Krait
with large scales (shields), (highly venomous)
hump at tip of snout
Hump-nosed vipers
(highly venomous)

Green colour, head

covered with small scales
Green pit-vipers Design, images and layout by
(mildly venomous) Kalana Maduwage
Copyright Kalana Maduwage
Version 2: 2017
With additional images by
Anslem de Silva & Deepika
Fernando