Snakes of Hong Kong

Snakes of Hong Kong (43 out of 44 species as of October 2025)

Hong Kong, October 2025

We moved to Hong Kong back in 2019 and, ironically, long periods of ‘work from home’ or no work at all during the pandemic provided us with an unprecedented opportunity to thoroughly explore different habitats in this fascinating city.

A little background on Hong Kong. It’s a special administrative region of China (which means that as a region, HK has the highest degree of - still somehow limited - autonomy from China’s central government). Hongkongers, for instance, have different passports to the Mainland Chinese and there’s border control between Hong Kong and Mainland China. The most commonly spoken language here is Cantonese, although we hear more and more Putonghua, mostly due to the increasing numbers of Mainland Chinese visitors. It is possible to communicate in English in most, especially touristy, places.

The total area of Hong Kong is just over 1,100 km2 (for comparison, London’s area is 1,570km2). Hong Kong is divided into three main areas: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. Hong Kong has 24 country parks and 22 'special areas' dedicated to conservation and recreation, covering more than 40% of the land area. It’s possible to go hiking and find yourself without any phone reception and a pretty long walk from any civilisation! 

Hong Kong isn’t what most people imagine as a ‘snake land’ with its massive skyscrapers, busy streets and dense human population. But behind the city, the hills, streams and mangroves hide a surprising richness of reptiles. In 2020, we set out to find every snake recorded in Hong Kong (a list of 44 land species that herpetologists and local checklists use) by ourselves and after five years, we’re at 43 out of 44. The only one that still eludes us is the Hong Kong blind snake (Indotyphlops lazelli), a tiny, fossorial species. Blind snakes are so similar to one another that it’s very possible we’ve actually already encountered this species without paying much attention to it. 

Let’s take a look at 43 species we have encountered so far, organised by their families: Typhlopidae (blind snakes), Pythonidae (pythons), Colubridae (colubrids), Elapidae (cobras and kraits) and Viperidae (pit vipers).

Typhlopidae – blind snakes

Small, worm-like, burrowing snakes that live mostly underground. Often overlooked due to their tiny size and fossorial lifestyle. 

Indotyphlops braminus – brahminy blindsnake

Although this poor little creature looks like an earthworm and is probably considered as such by the majority of onlookers, it's an incredibly interesting animal. It reproduces through parthenogenesis, which is extremely unusual in snakes; its diet consists mostly of ants and it displays a wide range of defensive behaviours, from producing a smelly musk, through squirming to attacking with a tiny spike located on its tail. Extraordinary!

Indotyphlops albiceps – white-headed blind snake

White-headed blind snakes live underground in burrows, and since they have no use for vision, their eyes are mostly vestigial (which means they are functionless). They have light-detecting black eye spots and their teeth occur in the upper jaw. Typhlopids do not have dislocatable lower jaw articulations like many other snakes, restricting them to prey smaller than their oral aperture. The tail ends with a horn-like scale which they viciously use if bothered.

Pythonidae – Pythons

Python bivittatus – burmese python

One of the giants of Asia, not very common in Hong Kong. Powerful constrictor. The burmese python is a protected native species in Hong Kong and it's an important part of the ecosystem being the largest surviving predator locally. Burmese pythons are the only snake species protected by law in HK under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap. 170). They are also protected internationally under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).

Colubridae – colubrids

This group holds the majority of Hong Kong’s snakes, from tiny reed snakes to massive rat snakes. Many are harmless, some mildly venomous.

Ptyas major – Chinese green snake

A gentle worm-eater growing up to 120cm. Some individuals have scattered black spots on dorsum. Interestingly, dead specimens often turn bluish. We often compare this species to a puppy in the snake’s world, that’s how docile and friendly they tend to be. 

Ptyas korros – Indo-Chinese rat snake

A colubrid snake found across Southeast Asia. It is a diurnal species. Both arboreal and terrestrial. Found in forests as well as near human habitation. Sleeps on bushes and trees. Its diet includes rodents, birds, lizards and frogs. Artur’s favourite rat snake in Hong Kong. 

Ptyas mucosa – oriental rat snake

Oriental rat snakes are diurnal and non-venomous, known for their ultra speed. They often exceed 2m body length and are rather defensive when disturbed - they puff their neck and often strike. Males are sometimes seen performing their ritual “dance”, intertwining their bodies in fight for females. They have a similar pattern to king cobras; we found our first Ptyas mucosa under a rock in a stream and at first glance we thought it was a king. 

Coelognathus radiatus – copperhead rat snake

American hognose snakes are best known for death feigning - they hiss, spread their necks, roll over and play dead when disturbed. Their performance is rather dramatic and it can easily be found on YouTube. Such behaviour is not very common in snakes though, so why mention it here? Copperhead rat snakes inhabiting Hong Kong tend to be very defensive and are often seen puffing their neck up when threatened. They are fast and blend well with their surroundings, making it tricky to see them up close. Some individuals, though, choose to turn on their back and play dead (see below). Their body becomes limp and they are completely motionless, even when touched. Drama queens!

Elaphe taeniura – beauty rat snake

This species is considered introduced in Hong Kong and they can only be encountered in certain areas of Hong Kong Island. They can grow to almost 2m and are semi-arboreal. When upset, they flatten their bodies vertically in an attempt to look larger or more intimidating. It took us some time to find the first one, diurnal snakes aren’t easy for us in general.

Oreocryptophis porphyraceus – red mountain rat snake

A stunning non-venomous rat snake species found in mountainous forests across southern and southeastern Asia. Its beautiful and highly variable colouration ranges from rusty red or orange to bronze-brown. Its glossy scales are often patterned with pairs of dark bands or stripes running the length of the body, and it typically has a dark stripe on its head and behind its eyes. In Hong Kong, juveniles are usually bright orange while adults turn into a dark orange or even red colouration. Not an easy snake to find and we were really excited when we saw our first individual. We still hope to find a juvenile. 

Oligodon formosanus – Taiwan kukri snake

Kukri snakes of the genus Oligodon are known to be egg-eaters as they slit open soft-shelled squamate eggs, insert the head into the egg and consume the contents (Minton and Anderson 1963; Toriba 1987). The collapsed eggs may be swallowed afterwards. For hard-shelled gecko eggs the same technique can be applied or they can be swallowed whole. In O. formosanus females defend nests of the sea turtle Cheloniamydas by repelling conspecifics until the turtle eggs hatch or are consumed by slitting the leathery eggshells (Huang et al. 2011). It’s also been discovered that Oligodon fasciolatus (same genus as Taiwan kukris) used their enlarged posterior maxillary teeth to cut open the abdomen of a live poisonous toad Duttaphrynus melanostictus and ate its organs. Less fussy individuals swallowed entire toads (source).

Oligodon cinereus – black cross-barred kukri snake

A gentle diurnal snake found mainly in grassland and at the edge of woodland. It’s called kukri snake because its enlarged rear teeth resemble in shape the "kukri" knives. Oligodon cinereus shows a variety of dorsal patterns. They tend to be less common, at least for us, than Oligodon formosanus.

Lycodon capucinus – common wolf snake

Nocturnal wolf snakes, hiding in crevices during the day and feeding mostly on lizards. Very good climbers (we saw quite a few on vertical walls) and pretty defensive snakes, when threatened they bite readily and produce a smelly musk. 

Lycodon futsingensis – Futsing wolf snake

A nocturnal wolf snake found at higher altitudes and feeding mostly on lizards. When threatened, they produce a REALLY pungent secretion and don’t hesitate to attack. They tend to be more pink in colour than the other, similar Lycodon sp. - L. neomaculatus. We often we see them at higher evelations.

Lycodon neomaculatus – neomaculatus wolf snake

Their hatchlings look very similar to Bungarus multicintus, although the black space between their white crossbars seems to be wider. Most crossbars fade with age, especially on the hind part of their body and the remaining crossbars are widely spread in adults. Their head is spatulate and eyes almost entirely black. Their dorsal scales are of a rather regular shape and size.

Boiga multomaculata – many-spotted cat snake

Nocturnal and rather defensive snakes that, when active, tend to spend a lot of time on bushes or low branches of trees. They are the only cat snake species found in Hong Kong and although widely distributed, they are not as common as some other snake species. They are mildly venomous and their diet consists mainly of lizards. When disturbed, many-spotted cat snakes may expand their jaw to "puff up" and mimic the triangular shape of a viper's head. How cool is that?! We often find them in the same habitat as Protobothrops mucrosquamatus and we must say they look very much alike at first glance. 

Psammodynastes pulverulentus – common mock viper

Diurnal, mildly venomous snakes, highly variable in colour. Their common name refers to their ability to mock vipers. They move their body into a striking position, just as vipers do, when threatened and they’re also able to constrict their usually rounded pupils to vertical slit typical in vipers. Very cool, small snakes, always a please to encounter them. 

Sibynophis chinensis – Chinese many-tooth snake

A gentle, diurnal snake found in hilly and mountainous forests as well as elevated grasslands. They grow to around 50-60 cm in length and feed on lizards. Although widely distributed in Hong Kong, their perfect camouflage and rather cryptic behaviour make them difficult to spot.

Pareas margaritophorus – white-spotted slug snake

A rather common and harmless species of snake feeding on small invertebrates. These forest-dwellers have fangs located on their lower jaw, which they use to remove snails from their shells. They grow to under 50cm in length. One of Karolina’s favourite snakes, along with the other Pareas sp.

Pareas chinensis – Chinese slug snake

One of two Pareas spp., known as slug and snail-eating specialists, in Hong Kong. Since most snails are dextral (their shells spiral to the right), snakes of the Pareidae family attack from the left, grabbing the shell with their upper jaw and sticking their lower jaw into the gap. In order to facilitate such a hunting strategy, almost all of them have much more teeth on the right mandible (lower jaw) than on the left. They are docile and seem to prefer higher altitudes than P. margaritophorus. Look at this face - cute as a button!

Achalinus rufescens – Boulenger's odd-scaled snake

Secretive and docile snakes living in woodlands and mountain grasslands. Often active after rain. They are mostly nocturnal and feed on earthworms and slugs. Juveniles are almost black in colour while adults have a yellow to orange shade.

Calamaria septentrionalis – northern reed snake

An oviparous, small snake growing to approximately 45cm. It's a fossorial species, living underground in forests and emerging during or after heavy rains. Its diet consists of earthworms. Completely harmless (although it can draw a bit of blood!) and a real treat to find - its cryptic behaviour, heavily dependent on the weather conditions, and the fact it's very localised in Hong Kong makes it one of the trickiest snakes to encounter. Countless hours in remote areas in heavy rain, spent digging in the ground, are a good proof of that…

P.S. Its head looks like its bum (or the other way round). It’s on purpose.

Trimerodytes aequifasciatus – Asiatic water snake

This snake species lives in big, rocky streams in forested areas, especially in streams with moderate current, large deep pools and overhanging vegetation on which they usually sleep. Even though it’s normally labelled as “nocturnal”, we have seen it active only during the day. Individuals found at night were always asleep on branches hanging over streams. They feed mainly on fish and are common in Hong Kong. 

Trimerodytes percarinatus – mountain water snake

Rather defensive non-venomous snakes, biting readily when caught. They inhabit streams (and catchwaters…) and grow to approximately 100cm in body length. Their diet consists of shrimps, frogs and fish.

Trimerodytes balteatus – banded stream snake

Trimerodytes balteatus is one of the least common snakes in Hong Kong. This species is diurnal and inhabits rocky streams at low to moderate altitudes. Their diet consists of fish, frogs, tadpoles, freshwater shrimp and earthworms. Gentle, charming snakes and brilliant swimmers. It’s one of the last species from the snake list we found, as it requires long hikes in remote areas and a lot of luck to spot them resting on a rock in a stream. 

Opisthotropis kuatunensis – striped stream snake

A nocturnal aquatic species inhabiting streams. Its diet consists of fish, frogs, tadpoles, freshwater shrimps and earthworms. A shy and rather inoffensive snake, doesn't bite when caught but tends to produce a pungent smell as a defence mechanism. Its nostrils are on top of the snout and scales are strongly keeled. Probably the closest thing to dragons in Hong Kong :)

Opisthotropis andersonii – Anderson’s mountain keelback

A rather small nocturnal stream snake, often found in catchwaters and mountain streams. Very common. It produces a disgusting smelly musk when threatened.

Opisthotropis lateralis – bicoloured stream snake

Bicoloured stream snakes inhabit forest streams and are mostly nocturnal. They feed on shrimps, crabs and fish. Bicoloured stream snakes reach up to 50cm in length.

Hebius boulengeri – Tai-yong keelback

Extremely secretive, hence rarely seen snakes. Not much is known about them due to their cryptic behaviour and difficult to access and explore habitat.

“(...) It is mostly found in damp areas along the edges of fast-flowing, rocky mountain streams, rice fields and on the forest floor. This snake is active both at day and at night. Terrestrial and semi-aquatic, A. boulengeri lives mainly among leaves of the forest litter and in low vegetation surrounding pieces of water; it readily enters shallow pieces of water such as forest creeks and puddles. Little else is known on its biology but it feeds on small frogs. It is oviparous. (…)" (source)

Hebius atemporalis – Tonkin keelback

Extremely elusive and rarely encountered terrestrial snake living at a relatively high altitude, foraging in leaf litter in search of small prey. It was one of the first snakes we saw in Hong Kong in 2020, and back then there were very few recorded encounters with this species, so we were over the moon. In 2025, it seemed to be unusually active and a few individuals were spotted by different people (including us), leading to an increased human activity in its habitat for a few weeks, as everybody wanted to see it. 😂

Amphiesma stolatum – buff striped keelback

Amphiesma stolatum is a non-venomous colubrid snake distributed widely from Pakistan, eastward into Southern Asia, northward into south China and on various mainlands and islands across Southeast Asia. It is rather elusive in Hong Kong and always nice to see.

It’s a small species (up to 90 cm total length), terrestrial, diurnal, and inhabits well-watered lowland plains, forests, hills, rice paddy, agricultural and rural areas. It hunts amphibians, fish, invertebrates, small lizards and rodents. Females produce 5-15 eggs per clutch throughout active parts of the year and may also attend clutches. Artur got one slithering away right after he (Artur, not the snake) left a taxi. 

Fowlea flavipunctata – yellow-spotted keelback

A fantastic swimmer and diver, usually active during the day. Preys on fish, frogs and tadpoles, found mostly in ponds and streams. This species is able to drop their tail when threatened - such a phenomenon is called caudal autotomy.

Myrrophis chinensis – Chinese water snake

A viviparous, primarily nocturnal snake feeding on fish. They are aquatic and usually defensive when disturbed. Myrrophis chinensis are mildly venomous but not dangerous to humans. Relatively common in the right habitat.

Myrrophis bennettii – Bennett’s mud snake

A mildly venomous, rear-fanged snake native to the brackish coastal waters and mangrove habitats of southeastern Asia. It is not considered dangerous to humans. It eluded us for looong 3 years since we live quite far from its not so accessible habitat and one has to find that sweet moment when the weather and tides are right and a Bennett’s mud snake decides to leave its burrow just for a few minutes to hunt, eat and disappear again for the rest of the day. On 1 October 2025, in the Year of Snake, we finally saw one preying on a mudskipper near a mangrove broadwalk, and it’s such a great feeling to know we don’t need to visit its scorching hot and remote habitat EVER AGAIN. 😂

Hypsiscopus murphyi – Murphy’s mud snake

This species is found in freshwater habitats, such as rivers, lakes, and rice paddies. It likes spending its free time in small puddles or, if it’s dry, in tiny moist cracks left after those puddles. It’s a nocturnal, aquatic snake that hunts fish and amphibians in shallow water. When threatened, it may bite and release a foul-smelling musk. 

Rhabdophis helleri – Heller’s red-necked keelback

A very common snake in Hong Kong, often seen hunting or eating toads on or near hiking trails or footpaths. Rhabdophis helleri are the only snakes in Hong Kong that are both venomous (rear-fanged) and poisonous (they sequester toxins from toads which are their primary food source and excrete them from their neck). 

Elapidae – cobras and kraits

Some of the most famous (and feared) snakes in the world. All are highly venomous, but rarely aggressive unless threatened.

Naja atra – Chinese cobra

Naja atra is the only Naja species living in Hong Kong. Even though these cobras are not “true” spitting cobras, when threatened they display spitting behaviours. We discovered this when the first one we found spat at Artur’s legs. 

"Fang morphology of N. atra was investigated by microscopy and compared with that of a ‘true’ spitting cobra, Naja sputatrix. The results show that N. atra does not have specially modified fangs so that venom is ejected downwards from the fangs, not forwards. Consequently, to direct venom at a target requires a specific manoeuvre involving a forward lunge and head rotation. This arrangement is very similar to that described for Naja kaouthia and suggests that the evolution of spitting behaviour could precede the development of specialised fangs that refine the action."

Bungarus multicinctus – many-banded krait

A nocturnal ophiophagus (but not exclusively) snake growing up to 150cm. Extremely venomous (neurotoxins) and one of the most commonly seen snakes in Hong Kong (in 2020, we encountered easily over 50 individuals). Very shy, active especially on rainy days. Easily confused with two local wolf snake species - Lycodon neomaculatus and Lycodon futsingensis. Some adults are more yellow than white.

Bungarus fasciatus – banded krait

Banded kraits are nocturnal and very shy, hence not easy to find. When disturbed, they display behaviour we have seen both in many-banded kraits (Bungarus multicinctus) and banded kraits (Bungarus fasciatus): they move abruptly, quickly changing their position to then stay motionless again. They tend to hide their heads under their bodies and display a thick tail tip, which in shape resembles their head. We were lucky to see a few predation scenes involving this species. 

Ophiophagus hannah – king cobra

In Hong Kong, king cobras grow up to approx. 4m. They are the longest venomous snakes in the world. They also are the only snakes that build proper nests in which they lay eggs and, as we learned in Bali, some females are also known to protect them until the hatchlings are out. King cobras in Hong Kong are stunning with their unique bands. Artur’s favourites! 

Sinomicrurus annularis – coral snake

Rather small nocturnal snakes (total body length up to 80cm) with a powerful venom. They are ophiophagus, feeding on small snakes and very cryptic, usually hiding in the leaf litter. After seeing our first one, there was a looong and annoying period of time when they kept eluding us, but 2025 brought them back.

Viperidae – pit vipers

Venomous snakes with heat-sensing pits, well adapted to ambush hunting in forests and farmlands.

Trimeresurus albolabris – white-lipped pit viper

One of the most common snakes in Hong Kong, found in almost every available habitat (by ‘every’ we mean rubbish bins too). They are nocturnal and feed on lizards, small mammals, frogs and sometimes small birds. White-lipped pit vipers are viviparous. Their bite might cause pain and swelling but it's rarely lethal, and hospitals in Hong Kong are well equipped to deal with it if necessary. Males have a light ventrolateral stripe, which is absent in females.

Protobothrops mucrosquamatus – brown spotted pit viper

A nocturnal venomous snake feeding on small rodents, frogs and lizards and growing up to around 120cm. Its range is highly restricted in Hong Kong. It has a powerful venom which can cause pain, severe swelling, bruising, blistering, necrosis and its bites are potentially lethal. In 2020-21 we saw quite a few individuals, but in recent years they seem to be way less active and there are very few records of them. 

Ovophis tonkinensis – Tonkin pit viper

Tonkin vipers aestivate, which means they become inactive during hot summer days. In Hong Kong, they are mostly encountered during winter months when most other snake species brumate. This species is usually found on high elevations near streams, and becomes more active on rainy nights. Tonkin vipers use caudal luring to attract prey. While their body stays hidden under leaf litter, they display their tail and move it imitating a wriggly worm to get attention of a frog or a small rodent. Interestingly, Tonkin vipers don’t just envenomate their prey as most venomous snakes do, they also constrict and hold it until their venom does its job. Since they are active during cold months, their metabolism is extremely slow and they tend to stay in the same spot for many days or even weeks. 

References

• Karsen, S.J., Lau, M.W.N. and Bogadek, A. (1998). Hong Kong Amphibians and Reptiles (2nd Edition). Hong Kong: A Provisional Urban Council Publication

• Francis, A. (2024) A field guide to the snakes of Hong Kong. 2nd Edition.