Venomous reptiles of Vietnam Wayne Van Devender 2014

Families of Venomous Reptiles Elapidae – cobras, kraits, coral snakes Hydrophiidae – sea snakes – not included here Viperidae – vipers

Skulls of Venomous Snakes Elapidae skull with fixed front fangs Maxilla rotates very little Viperidae skull with erectile front fangs Maxilla rotates to bring the fangs into play. Fangs folded along jaw when not in use.

Elapidae of Vietnam Permanently erect front fangs and neurotoxic venoms Cobras - Naja King Cobra - Ophiophagus Kraits - Bungarus Coral snakes – Calliophis, Sinomicrurus

Ophiophagus hannah – King Cobra Very large species w/o loreals Hood relatively small Juveniles often banded

Naja - cobras Large snakes with erect front fangs Hoods well-developed Loreal absent Some are spitters

Bungarus fasciatus Banded Krait Triangular body with enlarged mid-dorsal scales No loreal scale Distinct yellow and black crossbands about equally spaced

Bungarus candidus Blue Krait Triangular body with enlarged mid-dorsal scales No loreal scale Narrower bluish white crossbands on black Cat Tien NP

Bungarus candidus Blue Krait Triangular body with enlarged mid-dorsal scales No loreal scale Narrower bluish white crossbands on black Cat Tien NP

Bungarus slowinskii Slowinski’s many-banded krait Triangular body with enlarged mid-dorsal scales No loreal scale Narrow bluish white crossbands on black and speckled V on head Bach Ma NP – Cat Tien NP

Calliophis maculiceps Small coral snake with indistinct crossbands No loreal scale Permanently erect front fangs

Sinomicrurus macclellandi Red, black and yellow crossbands and broad yellow nape band Photos by Danielle Moore-Thomas

Viperidae of Vietnam Azemiops feae – non-pit-viper - montane Crypteletrops & Viridovipera – arboreal vipers Deinagkistrodon, Calloselasma, Ovophis, Protobothrops – ground vipers

Azemiops feae – Fea’s viper Small, montane viper without pits

Cryptelotrops rubeus red-eyed tree viper Arboreal green pit-viper with red eyes – Cat Tien NP

Cryptelotrops rubeus red-eyed tree viper Arboreal green pit-viper with red eyes – Cat Tien NP

Cryptelotrops albolabris yellow-eyed tree viper Arboreal green pit-viper with yellow eyes – Cat Tien NP

Cryptelotrops albolabris yellow-eyed tree viper Arboreal green pit-viper with yellow eyes – Cat Tien NP

Ovophis species montane egg-laying viper Loreal pit Terrestrial, fat-bodied species Squarish dorsal blotches Bach Ma NP

Deinagkistrodon acutus Terrestrial pit-viper with hourglass pattern and upturned nose

Calloselasma rhodostoma Stout ground viper without upturned nose – near Cat Tien NP

Viridovipera vogeli Similar to Crypteletrops but with different hemipenis – Central Vietnam

Protobothrops mucrosquamata Thin ground species; but some are arboreal and possess prehensile tails Can reach 2 meters in length.