List of Poisonous Snakes in India

India is known to be the country of snakes and snake charmers. You can find some incredibly venomous snakes in the deep forests of India. There are more than 270 varieties of snakes in India out of which almost 60 are highly poisonous. Some of the most dangerous ones are Krait, Cobra, Russell’s Vipers, Saw-scaled vipers and many more.

Let’s check out this list of poisonous snakes in India!

Indian Krait

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Indian Kraits induce muscle paralysis and are extremely neurotic. One bite of this snake can be lethal for a person. There are many species of Krait snakes in India including common krait, Indian krait, and banded krait. However, there is one type of Krait known as the Bungarus; they are the most dangerous Kraits. In fact, they are the most dangerous snakes around the world.

Indian Cobra

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The Indian Cobra is another highly venomous snake found in India. They are also known as “Nag” in Hindi. These snakes can stay in varied habitats, but they prefer to stay in areas around villages, edges of open forests or fields. They usually feed on fronds, lizards or other rodents. They are also considered “Holy” as per Indian tradition and are associated with Lord Shiva and his Lingam. These snakes are worshipped on a festival named Nag Panchami.

Russell’s Vipers

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The local name for these snakes is Dabola or Koriwala and are also very venomous. They come in the category of the Indian Krait or Russell’s vipers and are very dangerous. They are responsible for thousands of deaths each year in India. Although they are smallest amongst the other dangerous snakes, they are still equally venomous. Their average length is 4 feet and is brownish grey or dark brown in color. They usually feed on rodents.

Saw-scaled vipers

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The Saw-scaled vipers have a wide head which is even wider than their neck. They have large eyes and have a rough-scaled snake. They are known to have their habitat in scrublands, sand, and soft soil. They feed on arthropods like large insects, centipedes or scorpions. They also feed on frogs, lizards, etc. The Indian Saw-scaled vipers are comparatively small and are a part of the viper family. They are extremely dangerous and poisonous.

Malabar Pit Vipers

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These are the Indian Green Pit Vipers and are also known as tree or bamboo vipers. They belong to the Pit Viper family, and they primarily live on bushes, arboreal, vines, and bamboos. They have a sensing system for cooling and heating. They feed on insects, lizards, and frogs. Their length goes up to 2.5 feet. Malabar Pit Vipers are usually found in the Western Ghats in India.

King Cobra

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The King Cobra is the biggest snake that is found in India. Their length can go up to 13 to 15 feet on an average. Some rare and unique King Cobras can go up to 18 feet in length. Hence, they are the world’s longest poisonous snake. Their habitat is in the humid jungle, cool swamps or bamboo clusters, etc.

Coral Snakes

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The coral snakes are also known as banded sea krait or yellow-lipped sea krait. They are found in India and are highly venomous. These coral snakes or sea snakes are very good swimmers. They have a higher venom potent than an average land snake in India.

Final Words

And there you go! These are some of the top poisonous snakes in India that have a venomous bite. Now you know which snakes to steer clear of in the future.