Vietnam has famously rich wildlife that includes elephants, monkeys, bears, and many more species. There are also several species of snakes living in forests, fields, and cities. While some are relatively harmless, others are venomous and must be avoided.
There are dozens of venomous snake species in Vietnam, like the King Cobra, Malayan Krait, Red-Headed Krait, Thai Spitting Viper, etc. The Malayan Krait is the most venomous, but all of them are dangerous and potentially fatal. They can be found in rice fields, forests, or even urban areas.
In the rest of this article, I will cover plenty of venomous snake species that you can find in Vietnam. I will explain how dangerous they are, where you can find them, and what they look like so that you know exactly what to avoid.
1. Malayan Pit Viper
Malayan Pit Vipers can be found in coastal forests, overdrawn fields, and orchards, mainly feeding on rats. They are typically brown, red, or gray, with triangular spots along their body. These snakes can reach a length of 35.4 inches (90 cm). On average, females are longer than males.
Malayan Pit Vipers are known for being very aggressive and quick to strike, but they are also sedentary and don’t like to move when left undisturbed. Their venom causes pain and swelling but rarely death; however, if you get bitten, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible.
2. Thai Spitting Cobra
Thai Spitting Cobras are widespread across Southeast Asia, living in fields, forests, jungles, and even urban areas. They feed on rats, toads, and even other snakes. The venom of Thai Spitting Cobras is quite potent, containing both neurotoxins and cytotoxins, causing paralysis and tissue necrosis; their spit also causes excruciating pain.
Compared to other cobras, these snakes have thin and small bodies. The color of their body varies from brown to gray, and they can also have spots or stripes. They’re typically around 39 inches (100 cm) long but can reach up to 63 inches (160 cm).
3. King Cobra
You’ve probably heard of King Cobras, as they are quite famous for the snake charming ritual. These majestic creatures can be found in fields, forests, and bamboo thickets all over Southeast Asia, including Vietnam. Their venom is quite powerful and potentially fatal, but the anti-venom for this type of snake is incredibly advanced, so a bite is not risky if treated in time.
The scales of King Cobras are green with black and white stripes on the trunk. The most distinctive feature of these snakes is the hood around the head and the golden eyes with round pupils. King Cobras are the longest venomous snakes in the world, with adults typically reaching a length of 10.4 to 13.1 feet (3.18 to 4 m).
4. Malayan Krait
Malayan Kraits are incredibly unique-looking, with black and blue or black and white crossbands along their body. Like most snakes on this list, they can be found in Southeast Asian countries in rice fields and other areas close to water.
These snakes are the most dangerous animals on this list. Their venom is incredibly powerful, with a 60 to 70 percent mortality rate. The toxins in the venom paralyze the victim, leading to suffocation and even brain damage. Because Malayan Kraits live near populated areas, they are more likely to attack people.
5. Red-Headed Krait
Red-Headed Kraits are probably some of the most unique-looking snakes you can find. As their name suggests, their heads and tails are bright red, while the rest of their body has shiny black scales. They live in forests and mountains and are not easy to spot.
The venom of these snakes can be deadly, containing neurotoxins that paralyze the body to such an extent that the victim dies because they can’t breathe on their own. However, Red-Headed Kraits are not considered high-risk animals since encounters with humans are rare, and they’re very lethargic.
6. Fea’s Viper
Fea’s Vipers are found in the mountains of Vietnam, as they prefer lower temperatures than most snake species in the area. They can be located near populated areas, on the side of the road, or even near homes. Their venom is potent and can even be fatal.
Fea’s Vipers have short and sturdy bodies with smooth scales. The body has a black or dark blue base, with bright yellow narrow cross bands, which are widely spaced; the head is also yellow and flat with golden eyes with vertical pupils.
7. Red River Krait
Red River Kraits live in the northern part of Vietnam, and they are very venomous, but little else is known about them. They were discovered as a species relatively recently, and there have been only a few registered encounters since then. They are timid and typically active at night.
You may never have the chance to see one since they are rare, but if you do, keep in mind to stay away and not frighten them. Their venom has not been studied extensively, but it’s believed to be extremely dangerous.
The scientific name of Red River Kraits, Bungarus slowinskii, is an homage to Joseph Bruno Slowinski, a herpetologist who died after being bitten by this species.
8. Many-Banded Krait
Also known as Chinese Kraits, these species can be found across China and Southeast Asia. They can be found in humid areas like rice fields, mangroves, and rivers, but also in forests and shrubs. Many-Banded Kraits have slim and shiny black bodies with alternating white crossbands. They are sometimes confused with Malayan Kraits.
Like Malayan Kraits, Many-Banded Kraits have highly toxic venom. The victim will barely feel any pain or swelling after being bitten, but after a few hours, they will feel more severe symptoms, which can lead to death.
9. White-Lipped Viper
Unlike most snakes on the list, White-Lipped vipers are arboreal, which means they live in trees, so you can find them in woodlands and jungles. Their bodies have striking colors, with bright blue or green scales and golden eyes with vertical pupils.
The venom of White-lipped vipers is mostly hemotoxic, which means that it attacks blood cells. It can cause swelling and blood clots leading to loss of limbs or even death if it goes untreated or injected in large quantities.
10. Russell’s Viper
Russell’s vipers are named after Patrick Russell, a naturalist who wrote about this species in his journals in the late 1700s. These snakes avoid high altitudes and dense forests, so you’re likely to encounter them in open fields and lowlands. However, they may even approach urban areas in search of food.
Russell’s vipers are pretty recognizable because of their triangular head, which is clearly distinct from the rest of the body. The body has a tan or brown base with dark brown spots along the length.
The venom of these snakes is hemotoxic and very dangerous, causing thousands of deaths across Asia every year. What makes these snakes especially dangerous is the fact that they inject a significant amount of venom in every bite, more than enough to kill an adult.
11. Wagler’s Pit Viper
Wagler’s Pit Vipers are also known as temple vipers since; typically, there are a lot of them roaming around a famous temple in Malaysia. These snakes are arboreal, so they like to live in woodlands at low altitudes. Females are larger, with black bodies with yellow stripes; males are typically shorter and have green bodies.
The venom of Wagler’s Pit Vipers is hemotoxic and can cause severe pain and swelling, but there have been no registered cases of fatalities so far. These snakes are not aggressive and only strike when cornered.