Wild Venomous Snake Encounters?

Great Argus

Great Argus

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Seeing the recent Cottonmouth photos by @Sarus Crane and the Western Diamondback photos by @Arizona Docent got me wondering what other Zoochatters have run across wild venomous snakes? I'd guess quite a few of you have, especially those living or having traveled in the tropics. Has anyone had a close call or been bitten? Any herptologists that actively look for them and study them?

I've only seen one wild venomous snake myself, an adolescent Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis oreganus) that wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. And I was quite okay with that.

(P.S. Do NOT go try and find a venomous snake and do something stupid just to tell it on the thread! Zoochatters are a quite sensible lot, and the warning is not directed at anyone! But I felt it needed included since this is a public site. Don't go messing with venomous snakes unless you've been specially trained and have good reason to!)
 
I have seen five different venomous snake species in the wild, 3 in Europe, 2 in Singapore and surprisingly, 0 in Africa. Here in the Netherlands there is only 1 venomous snake species (Common Viper), which is quite rare and occurs only in heathlands and bogs. I have seen them several times but not as often as our other two native snake species. I have also seen Asp Viper (French Alps) and Sand Viper (Slovenian Alps). In Singapore I had close-up views of a Wagler's Pit Viper and more distant views of a large King Cobra.
 
Seeing wild snakes in the tropics (at least in Asia) is surprisingly rare, unless you go specifically searching them out. I don't search them out - I just see them when I see them - but I've seen at least 25 identified species, about half of which were venomous species (and there are many more that I never identified to species). However I find that snakes tend to be a lot more obvious in Australia than in Asia, despite me having spent less overall time there.

My two most "memorable" encounters were with a Tiger Snake in Tasmania and a King Cobra in Malaysia.

In the first one I was walking into a rambling bush trying to photograph some thornbills, and the snake departed quickly out the other side of the bush.

In the second I was going off-trail into the forest to try and see a calling pitta. I don't think I found the bird but on the way back, retracing my path to the trail, a King Cobra which I had obviously walked directly past the first time without realising decided that he didn't like me passing by a second time and took off in the other direction.

Given the behaviour of most venomous snakes (they tend to either stay still or leave), I've probably walked past a lot more without ever knowing.
 
I have seen four venomous snake species in the wild.

Eastern Brown Snake
Yellow Faced Whipsnake
Olive Sea Snake
Red Bellied Black Snake

The former two I have both seen on several occasions, with eastern brown probably around 5 and yellow faced whipsnake at least 7 or 8. The latter two I have only ever seen once. Red bellied black snakes seem to avoid me as on several occasions other people who have been with me have seen them while I haven’t. The olive seasnake was a very brief sighting seen in a river mouth in 1770 as it came up for air.
 
I've seen two or three common kraits and a baby saw-scaled viper. I also know someone (another kid at my school) who nearly stepped on a krait, but was saved because it was eating!
 
I've encountered numerous venomous snakes over the years. In Arizona I've seen Sidewinders, Mojave, Western Diamondback, Black-tailed, and Tiger Rattlesnakes. In Florida I encountered a Cottonmouth and a Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake. In Kansas I've seen Prairie Rattlesnakes and Western Massasaugas. All from a safe distance of course. For bonus points I've also seen wild Gila Monsters in Arizona.
 
Other than the Cottonmouth I saw last night from up on a bridge overlooking a wetland area, I saw a Pygmy Rattlesnake on the 4th of July last year in my front yard's mulch bed. It must've been feeding on the baby frogs and toads that frequent my property during that time of year and was all coiled up in a comatose state. At least that's what I figured. I only knew about it because a family member was gardening in that bed, saw it, came inside and asked me what it was.

Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake

Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake

Always remember to keep your distance when near any venomous snake. Taken on 7-4-19.

My personal opinions on venomous snakes are that if you see one, cool.... but don't get close to it, don't touch it and just take a photo or video from a far enough distance. NE Florida is prime territory for the big 6 (Copperhead, Cottonmouth, Pygmy Rattler, Timber Rattler, Eastern Diamondback, & Coral Snake). I have yet to see the 4 other species in the wild, but whenever I'm outside I am always looking down 10 feet ahead of me to see if there's anything I need to watch out for.
 
Ituri said:
I've encountered numerous venomous snakes over the years. In Arizona I've seen Sidewinders, Mojave, Western Diamondback, Black-tailed, and Tiger Rattlesnakes. In Florida I encountered a Cottonmouth and a Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake. In Kansas I've seen Prairie Rattlesnakes and Western Massasaugas. All from a safe distance of course. For bonus points I've also seen wild Gila Monsters in Arizona.
Click to expand...

I forgot to mention Great Basin Rattlesnakes in Idaho.
 
Sarus Crane said:
Other than the Cottonmouth I saw last night from up on a bridge overlooking a wetland area, I saw a Pygmy Rattlesnake on the 4th of July last year in my front yard's mulch bed. It must've been feeding on the baby frogs and toads that frequent my property during that time of year and was all coiled up in a comatose state. At least that's what I figured. I only knew about it because a family member was gardening in that bed, saw it, came inside and asked me what it was.

Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake

Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake

Always remember to keep your distance when near any venomous snake. Taken on 7-4-19.

My personal opinions on venomous snakes are that if you see one, cool.... but don't get close to it, don't touch it and just take a photo or video from a far enough distance. NE Florida is prime territory for the big 6 (Copperhead, Cottonmouth, Pygmy Rattler, Timber Rattler, Eastern Diamondback, & Coral Snake). I have yet to see the 4 other species in the wild, but whenever I'm outside I am always looking down 10 feet ahead of me to see if there's anything I need to watch out for.
Click to expand...

When I lived in Florida, the only wild Eastern Diamondback I encountered was freshly killed on the road. Quite sad :(
 
Western Diamondback (a few times, including two days ago on a hike).
Arizona Coral Snake (very young on a trail near Sedona, though it may also have been a non-venemous mountain king snake?)
 
i have sean 4 difrent species
european adder is prity common in Sweden especeially close to coast
surprisingly of the 3 times i have bean to Afrika i saw a venomous snake during two of them
first was in south Afrika whear a mozamique spitting cobra was eating a frog in a tre on the loge resturante plus we aslo saw a black mamba darting acros the road.
second was in Tanzanina selous national park.
we lesft the car to look at a hot spring. at the topp i hear something moving on the ground an spott a spiting cobra sneaking away only 10 meters from ous. the funy thing is that i ask one of the gujds thear is the ever saw any snakes. He said no.
i have also sean a mangrove snake on Bornio earlier this year
 
Nearly stepped on a timber rattler while hiking in northern Delaware; we were climbing on rocks in the river and then stepping back to land. Thankfully my tall boyfriend was with us and was able to help move me, and our dogs, to a safer spot out of reach.
 
lintworm said:
Here in the Netherlands there is only 1 venomous snake species (Common Viper), which is quite rare and occurs only in heathlands and bogs.
Click to expand...

Depends on how one defines the Netherlands of course ;) after all, Aruba is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and that certainly has venomous snakes!

As for personal experiences, I've come across European Adder on numerous occasions when hiking in the Scottish Highlands, Northumberland and Lake District.... and also, on a few occasions, in the garden of Helly's parents who live out in the Northumberland moorlands.

It is thanks to the latter that I took these photographs:

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