Ahaetulla mycterizans, the Malayan green whipsnake or Malayan vine snake, is a slender arboreal snake found in Western Peninsular Malaysia, Java and Sumatra of Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and possibly Laos up to elevation of 350 m. Wikipedia

Location: Central Catchment – April 2024

Great literature to differentiate Bigeye and Oriental Whip Snake, Thanks Ivan Kwan for this link.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232681330_First_record_of_Ahaetulla_mycterizans_Linnaeus_1758_Reptilia_Squamata_Colubridae_from_Sumatra_Indonesia_with_an_expanded_definition

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Scientific name: Naja sumatrana

The body is thick, and the tail short. The head is distinct from the neck, and the snout is rounded.

This is a highly venomous species which should be treated with caution. Typically this snake prefers to avoid confrontation and is not considered ‘aggressive. Large adults will stand erect, expand their hood and hiss loudly if feeling threatened. If the perceived attacker does not back off from this threat display the snake will then attempt to spray venom into the eyes of its tormentor. Unless such venom is washed away immediately, permanent damage to the tissues surrounding the eye can occur. Envenomation through a bite from this species may result in death.- Ecology Asia

It’s Native to Singapore

Location: Sungei Buloh and Dairy Farm, Upper Seletar Reservoir

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Head distinct from slender body, eye large. Scales along middle of back distinctly enlarged. Bronze brown above, the neck region bright orange-red. A black streak on the side of the head and fore part of the neck. Underside yellowish green on the front half, and dull green to brown on the rear. NParks

Location: Lornie PCN – Jan 2024

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Some of the snakes that have been photographed in Singapore

Paradise tree snake – Chrysopelea paradisi

Body slender and cylindrical, relatively flat and distinct head. Black above with a green or yellow spot on each dorsal scale.

Mildly venomous

Wagler’s Pit Viper – Tropidolaemus wagler

Wagler’s Pit Viper is generally not considered to be aggressive

Venomous

Blue Coral Snake – Calliophis bivirgatus

It has a unique kind of venom that most snakes don’t have, and it even has the largest venom glands of any snake, which extend more than a quarter of its body length.

Highly venomous

Oriental Whip Snake – Ahaetulla prasina

This elegant snake is arboreal and lives in bushes and trees.
It is common in many of our wild places, including urban gardens and coastal areas.

Mildly venomous ( generally not problematic for humans. )

King cobra – Ophiophagus hannah

The longest of all venomous snakes
They are called king cobras because they can kill and eat cobras.

Highly venomous

Red-tailed Racer – Gonyosoma oxycephalum
A species of snake in Singapore distinguishable by its bright green body, reddish-brown tail and electric blue tongue.

Non-Venomous

Painted Bronzeback – Dendrelaphis pictus

This small and slender snake is easily identified through its bronze dorsal colouration and a blunt snout.

Non-Venomous

Kopstien’s Bronzeback – Dendrelaphis kopsteini

Head distinct from slender body, eye large. Scales along middle of back distinctly enlarged

Non-Venomous

Blue Bronzeback – Dendrelaphis cyanochloris

Commonly known as Wall’s bronzeback

Non-Venomous

Banded Krait – Bungarus fasciatus

Banded Krait is considered to be a coastal snake but can also be found in a variety of habitats including peat swarms and forests.

Highly venomous

Jasper Cat Snake – Boiga jaspidea

It has a highly patterned reddish-brown body with scattered black and pink blotches and accentuated by red, orange and yellow highlights

Venomous

Black Spitting Cobra – Naja sumatrana

The Equatorial spitting cobra also called the black spitting cobra, Malayan spitting cobra, golden spitting cobra, Sumatran spitting cobra, or Palawan spitting cobra
The body is thick, and the tail short. The head is distinct from the neck, and the snout is rounded.

Venomous

Gold-ringed Cat Snake – Boiga dendrophila

commonly called the mangrove snake or the gold-ringed cat snake, is a species of rear-fanged venomous snake in the family Colubridae

Mildly venomous

Keeled Rat Snake – Ptyas carinata

It has a cobra-like head but a pretty net-patterned tail

Non-Venomous

White-spotted Cat Snake – Boiga drapiezii

Commonly known as the white-spotted cat snake, is a species of long and slender rear-fanged colubrid that is common throughout its range

Mildly venomous

Reticulated python – Malayopython reticulatus

It is the world’s longest snake, and the third heaviest after the green anaconda and Burmese python

Non-Venomous

Twin-barred Tree Snake – Chrysopelea pelias

Rarely seen, mostly found in the Forest, the Twin-barred Tree Snake can glide from tree to tree by flattening its body into an aerofoil-like surface and flinging itself from tall trees

Mildly venomous

Mangrove Pit-Viper – Cryptelytrops purpureomaculatus

is an endangered native reptile species. It is a shy snake that has a purplish-brown body.

Venomous

Bigeye Green Whip Snake

is a native reptile species.

Mildly venomous

Photographed by:
Daryl Tan
Koo Ke Han
David Wirawan

All photos are copyrighted.

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Jasper Cat Snake (Boiga jaspidea) to any herper in Singapore and it is likely that if he/she has not seen one yet, it is a species that sits very high on their target list. However, as it is rarely seen and is restricted in its distribution, there have only been a small handful of reported sightings in the past decade, with the most recent one recorded in May 2021. Because of its rarity, many classify it under the “unicorn” level, a mythical level reserved for the rarest and most elusive of snake species in Singapore.

There is also very limited literature on this snake species as this elusive snake is uncommon throughout its range. What little is known is that it is arboreal and nocturnal, making it even more difficult to spot and observe. It is rear-fanged and mildly venomous and reportedly feeds on geckos and other small snakes in the wild.

What really makes this snake stand out is how it looks. It has a highly patterned reddish-brown body with scattered black and pink blotches and accentuated by red, orange and yellow highlights, giving it a molten lava-like appearance. Ventrally, it is white except for the front portion of the belly which is bright yellow, and low on its flanks are scattered, irregular white patches. It has a slender body and a large head with possibly the largest eyes of the Boiga genus.

Fun fact: Do you know that despite its rarity, the Jasper Cat Snake is still only the second rarest cat snake species in Singapore? The true crown belongs to the White-spotted Cat Snake (Boiga drapizeii).

[Disclaimer: Credits for this sighting go to Lim Ting, Pearlyn and Peter Chua.]

Text and Photos by Daryl Tan
All photos are copyrighted to Daryl Tan
For more local wildlife photographs and fun facts, do check out his Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/clickingthecritters/

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Red-tailed Racer (Gonyosoma oxycephalum), a species of snake in Singapore distinguishable by its bright green body, reddish-brown tail and electric blue tongue.

Fun fact: Do you know that the Red-tailed Racer is a highly arboreal species that spends most of its life living and hunting in trees and seldom descends to the ground? It primarily feeds on birds, bird eggs and bats and is a renowned nest raider.

Disclaimer: While Red-tailed Racers are non-venomous, they can be temperamental and may strike out if you get too close. Please keep your distance and leave them alone should you encounter one.

Text and photo by Daryl Tan
Photos are copyrighted to Daryl Tan

For more local wildlife photographs and fun facts, do check out his Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/clickingthecritters/

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Scientific name: Bungarus fasciatus

Location: Pulau Ubin, January 2024

The Banded Krait makes no attempt to hide its tail. In fact, it was observed to deliberately expose it and make it highly visible, possibly to encourage potential predators to mistake it for its head and go for it.

Banded Krait is considered to be a coastal snake but can also be found in a variety of habitats including peat swarms and forests, often close to water bodies. It is easily identifiable by its triangular body and the alternating black and yellow bands (hence its scientific name — Bungarus means “golden” in Telugu and fasciatus means “banded” in Latin), although the ones we have in Singapore seem to have black and white bands instead.

Fun fact: Despite it being highly venomous, do you know that the Banded Krait generally does not attempt to bite even when threatened? Instead, it chooses to hide its head under its coils, but not to cower in fear. It does so so that predators will mistakenly attack its tail thinking that it is its head, and this allows the krait to either counter-attack or flee.

All photos are copyrighted to Daryl Tan

For more local wildlife photographs and fun facts, do check out his Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/clickingthecritters/

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Largest of all the Ptyas rat snakes in Singapore. Head distinct relatively thick but slender body, which has a somewhat triangular cross section. Eyes large. Front part of the body brown to blackish, sometimes with faint pale banding. Rear half of the body yellowish brown to cream coloured, with distinctive black net pattern on the tail. Side of head and throat whitish, belly blackish. ( NParks )

It’s an adult snake, estimated more than 2 meters.

Location: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, December 2023

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Location: Sungei Buloh, January 2023

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Location: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve – October 2022

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