Deadly Thailand Snakes

Most Likely Venomous To Bite You? Malayan Pit Viper

<a href=Malayan Pit Viper on the Sand Most Likely Venomous To Bite You?" style="width:100%;height:auto;display:block;margin:0 0 1.6em 0;border-radius:4px;" loading="eager" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://thailandsnakes.com/wp-content/uploads/Most-Likely-Venomous-To-Bite-You-1280x934-1-1024x750.webp 1024w, https://thailandsnakes.com/wp-content/uploads/Most-Likely-Venomous-To-Bite-You-1280x934-1-300x220.webp 300w, https://thailandsnakes.com/wp-content/uploads/Most-Likely-Venomous-To-Bite-You-1280x934-1-150x110.webp 150w, https://thailandsnakes.com/wp-content/uploads/Most-Likely-Venomous-To-Bite-You-1280x934-1-768x562.webp 768w, https://thailandsnakes.com/wp-content/uploads/Most-Likely-Venomous-To-Bite-You-1280x934-1.webp 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" />Most Likely Venomous To Bite You? Malayan Pit Viper
Brown Malayan Pit Viper in Thailand. These are deadly snakes if you don't get immediate treatment.

The Malayan Pit Viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma) is the venomous (bad) snake that is most likely to bite you. They have the habit of lying in the short or long grass and just waiting for prey to walk by. If human footsteps are coming close – it doesn’t attempt to move, it just sits there.

This is why the Malayan Pit Viper is the cause of most of the serious bites in Thailand, and Malaysia. They just don’t get out of the way, or flare up a hood or anything. They are what we call lazy snakes, and they’re quite deadly too. This snake is responsible for more deaths in Thailand than any other.

However, if you make it to the hospital for the antivenin quickly you will likely be fine. Some herpetologists call the Malayan pit viper the “finger rotters”. Their venom is cytotoxic and destroys all cells of the body – including bone. Their venom dissolves bone… it’s quite harsh stuff and you DON’T want to be bitten by this snake because you’ll likely lose part of whatever what bitten.

These Thailand snakes are most active during the night time, but, they seem to just sleep in the open grass during the day too. BE CAREFUL NOT TO STEP NEAR THIS SNAKE. Their bite is vicious and fangs go deep.

Marcus Ridgway

Australian field herper based in Krabi since 2009 and founder of Thailand Snakes (2010). Night-herping specialist and wildlife photographer; documents snakes in the wild and does not keep or sell them.

Related Articles

2 Comments

  1. Is it possible to notify me exactly what the biggest snake is, my brother thinks it truly is a boa constrictor.

Back to top button