Venomous Snakes of Hong Kong (List of 21)
The 21 Venomous and Dangerous Snakes of Hong Kong
Hong Kong, as small as it is, has a number of venomous snakes you should be aware of if walking through the forest, or even at night in a suburban neighborhood. If you are not a snake expert, please do not attempt to move, touch, catch, or kill one of the following snakes – it’s just too dangerous, and not worth the risk.
- Acalyptophis peronii – Spiny-headed Sea Snake, Horned Sea Snake
- Bungarus fasciatus – Banded Krait, Golden Banded Snake
- Bungarus multicinctus – Chinese Krait, Many Banded Krait, Silver Banded Krait, Taiwan Krait
- Hydrophis cyanocinctus – Asian Annulated Sea Snake, Banded Sea Snake, Annulated Sea Snake, Blue-banded Sea Snake, Dusky-chinned Giant Sea Snake
- Laticauda semifasciata – Broad-banded Blue Sea Snake, Erabu Sea Snake, Sea Krait, Erabu Sea Krait
- Ophiophagus hannah – King Cobra, Hamadryad, Jungle Cobra
- Ovophis monticola – Mountain Pit Viper, Blotched Pit Viper, Mountain Iron-head Snake, Chinese Mountain Pit Viper
- Ovophis monticola monticola – Western Mountain Pit Viper
- Ovophis monticola convictus – Indo-Malayan Mountain Pit Viper
- Ovophis monticola makazayazaya – Taiwan Mountain Pit Viper
- Ovophis monticola orientalis – Oriental Mountain Pit Viper
- Ovophis monticola zhaokentangi – Gaoligong Mountain Pit Viper
- Pelamis platurus – Yellow Bellied Sea Snake, Pelagic Sea Snake, Black and Yellow Sea Snake, Yellow and Black Sea Snake, Black-backed Sea Snake
- Rhabdophis chrysargos* – Speckle-bellied Keelback
- Rhabdophis subminiatus helleri* – Red-necked Keelback, Heller’s Keelback
- Sinomicrurus macclellandi – Macclelland’s Coral Snake,
- Sinomicrurus macclellandi iwasakii – Iwasaki’s Coral Snake
- Sinomicrurus macclellandi swinoei – Taiwan Coral Snake
- Sinomicrurus macclellandi swinhoei – Red-ringed Snake
- Sinomicrurus macclellandi univirgatus – Single-banded Coral Snake
- Trimeresurus albolabris – White-lipped Green Pit Viper, White-lipped Pit Viper, White-lipped Tree Viper
Not sure if the Rhabdophis genus in Hong Kong is considered venomous and dangerous, or not. I’ve included it on the list as precautionary. At any rate, do not let one of these snakes bite down on you repeatedly or for any length of time (over 5-seconds). In some countries, R. subminiatus is considered deadly.
Snake Info for Southeast Asia / Far East + USA
- All Australia Snakes / Australia’s Venomous Snakes
- All Cambodia Snakes. Cambodia Snake ID >
- All Hong Kong’s Snakes / Hong Kong’s Venomous Snakes
- All India Snakes / India’s Venomous Snakes
- All Indonesia’s Snakes / Indonesia’s Venomous Snakes
- Japan Venomous Snakes
- All Laos Snakes / Laos Venomous Snakes
- Malaysia Venomous Snakes
- Singapore Venomous Snakes
- All United States Snakes / USA Venomous Snakes
- Vietnam Venomous Snakes
- All Thailand Snakes / Thailand’s Venomous Snakes