A few days back while on duty I was chatting with a senior colleague and found out about his interest in snakes. So I showed him my blog. As he was browsing through my posts, he told me a story of how he once escaped a cobra bite just by chance. Then he asked me about how a common man can differentiate between a Cobra (Naja naja, Naja kaouthia) and a Rat Snake (Ptyas mucosa).
That question hit my head too. As I searched the internet for some ready article to differentiate between them, I could not find any. So I tried to compile points I found in various places into a single article so that anyone can refer to it and stay safe.
A word of CAUTION. Even if you know the snake infront of you is a non-venomous rat snake, not a venomous cobra, DO NOT TRY TO HANDLE IT! That is harmful for both the snake and yourself. Give it some space to escape and it will escape eventually.
If I explain from the easiest sign to hardest, the first and most intimidating sign would be the hood. Cobras (when I mention cobra, I am referring to both Monocled Cobra and Spectacled Cobra) raise hood when threatened. Monocled cobra has a ‘eye’ like design on the back of its hood whereas Spectacled Cobra has a ‘U’ shaped marking or it may have no marking on the back of its hood. To display its hood, a cobra raises its forebody from the ground and flares its neck. Now the Rat Snake also mimics this behavior just to pretend to be a cobra. The rat snake also lifts its forebody and tries to flare it neck. But its neck does not create a hood.
But what if a cobra does not raise a hood? May be it didn’t see you or may be it didn’t see you as a threat, then how can you tell. In that case we have to see the head carefully. On the Rat Snake, along its lips below the eye, there are prominent black vertical stripes. The cobra lacks this vertical black stripes.
Do not try to differentiate them by the color of their body. Both the Rat Snake and Cobras vary highly in body coloration. Their color can be from very light to very dark. Monocled Cobra juveniles have mostly dark colors with light banding across the body. The color fades to olive as they mature, the banding fades too. You can usually find black makings on the rear portion of an adult Rat Snake. Also, rat snake has black markings on it belly side.
But if they vary so much, how the experts tell them apart? They count the scales on their body, on their head and on their tail. That is the only sure way to tell two species of snake apart. But that process is not for the common man as that requires you to handle the snake. But if you are still interested to know about the scalation, follow these links to find out more.
To learn about the difference between Common Krait and Wolf Snake.
To learn about the difference between Russell's Viper and Sand Boa.
That question hit my head too. As I searched the internet for some ready article to differentiate between them, I could not find any. So I tried to compile points I found in various places into a single article so that anyone can refer to it and stay safe.
A word of CAUTION. Even if you know the snake infront of you is a non-venomous rat snake, not a venomous cobra, DO NOT TRY TO HANDLE IT! That is harmful for both the snake and yourself. Give it some space to escape and it will escape eventually.
If I explain from the easiest sign to hardest, the first and most intimidating sign would be the hood. Cobras (when I mention cobra, I am referring to both Monocled Cobra and Spectacled Cobra) raise hood when threatened. Monocled cobra has a ‘eye’ like design on the back of its hood whereas Spectacled Cobra has a ‘U’ shaped marking or it may have no marking on the back of its hood. To display its hood, a cobra raises its forebody from the ground and flares its neck. Now the Rat Snake also mimics this behavior just to pretend to be a cobra. The rat snake also lifts its forebody and tries to flare it neck. But its neck does not create a hood.
But what if a cobra does not raise a hood? May be it didn’t see you or may be it didn’t see you as a threat, then how can you tell. In that case we have to see the head carefully. On the Rat Snake, along its lips below the eye, there are prominent black vertical stripes. The cobra lacks this vertical black stripes.
Do not try to differentiate them by the color of their body. Both the Rat Snake and Cobras vary highly in body coloration. Their color can be from very light to very dark. Monocled Cobra juveniles have mostly dark colors with light banding across the body. The color fades to olive as they mature, the banding fades too. You can usually find black makings on the rear portion of an adult Rat Snake. Also, rat snake has black markings on it belly side.
But if they vary so much, how the experts tell them apart? They count the scales on their body, on their head and on their tail. That is the only sure way to tell two species of snake apart. But that process is not for the common man as that requires you to handle the snake. But if you are still interested to know about the scalation, follow these links to find out more.
To learn about the difference between Common Krait and Wolf Snake.
To learn about the difference between Russell's Viper and Sand Boa.
**images have been mostly collected from internet for the sole purpose of awareness and education. copyright of every image stays with their rightful owner. **
Thank you so much for the blog
ReplyDeletei just watched a Rat snake in my Home 3 feet long .. I am Scared
ReplyDeleteDon't worry it's a non venomous snake and they are more afraid of humans than the humans are afraid of them
DeleteI just watched baby cobra black 1and half ft .he disper in front of eye
ReplyDeleteToday when I was laying on mat in my front yard a snake came inside the gate and crossed while touching my thigh and leg and suddenly awake then the snake back towards gate.
ReplyDeleteY'all i just saw a fresh snake skin and I just wanted to know which snake it belongs to
ReplyDeleteThanks. It really helps. I saw a 2 ft long snake in a farm land once, it was black and had yellow stripes and it was really thick and robust like I could watch it's spine and muscle flexing under it's skin! And it was moving slowly on its belly in a straight line by pushing its scales forward.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me if it was a rat snake or a king cobra or any kind of cobra? Btw, it was seen in west bengal.
I think it was bigger than 2 ft actually and from your other blog about common krait I now think it was a banded krait. What do you think?
DeleteThanks for the info. I have been seeing a juvenile rat snake in my vegetable garden since some time. But today morning I think I saw an adult cobra. It was trying to flee on seeing us, hence, couldn't be sure whether it was a cobra or a rat snake.
ReplyDelete