Snakes of Sri Lanka

Every snakes in the Wildlife of Sri Lanka guide: 91 species, grouped by family or group. Each name opens its page with photos, identification notes, habitat and range.

Vipers

• Sri Lankan Green Pit Viper Craspedocephalus trigonocephalus
• Hump-nosed Viper Hypnale hypnale
• Lowland Hump-nosed Viper Hypnale zara
• Russell's Viper Daboia russelii
• Gloyd's Hump-nosed Viper Hypnale nepa
• Saw-scaled Viper Echis carinatus

Cobras, Kraits & Sea Snakes

• Indian Cobra Naja naja
• Ceylon Krait Bungarus ceylonicus
• Common Krait Bungarus caeruleus
• Beaked Sea Snake Hydrophis schistosus
• Slender Coralsnake Calliophis melanurus
• Yellow Sea Snake Hydrophis spiralis
• Annulated Sea Snake Hydrophis cyanocinctus
• Spine-bellied Sea Snake Hydrophis curtus
• Yellow-bellied Sea Snake Hydrophis platurus
• Slender Sea Snake Microcephalophis gracilis
• Viperine Sea Snake Hydrophis viperinus
• Blood-bellied Coralsnake Calliophis haematoetron
• Ornate Sea Snake Hydrophis ornatus

Colubrid Snakes

• Long-nosed Whipsnake Ahaetulla nasuta
• Oriental Rat Snake Ptyas mucosa
• Boulenger's Keelback Fowlea asperrima
• Tikiri Keelback Fowlea unicolor
• Common Rough-sided Snake Aspidura trachyprocta
• Stripe-Tailed Bronzeback Dendrelaphis caudolineolatus
• Duméril's Kukri Snake Oligodon sublineatus
• Sri Lanka Cat Snake Boiga ceylonensis
• Common Bronzeback Tree Snake Dendrelaphis tristis
• Schokar's Bronzeback Dendrelaphis schokari
• Ceylon Wolf Snake Lycodon carinatus
• Buff Striped Keelback Amphiesma stolatum
• Russell's Wolf Snake Lycodon fasciolatus
• Trinket Snake Coelognathus helena
• Indian Wolf Snake Lycodon aulicus
• Boulenger's Bronzeback Dendrelaphis bifrenalis
• Split Keelback Atretium schistosum
• Banded Kukri Snake Oligodon arnensis
• Barnes' Cat Snake Boiga barnesii
• Forsten's Cat Snake Boiga forsteni
• Ranawana's Cat Snake Boiga ranawanei
• Boie's Rough-sided Snake Aspidura brachyorrhos
• Sri Lankan Flying Snake Chrysopelea taprobanica
• Günther's Rough-sided Snake Aspidura guentheri
• Barred Wolf Snake Lycodon striatus
• Streaked Kukri Snake Oligodon taeniolatus
• Wickramasinghes' Bronzeback Dendrelaphis wickrorum
• Blossom Krait Rhabdophis ceylonensis
• Brown-speckled Whipsnake Ahaetulla pulverulenta
• Templeton's Kukri Snake Oligodon calamarius
• Vellore Bridal Snake Lycodon nympha
• Asian Bockadam Cerberus rynchops
• Black-headed Snake Sibynophis subpunctatus
• Golden Tree Snake Chrysopelea ornata
• Ceylon Keelback Aspidura ceylonensis
• De Silva's Rough-sided Snake Aspidura desilvai
• Common Cat Snake Boiga trigonata
• Ravana's Rough-sided Snake Aspidura ravanai
• Green Keelback Rhabdophis plumbicolor
• Sinharaja Tree Snake Dendrelaphis effrenis
• Calamaria Reed Snake Liopeltis calamaria
• Cope's Rough-sided Snake Aspidura copei
• Drummond-Hay's Rough-sided Snake Aspidura drummondhayi
• Cat-eyed Fishing Snake Gerarda prevostiana
• Dendrelaphis thasuni Dendrelaphis thasuni
• Sri Lanka Rough-sided Snake Aspidura deraniyagalae
• Sri Lankan Bridle Snake Lycodon chithrasekarai
• Three-banded Wolf Snake Lycodon trifasciatus

Pythons & Boas

• Indian Python Python molurus
• Rough-scaled Sand Boa Eryx conicus

Shieldtails & Burrowing Snakes

• Ceylonese Cylinder Snake Cylindrophis maculatus
• Schneider's Shieldtail Rhinophis oxyrhynchus
• Cuvier's Earth Snake Rhinophis philippinus
• Blyth's Earth Snake Rhinophis blythii
• Brahminy Blindsnake Indotyphlops braminus
• Large Shieldtail Snake Rhinophis saffragamus
• Gray's Earth Snake Rhinophis melanogaster
• Trevelyan's Earth Snake Rhinophis homolepis
• Little File Snake Acrochordus granulatus
• Drummond-Hay's Earth Snake Rhinophis drummondhayi
• Eranga Viraj's Shieldtail Snake Rhinophis erangaviraji
• Sabaragamuwa Shieldtail Rhinophis martin
• Mendis' Shieldtail Rhinophis mendisi
• Müller's Earth Snake Rhinophis punctatus
• Phillipps' Earth Snake Rhinophis phillipsi
• Deraniyagala's Shieldtail Rhinophis tricoloratus
• Jan's Worm Snake Gerrhopilus mirus
• Matale Shieldtail Rhinophis gunasekarai
• Roshan Perera's Shieldtail Rhinophis roshanpererai
• Sri Lanka Worm Snake Gerrhopilus ceylonicus
• Striped Rhinophis Rhinophis lineatus
• Willey's Earth Snake Rhinophis porrectus

Frequently asked questions

How many snakes are in the Wildlife of Sri Lanka guide?

The guide lists 91 snakes of Sri Lanka, each with its own page covering identification, habitat and range.

Which groups of snakes are covered?

Vipers (6), Cobras, Kraits & Sea Snakes (13), Colubrid Snakes (48), Pythons & Boas (2), Shieldtails & Burrowing Snakes (22).