Among the 14 venomous native land snake species in Hong Kong, only eight can inflict fatal bites (if not treated in time). There is no simple rule to determine whether a snake is venomous. The common view that all venomous snakes have triangular shaped heads is unreliable. The only reliable foolproof way to distinguish the two is to know all snake species well.

Unless they are disturbed or defending their territories, under normal circumstances snakes do not actively attack or remain close to people. NEVER attempt to catch a snake to avoid being bitten. Any case of snakebite should be sent to hospital as soon as possible for professional medical treatment. If a snake enters your house, you should call the Police’s hotline 999 immediately.

List of venomous land snakes in Hong Kong

English Common Name	Species Name	Lethality
Banded Krait	Bungarus fasciatus	Lethal
Chinese Cobra	Naja atra	Lethal
Coral Snake	Calliophis macclellandi	Lethal
King Cobra	Ophiophagus hannah	Lethal
Many-banded Krait	Bungarus multicinctus multicinctus	Lethal
Mountain Pit Viper	Trimeresurus monticola makazayazaya	Lethal
Point-scaled Pit Viper	Protobothrops mucrosquamatus	Lethal
Red-necked Keelback	Rhabdophis subminiatus helleri	Lethal (if bitten by its rear fangs)
Bamboo Pit Viper	Trimeresurus albolabris	Rarely lethal
Chinese Water Snake	Enhydris chinensis	Non-lethal
Large-spotted Cat Snake	Boiga multomaculata	Non-lethal
Mangrove Water Snake	Enhydris bennettii	Non-lethal
Mock Viper	Psammodynastes pulverulentus	Non-lethal
Plumbeous Water Snake	Enhydris plumbea	Non-lethal

Please search the Hong Kong Biodiversity Database for more details of the species.