While cobras are known for their ability to raise their heads high and flare their necks to intimidate, another venomous snake in Vietnam stands out and is easily recognizable due to its deadly white head.
Silver-Headed Coral Snake – A Venomous Species Easily Identified by Its Distinctive White Head
Vietnam is a country with a diverse ecosystem, particularly when it comes to reptiles. Currently, around 200 snake species have been documented in Vietnam, with approximately 30 species identified as venomous. These venomous snakes inhabit a variety of environments, from high mountains and tropical forests to plains and even underwater.
Among the venomous snakes distributed in Vietnam, some species possess characteristics that enable easy identification, such as the cobras, which can raise their heads and expand their necks when threatened, or the various marine snakes in Vietnam, all of which carry deadly venom.
Another venomous species that can be easily recognized for caution is the Silver-Headed Coral Snake.
The Silver-Headed Coral Snake is distinguished by its dark red body with horizontal stripes and its white head (Photo: Parinya Herp Pawangkhanant).
The Silver-Headed Coral Snake is a general name for three species of coral snakes found in Vietnam, including Macclellandi Coral Snake (scientific name: Sinomicrurus macclellandi), Guangxi Coral Snake (Sinomicrurus peinani), and Gunther’s Coral Snake (scientific name: Sinomicrurus annularis). These species belong to the coral snake genus within the family Elapidae.
The Silver-Headed Coral Snake is a small-sized snake, measuring about 40 to 80 cm in length, with a slender body and a small head that is indistinguishable from the body. Females are larger than males.
A Silver-Headed Coral Snake displaying black spots on its body instead of black stripes. Photo taken at Ba Na Peak, Da Nang (Photo: SIFASV).
The back of this snake is reddish-brown, featuring horizontal black stripes, while the belly is cream-colored with horizontal lines and dark spots. Occasionally, the horizontal stripes may be replaced by solid black dots.
A distinctive feature of the Silver-Headed Coral Snake is its white head, which gives rise to its common name. There are two prominent black stripes above and below the white head.
Habitat and Diet of the Silver-Headed Coral Snake
Despite its name, this snake does not live near or under the sea but inhabits high mountain areas ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 meters above sea level. The Silver-Headed Coral Snake is distributed across several Asian countries, including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, northern Myanmar, Thailand, southern China, and Vietnam…
In Vietnam, this snake can be found in high mountainous regions in provinces such as Cao Bang, Lao Cai, Lang Son, Vinh Phuc, Quang Binh, Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Lam Dong, Dak Nong…
Close-up of the white head of a Gunther’s Coral Snake (Photo: Caius Cheung).
The Silver-Headed Coral Snake primarily lives at night, on hillsides and under tropical forest canopies. This snake often hides under dry leaves to hunt for prey and evade predators. Its main diet consists of small animals such as lizards, frogs, small birds, mice, or other small snakes.
When threatened, the Silver-Headed Coral Snake can quickly retreat under decaying foliage. If unable to escape, they will coil their tails to mislead predators about the location of their heads.
The Silver-Headed Coral Snake coils its tail to deceive predators, making it difficult for them to pinpoint its head for an attack (Photo: iNaturalist).
How Venomous is the Silver-Headed Coral Snake?
Many people often compare the white head of this snake to a mourning scarf to emphasize the level of venom present in the Silver-Headed Coral Snake.
As mentioned earlier, the Silver-Headed Coral Snake belongs to the Elapidae family and possesses dangerously lethal neurotoxic venom. When bitten by this snake, victims may experience drooping eyelids, reduced vision, muscle paralysis, and difficulty breathing… if not treated promptly, it can lead to death.
However, the Silver-Headed Coral Snake is a timid species that typically seeks to hide and rarely attacks humans proactively. Moreover, this snake inhabits remote areas where human presence is minimal, leading to few reported bites on humans.
Nevertheless, if you encounter a Silver-Headed Coral Snake (which can be easily identified by its distinctive white head), it is advisable to keep your distance or gently encourage it to leave your vicinity, and absolutely avoid attempting to catch the snake to prevent being bitten.
