After the rain, a man ventured into a dense area of trees with a flashlight to search for the rat snake (scientific name: Ptyas korros), also known as the green rat snake. This is a non-venomous species of snake with relatively large eyes.
Rat snakes are excellent swimmers and climbers. They are diurnal hunters, resting on branches at night, and as long as one handles them gently, these snakes will not bite humans. However, during his search, the man encountered a highly venomous snake that closely resembled the rat snake.
He shared that when he first started in the profession, he often mistook the red-necked snake (scientific name: Rhabdophis subminiatus). This snake has large eyes and a body shape quite similar to that of the rat snake, except for its more vivid color patterns, especially the red neck.
The red-necked snake closely resembles the rat snake. (Photo: Thành Luân)
However, in the dark, distinguishing between these two snake species is not easy, and inexperienced individuals can easily confuse them. The red-necked snake is often mistaken for a harmless snake because not everyone who gets bitten is in danger.
The reason is that they have fangs that grow at the back of their mouths rather than at the front like other venomous snakes, meaning that venom is only effectively injected into the victim when the snake bites areas where it can grip with its jaws, such as fingers, the web between the thumb and index finger…
While their venom is not as potent as that of the king cobra or the Malayan pit viper, in terms of danger, the red-necked snake can be considered one of the most hazardous snakes in Vietnam and in the countries where this species is found.
The red-necked snake has rear fangs. (Photo: Thành Luân)
The venom of the red-necked snake causes victims to bleed uncontrollably, and there is currently no antivenom available for this species (in contrast to common venomous snakes like the king cobra, Malayan pit viper, and green pit viper, all of which have antivenom and treatment protocols).
The venom can lead to systemic hemorrhaging, which is extremely dangerous; in severe cases, it can cause cerebral hemorrhaging (and even blood filtration is ineffective), leading to death.
