Back to Blog

guide

India's Big Four Venomous Snakes

India's 'Big Four' — Indian cobra, common krait, Russell's viper, and saw-scaled viper — cause most snakebite deaths in the country. Here is how to recognise each.

Indian snake habitat as a reference for the Big Four venomous species

Photo: Gannavarapu Narasimhamurti via Wikimedia Commons · CC0

The full guide is in progress. Outline below.

  1. Why the 'Big Four' matter for public health in India

  2. Indian Cobra (Naja naja): hood, habitat, behaviour

  3. Common Krait: nocturnal bites, why so many happen indoors

  4. Russell's Viper: chain pattern, agricultural risk

  5. Saw-scaled Viper: small, fast, distinctive rasping sound

  6. Other dangerous Indian species (king cobra, banded krait, hump-nosed viper)

  7. Lookalikes: non-venomous species commonly killed by mistake

  8. Prevention at home and in the field

  9. What to do after a bite — and how a picture helps doctors

  10. Download CTA and link to the India species page

Get SerpentID while the guide is being finished

Identify any snake by picture in seconds — free on iOS and Android.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play