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Southeast Asia's snakes exhibit a remarkable diversity of colour, patterning, shape and size.  Equally diverse are their habits and behaviour.  Some species, such as the White-bellied Blind Snake, spend virtually their entire lives burrowing in the tropical soil.  Others, such as the Big-eye Whip Snake and Elegant Bronzeback, are master climbers which can easily ascend vertical tree trunks or navigate their way amongst  the most slender of branches.  The most amazing of tree dwellers are of the genus Chrysopelea, such as the Paradise Tree Snake : these 'flying snakes' can glide from tree to tree by flattening their body to trap a cushion of air beneath.

Many species, such as the Puff-faced Water Snake, have found their niche in tropical streams and ponds, while others can survive in mangrove habitat, spending much of their lives semi-submerged. Sea Snakes have taken a watery life to the extreme and are true marine dwellers, though they still need to surface to breathe. Presented here are a selection of the regions snakes to illustrate this amazing diversity ... 

  
Blind Snakes  (Typhlopidae)  Blind snakes are burrowing snakes that inhabit loose soil and leaf litter; they are rarely seen at the surface.  Globally around 300 species are known. Numerous forms occur in Southeast Asia, mainly of the genera Argyrophis, Malayotyphlops and Ramphotyphlops. These snakes are circular in cross-section, with a small head, small vestigial eyes, and a tail which has a pointed scale at the tip. They feed on soft-bodied invertebrates and the eggs of ants and termites. Some examples:
 

Pythons  (Pythonidae)

Sunbeam Snakes  (Xenopeltidae)

  
Asian Pipe Snakes  (Cylindrophiidae)  Pipe snakes are fossorial (burrowing) snakes that inhabit loose soil and leaf litter, and are seldom encountered at surface.  Their body is cylindrical in form, the head is the same width as the body, and the eyes are small. These are non-venomous snakes, but the flattened tail may be raised as a warning to potential predators. They are widely distributed in Southeast Asia and, as of 2018, fifteen species have been described. Some examples:
 

  
File Snakes  (Acrochordidae)  These are aquatic snakes with loose, baggy skin, small rough scales, and eyes located on top of the head. Just 3 species are recognised, of the genus Acrochordus, all of which occur in Southeast Asia (with the easternmost species, the Arafura File Snake, present on the south coast of New Guinea and northern Australia). File snakes mainly inhabit coastal marine waters, but the Elephant Trunk Snake also occurs in freshwater. File snakes mainly prey on a variety of fishes. Examples:
 

Slug Snakes  (Pareidae)

  
Pit Vipers  (Viperidae)  Pit Vipers are so-called as they possess heat-sensing pits located between the eyes and nostrils with which they detect prey. Within SE Asia, 7 genera occur, comprising around 50 species or so; most are classified as Trimeresurus (= Asian lanceheads) or Tropidolaemus (= temple vipers), the latter being extremely sexually dimorphic. Other genera in SE Asia include Azemiops, Calloselasma, Daboia, Ovophis and Protobothrops. Some examples of lanceheads and temple vipers:
 

Water Snakes  (Homalopsidae)

Terrestrial elapids : Kraits, Coral Snakes, Cobras etc.  (Elapidae)

  
Sea Snakes (Elapidae, Hydrophiinae)  As of 2018, more than 70 species of sea snake are recognised, in 17 genera. These snakes are highly adapted to the marine environment, for example their laterally compressed tails makes them efficient swimmers, they can close off their nostrils to prevent water ingress and they are able to expel excessive salt build-up efficiently. The genus Hydrophis comprises around half of all species (snakes in the genus Laticauda, are not considered to be 'true sea snakes' as they possess fewer such adaptations). Many sea snakes are highly venomous and should be approached with caution.  Some examples:
 

Keelbacks and Mock Vipers  (Natricidae)

  
Whip Snakes  (Colubridae, Genus : Ahaetulla, Dryophiops)  Whip snakes are extremely slender, slow-moving, arboreal and somewhat docile snakes, with large eyes. The genus Dryophiops comprise 2 species from Southeast Asia, which are brownish in colour. The genus Ahaetulla comprises 9 species (as of 2018), some of which are a startling bright green colour in the adult form: this genus is spread between Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent.  Some examples:
 

Flying Snakes  (Colubridae, Genus : Chrysopelea)

Bronzebacks  (Colubridae, Genus : Dendrelaphis)

Many-toothed or Collared Snakes  (Colubridae, Genus : Sibynophis)  

Reed Snakes  (Colubridae, Genus : Calamaria, Macrocalamus, Pseudorabdion)

  
Kukri Snakes  (Colubridae, Genus : Oligodon)  Kukri snakes are so-called as the rear teeth are shaped like the traditional curved kukri knives carried by Nepalese soldiers: these specialised teeth can slice through the eggs of small birds and reptiles which form part of the diet of some species. They have also been documented consuming toads. This genus is diverse: as of 2021, Reptile Database lists more than 80 recognised species, more than half of which occur in Southeast Asia.  Most are terrestrial but some are arboreal. Nearly all species are less than one metre in length.  Some examples:
 

Racers  (Colubridae, Genus : Coelognathus, Gonyosoma)

 
Wolf Snakes & Bridle Snakes  (Colubridae, Genus : Lycodon)  Wolf snakes (so-called because of their dentition) and the closely-related bridle snakes (formerly Dryocalamus), comprise around 60 species, many of which occur in Southeast Asia. These are mainly terrestrial, but some are partly arboreal (especially the bridle snakes). They are slender-bodied, and typical patterning comprises alternate dark and pale banding (with some individuals totally lacking any banding). In 2014 a newly-discovered cave-dwelling species was described from Peninsular Malaysia. Some examples:
 

Cat Snakes  (Colubridae, Genus : Boiga)

Rat Snakes  (Colubridae, Genus : Oreocryptophis, Orthriophis)

 
Rat Snakes  (Colubridae, Genus : Ptyas)  Snakes of the genus Ptyas can be considered the 'true rat snakes'. These are long, fast moving snakes typically encountered at forest edge or in disturbed, rural habitats. Their diet comprises rodents, frogs and other small vertebrates. The Indochinese Rat Snake appears to have adapted to a diet of rats found in oil palm plantations; it is often found as roadkill in parts of rural Peninsular Malaysia. In contrast, the White-bellied Rat Snake is mainly a stream-dweller. As of 2021, 13 species are recognised. Some examples:
 

Ringnecks (Colubridae, Genus : Gongylosoma)

Brown Snakes  (Colubridae, Genus : Xenelaphis)

  See also ... Snakes of Papua New Guinea