SUMMARY
VENOM: Mild - Symptoms can be uncomfortable
PREVALENCE: Somewhat common
ACTIVE PERIOD: Mostly active at night
KEY ID FEATURES: Olive green with yellow belly, white throat, short wide head and short stocky body
BEHAVIOR: Aquatic, may be found in shallow stagnant water, burrows in mud and known to leap when trying to escape
SIZE: Small - 40-60cm
IUCN: LC - Least Concerned
OTHER: Aggressive if handled, will bite and defecate
QUICK ASSESSMENT 0-10
GALLERY
IMPORTANT: Many snakes have significant variance in coloration and pattern even within the same species. There can also be extreme differences in appearance from juveniles to adults so it is important to never assume you have properly identified a snake.
DESCRIPTION
Plumbeous Water Snakes are olive green with with no pattern, white throats and yellow bellies. They are small reaching only ~40-60cm with stocky bodies and short wide heads with eyes situated on top of the head.
BEHAVIOR
Mostly nocturnal Plumbeous Water Snakes come out at night to hunt fish and amphibians. They tend to lay in wait motionless in shallow stagnant water and will also bury into mud. They also display a characteristic jumping when trying to move quickly to escape. Quick to bite, musk, defecate and squirm excessively and despite being thicker bodied they are not considered dangerous to humans. They are mildly venomous but there are no known cases of serious envenomation or reactions in humans.
HABITAT
Found largely on Lantau and in the New Territories and some small islands the Plumbeous Water Snake is a less common snakes to encounter in Hong Kong but common in specific habitats. Due to their diet of fresh water prey and preference to lay just under the surface of the water they can be found most readily near shallow stagnant bodies of water.
MISTAKEN IDENTITY
NO SNAKE SHOULD EVER BE HANDLED BY ANYONE BUT EXPERTS: Can be mistaken for some other aquatic snakes but generally not confused with venomous species.