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Although it can be hard to believe when you’re walking through the middle of Central in rush hour, Hong Kong is a veritable haven for snakes. Our tiny city is home to more than 50 snake species. From the timid and tiny slug snakes to the mammoth Burmese pythons—which are known to grow up to 12 feet in size and are able to take down dogs, goats and even calves—our city’s diverse terrain of forests, streams, hills, grass, farms and shrubland means that many cold-blooded beasties quietly thrive. So whether you’re charmed by snakes or scared witless, here’s what you need to know about them.
Get the Facts
We asked the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department to give us the lowdown on local snakes.
 
The Big Five
A spotter’s guide to Hong Kong’s five most common snakes.
 
The Snake Whisperers 
We speak to two prominent herpetologists about their love of reptiles.
 
Snake Shacks
Like it or not, Hong Kong is home to snake restaurants aplenty.
 
Tall Tales
We canvassed our friends and readers for some snake stories of their own, and we were not disappointed.
Axe Mom
	My mom found a snake in our aviary out in Tai Mei Tuk. She took an axe to it but only caught the last six inches of its tail. A couple of weeks later, a very conscientious neighbor brought around a python with six inches missing from its tail. He told my mum that pythons were a protected species, and if ever found, they should be swept into the bushes with a broom. – Beth
Snake Family
	What is it with my family and snakes? When my brother was a toddler, my parents were inside the house and my brother was playing in the garden. Suddenly the dogs began barking. They looked outside and a huge cobra had reared its head right in front of my brother, about three or four feet away from him. My dad had a broken leg and my mum was very pregnant with me, so neither of them could get out in time. Luckily, the dogs chased the snake away and my dad’s friend grabbed my brother. Another time, a friend of my dad had caught an 11-foot python trying to eat one of his goats (this was out in the New Territories), so he caught it, shoved it in a bag and invited my dad and I over. I held its tail, my dad held its head and my dad’s friend held the middle. Even at the tail it was MASSIVE. I couldn’t get my hands around it. Pure muscle. Anyway, it tried to bite my dad in the face a few times, and it peed all over him. – Kirsteen T
One-Line Encounters
Apparently my parents found a poisonous snake sleeping on my pillow when I was a baby and had to do some dual attack where my mom grabbed me and my dad broke its back simultaneously with a bamboo stick. – Kirsteen Z
I once saw a kitten playing around with a snake from my balcony. I shot the snake with my BB gun to save the kitty. – Alex
My mum's 8-kilo cat was swallowed by a python! – Rachele
My little sister came within 20 centimeters of a bamboo snake when she was only 11. She didn’t even know—we found it at the end of a family barbecue, squashed by an Esky that we had told her to put on the ground. We have had four out of five of Hong Kong’s most venomous snakes in our garden over the years! – May-Lynn
I was at my neighbor’s party in the garden when someone yelled out, "Stay very still!" We turned 'round to see a baby bamboo snake poised millimeters from a guest’s head. – Jenny
Our friends found a cobra hanging out in their cupboard. – Kirsteen T


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Everything You Need to Know About Snakes in Hong Kong

Magazines

What better time to learn a little more about our scaly friends than in this coming Year of the Snake?


Everything You Need to Know About Snakes in Hong Kong

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}What better time to learn a little more about our scaly friends than in this coming Year of the Snake?

{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/650w/public/2016/10/19/chinese_cobra.jpg?itok=SqtMMyeK"}The Big Five

{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/650w/public/2016/10/19/shia_wong_hip-snake_wine.jpg?itok=pNtc6F_L"}Snake Shacks

What better time to learn a little more about our scaly friends than in this coming Year of the Snake?

The Big Five

Snake Shacks