Hi everyone,

I've been searching online but can't find a photo of the snake that I nearly crashed into when running a few weeks ago. Indeed, I had to jump over it's body to avoid running into it!

Anyway, it was at least 6 feet long, had a white underside, I think a greyish-blue top side but definitely white stripes all along it. I couldn't tell if it had the 'frill' of a cobra as it was side on to me and it happened so fast. It was able to hold its head a foot off the ground while twisting like mad to get into the bushes.

I'm sure this isn't the best description but it all happened very quickly and the tongue hissing from the head swinging wildly was dominating my thoughts!!!

Could someone please tell me what I saw as I'm a bit petrified of stomping on another one when running the hills.

Hi Possum,
The only species on Lamma that get to that length are the Burmese python, the king cobra, and the two rat snakes. The Chinese cobra only grows to about 4 feet. None have longitudinal (down the length of the body) white stripes, but the king cobra has faint yellowish, lateral stripes (Chinese cobra can have similar white stripes), and the rat snakes can also have faint yellowish or whitish lateral stripes. Pythons are very heavy bodied with brown blotches. Rat snakes are shockingly large and quick and are by far the most common large snakes seen on Lamma. They are harmless (and non-venomous) unless you corner one or try to catch it, at which time you will wish you hadn't.

White stripes on a 6 foot long snake that would be a Banded Krate a very poisonous snake. The Lamma clinic should have anti venom for these. Anyone bitten has up to 6 hours to live.
Don't step on one of those!

According to Karsen et al, Amphibians and reptiles of Hong Kong, the common rat snake can have jagged transverse bars which may appear as stripes. This source also does not indicate in its distribution profiles any occurrences of King Cobras or Banded kraits on Lamma. Rat snake gets my vote.

Also, banded kraits only get to about 4 feet in size, although when we are startled by a snake it may seem larger than it was. The bands on the krait are wide and pure white, alternating with pure black, so it would indeed be obvious as no other snake on Lamma looks like it. There are banded kraits on Lamma but they seem not to be nearly so common as rat snakes or perhaps just avoid people more.