Oligodon is genus of colubrid snakes that was first described by Austrian zoologist Leopold Fitzinger in 1826. This genus is widespread throughout central and tropical Asia. The snakes of this genus are commonly known as kukri snakes.
Description The species in the genus Oligodon are egg eaters and are usually under 90 cm (35 in) in total length (including tail). Different species display widely variable patterns and colorations. They subsist mostly by scavenging the eggs of birds and reptiles. Besides eggs, species of this genus also feeds on lizards, frogs, and small rodents.
Oligodon is a rear-fanged snake genus. All member species have a set of enlarged teeth placed in the back of the upper jaws, as well as functional Duvernoy's glands. They are not dangerous to humans, though. Bites by some species have been reported to bleed excessively, suggesting presence of anticoagulants in the Duvernoy's gland secretions. Species of Oligodon are mostly nocturnal, and live on the floor of mature forests.
The common name of the genus comes from the kukri, a distinctively shaped Nepalese knife, which is similar in shape to the broad, flattened, curved hind teeth of Oligodon species. These teeth are specially adapted for their main diet of eggs; the teeth cut open eggs as they are being swallowed by the snake, allowing for easier digestion.
At least three species (O. fasciolatus, O. formosanus and O. ocellatus) will slice open the abdomens of frogs and toads and devour their internal organs, before finally swallowing the prey whole (if the prey is not too large to be swallowed). That toads can be swallowed whole suggests that at least some species are immune to toad bufotoxin.
Species There are 91 recognized species in the genus Oligodon according to the Reptile Database as of October 2025.
The source column gives direct links to the sources used: IUCN description of species at International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN Red List categories are: - Extinct, - Extinct in the Wild - Critically Endangered, - Endangered, - Vulnerable - Near Threatened, - Least Concern - Data Deficient, - Not Evaluated RDB description of species at Reptile Database.
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Oligodon.
Image Common name Species Geographic range Status Source Western kukri snake, Malabar brown kukri snake O. affinis Günther, 1862 India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu) IUCN RDB Light-barred kukri snake O. albocinctus (Cantor, 1839) Nepal, Bangladesh, India (Assam, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh), Myanmar, Vietnam, China (Tibet, Yunnan) RDB Northern short-headed snake O. ancorus (Girard, 1858) Philippines (Mindoro, Luzon) IUCN RDB Annam kukri snake O. annamensis Leviton, 1953 Vietnam (Lam Dang Province) IUCN RDB Spotted kukri snake, ringed kukri snake O. annulifer (Boulenger, 1893) Brunei, Malaysia (Sabah, Sarawak) IUCN RDBRusset kukri snake, common kukri snake, banded kukri O. arnensis (Shaw, 1802) Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India (West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab), Pakistan, Nepal RDB Barron's kukri snake O. barroni (M.A. Smith, 1916) Thailand, Southern Vietnam, Cambodia, South Laos IUCN RDB Javanese mountain kukri snake, Boie's kukri snake O. bitorquatus F. Boie, 1827 Indonesia (Java, possibly South Sumatra and Sumbawa) IUCN RDB Double-striped kukri snake O. bivirgatus T. Qian, S. Qi, J. Shi, Y. Lu, R.W. Jenkins, Y. Mo & P. Li, 2021 China (Hainan) RDB Boo-Liat's kukri snake O. booliati Leong & Grismer, 2004 Malaysia (Tioman island) IUCN RDB Short-tailed kukri snake, shorthead kukri snake O. brevicauda Günther, 1862 India (Tamil Nadu, Kerala) IUCN RDB Templeton's kukri snake O. calamarius (Linnaeus, 1758) Sri Lanka RDB Assam kukri snake O. catenatus (Blyth, 1854) India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, South China (Guangdong, Guangxi) RDB Chinese kukri snake O. chinensis (Günther, 1888) southern China, northern Vietnam IUCN RDB Churah Valley kukri snake O. churahensis Mirza, Bhardwaj & Patel, 2021 India (Himachal Pradesh) Mirza, Zeeshan A.; Bhardwaj, Virender Kumar; Patel, Harshil (2021). "A New Species of the Genus Oligodon Boie in Fitzinger, 1826 (Reptilia, Serpentes) from the Western Himalayas". Evolutionary Systematics 5 (2): 335–345. (Oligodon churahensis, new species). Cicada-eating kukri snake O. cicadophagus Pauwels, Donbundit, Sumontha & Meesook, 2025 Thailand Black cross-barred kukri snake, ashy kukri snake, golden kukri snake, Günther's kukri snake O. cinereus (Günther, 1864) India (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh), Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, peninsular Malaysia, China (Yunnan, Hong Kong, Hainan, Guangxi, Fujian, Guangdong) IUCN RDB O. condaoensis S.N. Nguyen, V.D.H. Nguyen, S.H. Le & R. Murphy, 2016 S Vietnam (Hon Ba Island) RDB Pegu kukri snake O. cruentatus (Günther, 1868) Myanmar IUCN RDB O. culaochamensis S.N. Nguyen et al., 2017 Vietnam RDB North-east Indian kukri snake, Cantor's kukri snake O. cyclurus (Cantor, 1839) India (Assam), Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China (Yunnan), Nepal, Bangladesh IUCN RDB O. deuvei David, G. Vogel &van Rooijen, 2008 Cambodia, southern Vietnam, Laos, North East Thailand IUCN RDB Gray's kukri snake, Bengalese kukri snake O. dorsalis (Gray & Hardwicke, 1835) India (Assam), Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand RDB Eberhardt's kukri snake O. eberhardti Pellegrin, 1910 Vietnam, China (Guangxi, Fujian), possibly Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar IUCN RDB Nagarkot kukri snake O. erythrogaster Boulenger, 1907 Central and East Nepal, India (Sikkim) RDB Red-striped kukri snake, Namsang kukri snake O. erythrorhachis Wall, 1910 India (Arunachal Pradesh) IUCN RDB Jewelled kukri snake, Everett's kukri snakeBeolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Oligodon everetti, p. 86). O. everetti Boulenger, 1893 Indonesia (Kalimantan), Malaysia (Sabah) IUCN RDB Small-banded kukri snake, fasciolated kukri snake O. fasciolatus (Günther, 1864) Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam IUCN RDB Forbes' kukri snakeBeolens et al. (2011). p. 91. O. forbesi (Boulenger, 1883) Indonesia (Selaru and Yamdena in Tanimbar Islands) IUCN RDB Taiwan kukri snake, Formosa kukri snake O. formosanus (Günther, 1872) Vietnam, Taiwan, South Japan (Ryukyu Islands, primarily Okinawa, Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), South China (Chekiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Nan Ao Island, Hainan, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Zhejiang, Yunnan) RDB Hampton's kukri snake O. hamptoni Boulenger, 1918 Myanmar IUCN RDB Hua Hin Kukri Snake O. huahin Pauwels, Larsen, Suthanthangjai, David & Sumontha, 2017 Thailand (Hua Hin) Inornate kukri snake, unicolored kukri snake O. inornatus (Boulenger, 1914) Cambodia, North and East Thailand IUCN RDB Jintakune's kukri snake O. jintakunei Pauwels, Wallach, David, Chanhome, 2002 South Thailand IUCN RDB Grey kukri snake, Joynson's kukri snake O. joynsoni (M.A. Smith, 1917) northern Thailand, possibly Laos, Myanmar, China (Yunnan) IUCN RDB Walnut kukri snake O. juglandifer (Wall, 1909) India (Sikkim), West Bhutan IUCN RDB Kampuchea Kukri Snake O. kampucheaensisNeang T, Grismer LL, Daltry JC (2012). "A new species of kukri snake (Colubridae: Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826) from the Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary, Cardamom Mountains, southwest Cambodia ". Zootaxa 3388: 41–55. Neang, Grismer & Daltry, 2012 Cambodia RDB coral red kukri snake O. kheriensisAcharji MN, Ray HC (1936). "A new species of Oligodon from the United Provinces (India)". Records of the Indian Museum, Calcutta 38: 519–520. Acharji & Ray, 1936 India (Uttar Pradesh), Southwest Nepal RDB Lacroix kukri snakeBeolens et al. (2011). p. 149. O. lacroixi Angel & Bourret, 1933 China (Sichuan, Yunnan), Vietnam IUCN RDB Medog kukri snake O. lipipengi Jiang, Wang, Li, Ding, Ding & Che, 2020 China (Tibet) RDB O. lungshenensis Zheng & Huang, 1978 China (Chongqing, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan) IUCN RDB Angel's kukri snake O. macrurus (Angel, 1927) Vietnam IUCN RDB Barred short-headed snake, spotted kukri snake O. maculatus (Taylor, 1918) Philippines (Mindanao) IUCN RDB Arakan kukri snake, McDougall's kukri snake O. mcdougalli Wall, 1905 Myanmar IUCN RDB Bluebelly kukri snake O. melaneus Wall, 1909 India RDB Abor Hills kukri snake O. melanozonatus Wall, 1922 India, China (Tibet) RDB Sulu short-headed snake, Meyerink's kukri snake O. meyerinkii (Steindachner, 1891) Philippine Islands (Bongao, Jolo, Papahang, Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi in Sulu Archipelago), possibly Malaysia (Sabah) IUCN RDB Spotted-bellied short-headed snake, Luzon kukri snake O. modestus Günther, 1864 Philippines (Mindanao, Negros, Tablas, Panay, Cebu, possibly Luzon) IUCN RDB Morice's kukri snakeBeolens et al. (2011). p. 183. O. moricei David, G. Vogel & van Rooijen, 2008 Southern Vietnam IUCN RDB Cambodian kukri snake, Mouhot's kukri snake O. mouhoti (Boulenger, 1914) Cambodia, East Thailand IUCN RDB Nagao kukri snake O. nagao David, T.Q. Nguyen, T. Nguyen, Jiang, T. Chen, Teynié & Ziegler, 2012 Northern Vietnam, Southwest China (Guangxi), Laos RDB Nikhil's kukri snake O. nikhili Whitaker & Dattatri, 1982 India (Tamil Nadu) IUCN RDB Palawan kukri snake, Palawan short-headed snake O. notospilus Günther, 1873 Philippine Islands (Palawan, Busuanga, Balabac, Mindanao) RDB Eyed kukri snake, ocellated kukri snake O. ocellatus (Morice, 1875) Cambodia, Lao, southern Vietnam IUCN RDB Eight-lined kukri snake, eight-striped kukri snake, Grace's kukri snake O. octolineatus (Schneider, 1801) Brunei, Indonesia (Java, Borneo, Sumatra), Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak), Singapore IUCN RDB Ornate kukri snake O. ornatus Van Denburgh, 1909 China (Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang), Taiwan, IUCN RDB Perkin's short-headed snake O. perkinsi (Taylor, 1925) Philippines (Palawan, Culion and Calauit Islands) IUCN RDB Petronella'sBeolens et al. (2011). pp. 70, 205. kukri snake O. petronellae Roux, 1917 Indonesia (Sumatra) IUCN RDB Pha-Ngan kukri snake O. phangan Pauwels, Thongyai, Chantong & Sumontha, 2021 Thailand (Surat Thani Province: Pha-Ngan Island) RDB O. planiceps (Boulenger, 1888) Myanmar IUCN RDB Pulau Weh kukri snake O. praefrontalis F. Werner, 1913 Indonesia (Weh Island) IUCN RDB O. promsombuti Pauwels, Thongyai, Chantong, & Sumontha, 2021 Thailand (Surat Thani Province, Trang Province: Na Yong District) RDB Bleeker's Kukri Snake O. propinquus Jan, 1862 Indonesia (Java) RDB False striped kukri snake O. pseudotaeniatus David, G. Vogel & van Rooijen, 2008 Thailand IUCN RDB O. pulcherrimus F. Werner, 1909 Indonesia (Sumatra) IUCN RDB Purple kukri snake, brown kukri snake O. purpurascens (Schlegel, 1837) Brunei, Indonesia (Bali, Java, Kalimantan, Sumatra), Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak), Singapore, Thailand IUCN RDB Long-snouted kukri snake O. rostralis H.N. Nguyen, Tran, L.H. Nguyen, Neang, Yushchenko & Poyarkov, 2020 Vietnam Russell's kukri snake O. russelius (Daudin, 1803) India, Nepal Saint Girons' kukri snakeBeolens et al. (2011). p. 231. O. saintgironsi David, G. Vogel & Pauwels, 2008 Vietnam, Cambodia IUCN RDB Sai Yok Kukri Snake O. saiyok Sumontha, Kunya, Dangsri & Pauwels, 2017 Thailand (Kanchanaburi) Half-keeled kukri snake, barred kukri snake, banded kukri snake O. signatus (Günther, 1864) Indonesia (Sumatra), Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak), Singapore IUCN RDB Cave kukri snake O. speleoserpens Pawangkhanant, Poyarkov, Ward-Smith, Grassby-Lewis, Sumontha, Kliukin, Idiiatullina, Trofimets, Suwannapoom & Lee, 2024 Thailand Splendid kukri snake O. splendidus (Günther, 1875) Myanmar IUCN RDB Duméril's kukri snake O. sublineatus