Ubud is a rural area in the center of Bali and its cold and wet environment really does support the lives of any kinds of lizards including snakes.
Yes there are snakes in Ubud but it’s very rare to encounter one. There are a few cases where snakes were found in houses, pools, even inside the electricity box on the power line.
To date, only two cases of snake bites in Ubud have been reported. One person survived, while the other passed away due to neglect and lack of medical treatment.
Which areas in Ubud have snakes?
Again, it’s very rare to see snakes even though they exist in Ubud. In terms of location you might find snakes anywhere but would be less likely to see one in busy places, like the main road for example.
Common places where people might see a snake is in the rice fields, inside or around a river and in the forest.
Snakes are predators of frogs, rats, little lizards and other small creatures. Whenever you see places that may have lots of snake’s prey, you would probably find snakes as well.
Snake cases in Ubud
Though these may sound scary but I have collected cases of snakes in Ubud alone just for the purpose of information as a consideration.
August 6, 2016
Karmin, a 31-year-old man, died 9 hours after being bitten by a black snake. He saw two snakes in the paddies at night and caught them both barehanded, without using any tools or safety equipment.
One of the snakes bit him on the hand, and he immediately threw them back into the paddies. Instead of seeking first aid, he neglected the wound and went to sleep.
At 12:30 am he woke up with a severe headache but managed to go back to sleep.
At around 4 am he woke up his friend and told him about the snake bites.
By 6 am the venom had started to take effect, causing Karmin to experience shivering and pass out twice.
His friend then rushed him to the nearest hospital, but unfortunately, it was too late, and Karmin died a few minutes later.
April 4, 2017
Renee Cunningham, a 34-year-old Australian woman, was near her hotel when she accidentally stepped on something slimy. Looking down, she saw a brown snake under her foot.
Although she wasn't sure if she had been bitten, she quickly felt overwhelming pain in her lower leg and started vomiting. With the help of the hotel staff, she rushed to the hospital.
Doctors told her that if she had arrived three hours later, it would have been a miracle for her to survive.
Fortunately, she spent only one night in the hospital, but it took her a month to fully recover her health.
July 4, 2018
A python was found on a tree in a bungalow located on the main street of Ubud.
A hotel staff member saw the non-venomous snake climbing up a tree at his workplace and immediately called the authorities.
It took them several hours to catch the snake, but thankfully, no one was harmed or bitten in the incident.
May 24, 2020
An electricity box on the power line in Ubud exploded at night, causing a three-hour power outage.
Someone who heard the explosion immediately contacted the authorities to come and fix it.
Upon investigation, it was discovered that a dead roasted snake was inside the box, causing the malfunction. Fortunately, no one was harmed or bitten in this incident.
December 1, 2021
A venomous snake resembling a King cobra was found inside a villa's pool. While they didn't specify which villa the snake had entered, it's not uncommon for snakes to crawl into empty buildings.
According to reports, the temperature was hot at the time, and the snake likely came to cool down in the pool. Fortunately, no one was harmed or bitten in this incident.
February 12, 2022
A snake was found hiding inside a kiosk on a busy street in Ubud. Although the type of snake was not disclosed, it was reported that no one was harmed or bitten during the incident.
September 5, 2023
Adrian Rice saw two sankes at the same location but different time, it's on Jl. Raya Campuhan near the Penestanan stairs.
He saw one in the morning in the irrigation channel next to a concrate, he found a 40 cm snake that he says it was hard for him to identify but he believes it's a King cobra.
Later in the evening at the same spot he saw again a 1.5 meter long snake in the scrub next to a path, and it was a phyton! Thanks Adrian for reporting!
January 6, 2024
Andrea Norberg from Sweden witnessed a black and white snake staring at her on the pond in her villa near the Jungle Fish restaurant, only a 15-minute drive from Ubud center.
This cute snake was identified as a Bandy-bandy, commonly found in Australia.
The snake didn't go away, but instead it dove into the pond, causing her anxiety to go through the roof 😰
The next day, driven by this fear, she relocated to a new place, which was a 30-minute drive from the villa.
Unfortunately, her streak of bad luck continued as she encountered yet another snake crossing the street near her new place 😭
Anyway, thanks to Andrea for reporting 👍🏻
Snake species found in Ubud
What are the types of snakes in Ubud? Are they deadly dangerous? Are all of them venomous? Here are some common snakes in Ubud.
Green snakes
Green snakes are commonly found in rural and grassy areas, particularly in rice fields where they can easily find prey.
Three species of green snake are commonly observed in Ubud:
- Oriental-whip snake (Ahaetulla Prasina)
- Red-tailed green ratsnake (Gonyosoma Oxycephalum)
- White-whipped Pit Viper (Trimeresurus Albolabris)
Among the three snakes up there, one is non-venomous, one is semi-venomous, and one is venomous.
King Cobra
Not sure what kind of cobra commonly found in Ubud but one claim states that a King cobra was found in Ubud.
Now this kind of snake is extremely venomous and can kill an adult in just 15 minutes. Colors are usually dark like brown or black.
Python
The Python is the second biggest species of snake in the world after anaconda. Pythons aren’t venomous but their muscles are strong enough to break a bone.
Python found in Ubud weren’t big like what you saw in movies but fairly small. Urban pythons I think can only grow as big as a regular man’s arm.
What to do if I were bitten by a snake?
- Stay calm: Panicking increases heart beat and that will cause the venom to spread much faster as the blood runs faster as well.
- Remember or take a picture of the snake: Things doctor needs to accurately select an antivenom are the species of snake and the time it occurred. Taking a picture is super helpful to determine which antivenom you should take.
- Rush to a medical center ASAP: There are a lot of medical centers in Ubud, go to the nearest one from your location.
Should I worry about snakes in Ubud?
The case of getting bitten or finding a snake in Ubud is very rare, the last case where a person got bitten was about six years ago. Compared to rural areas in Australia, the case of snake bites is 1500 a year.
Snake is a shy creature and will only bite on its prey or something threatening. Snakes will hide away from humans as they think (actually true) we are predators.
Other than that, some snakes are nocturnal which means only active at night and hiding during the day.
