What is the difference between the white ring snake and the many-banded krait?

The many-banded krait and the white ring snake look extremely alike; unless you are an expert, you cannot tell them apart. One of the two is venomous and the other is not, so how do we distinguish them?

1. Differences between the white ring snake and the many-banded krait

1. Distinguishing features of the many-banded krait

The many-banded krait has very prominent dorsal ridges, and its body cross-section is triangular, with the row of vertebral scales along the center of the back enlarged into a hexagonal shape. Black and white are sharply distinct, the stripes are regular, clean and striking. The neck is thick and short, the head is oval, and the distinction between head and neck is not obvious. The tail is short and thick, and it narrows markedly from the cloacal opening to the tip of the tail.

2. Distinguishing features of the white ring snake

The white ring snake is the former name of what is now called the white ring snake; its body is smooth, and its dorsal ridges are not prominent, but this point is not absolute. The key is still whether there are enlarged hexagonal scales in the center of the back. The black and white stripes are irregular and blurry, the borders of the white stripes are unclear, and black is often mixed in; the closer to the lower half of the body, the blurrier and more scattered the white stripes become. It has a slender neck, the head is slightly pear-shaped, and the distinction between head and neck is very obvious. The tail is slender, with a relatively long tail tip, making the whole snake appear slender and elongated.

In addition, the many-banded krait is extremely venomous and is the fourth most venomous land snake. The white ring snake is a reptile in the genus Lycodon of the family Colubridae and is non-venomous.