10 Camouflaged Snakes That You’ll Never See Coming!

Written by Gail Baker Nelson
Updated: July 31, 2023
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The animal kingdom is full of surprises, and it seems that there’s a new species discovered every day. The tactics they use to confuse predators and sneak up on prey are as varied as they are beautiful. Reptiles have many species, each with its own defensive and offensive tactics.

Snakes are masters of disguise, and with over 4,000 extant species, there are plenty of examples. We picked our favorite 10 snakes that you won’t see until it’s too late. These snakes exhibit unique traits, and you’ll find everything from vivid patterns that break up the shape of their bodies to color and texture-matching capabilities.

An overview of 10 Camouflaged Snakes That You’ll Never See Coming!

10. Twig Snake (Thelotornis capensis)

Twig Snake (Thelotornis capensis) from Gauteng, South Africa. Their eyes are almost unique in the reptile world, having keen binocular vision and keyhole-shaped pupils.

The twig snake’s body color looks almost exactly like the branches and twigs it mimics.

©Chantelle Bosch/Shutterstock.com

Imagine sitting in the shade of a few African bushes, trying to keep cool, when you catch a little movement from the corner of your eye. Is that a branch or a snake?

You’ll have to be careful if you’re near the twig snake’s territory. These venomous snakes can sit motionless in the shape of a twig for hours, waiting for their next victim. Fortunately, only small lizards and rodents are on this snake’s menu. The twig snake’s body color looks almost exactly like the branches and twigs it mimics, so you’re only likely to see it if it moves.

9. Spider-Tailed Horned Viper (Pseudocerastes arachnoides)

The spider-tailed horned viper (Pseudocerastes urarachnoides) lying on a rock.

Spider-tailed horned vipers are so named because they have horns over their eyes and a tail that looks like a spider.

©reptiles4all/Shutterstock.com

Next on our list is a snake that’s part camouflage-savant and part fly fisher for birds. The spider-tailed horned viper is native to a small area of Iran. This species is relatively new to science and barely studied due to its remote location. Yet, what we do know about them is fascinating.

Spider-tailed horned vipers are so named because they have horns over their eyes and a tail that looks like a spider. This snake’s color and pattern closely mimic the rocky mountains in their native range, making them blend in so well that they’re nearly invisible. Once it’s hidden, the viper wiggles its tail tip to lure birds to it and can strike in .2 seconds. However, since most of the birds it catches are migratory visitors, it seems that the locals have the snake figured out.

8. Bushmaster (Lachesis muta)

Baby bushmaster

Baby bushmaster

©Patrick K. Campbell/Shutterstock.com

The bushmaster was so difficult to spot in its native habitat that it took decades for famed herpetologist Raymond Ditmars to bring one back for his collection. This pitviper is the largest of all pitvipers in the Americas. Most individuals measure between seven and ten feet. However, there are reports of some reaching 13 feet long.

Their brown-to-orange base color with dark geometric saddle markings look like beautiful beaded masterpieces. You would think this vivid marking pattern would make it stand out. Yet, these shy snakes are rarely encountered in the wild because of their beaded pattern.

7. Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus caninus)

Emerald tree boa coiled in tree

Emerald tree boas spend almost all their time waiting for their meals to come to them.

©outdoorsman/Shutterstock.com

This species is one of the most sedentary tree snakes around. Even when hunting, these snakes dangle from a branch waiting to strike. Emerald tree boas are native to South America in the Amazon Basin and some of the surrounding areas.

They hang from tree branches coiled and draped over them like living ornaments. Don’t be fooled by outward appearances. However, these gorgeous snakes have some of the longest teeth in proportion to their head size and huge jaw muscles to match.

Emerald tree boas spend almost all their time waiting for their meals to come to them. Their bright green color with white markings helps them blend into the surrounding foliage, even though you would think the opposite. The white markings mimic the sunlight filtering through the canopy.

6. Garden Tree Boa (Corallus hortulanus)

Most tree boas have an extremely strong feed response.

©Valt Ahyppo/Shutterstock.com

Garden tree boas have a wide variety of patterns and colors, depending on where they live. Some have bright colors, and others are more subdued. Regardless, these snakes are masters of camouflage, and their thin bodies move through the trees largely unseen.

Some people keep them as pets, and they can seem somewhat cranky much of the time; however, most tree boas have an extremely strong feed response, so this may be why they seem cranky. We’ve heard them described as” angry shoelaces,” whether that’s true or not probably depends on the snake in question.

5. Rhinoceros Viper (Bitis nasicornus)

River Jack Snake or Rhinoceros Viper

The

rhinoceros

viper uses disruptive camouflage to break up the edges of their body outline.

©Olivia Lundborg/Shutterstock.com

When does a viper look like a rhino? When it’s a rhino viper! We love the vipers in the Bitis genus. Sure, they’re deadly and have one of the quickest strikes of any snake, but they’re not actually inclined to bite.

The rhinoceros viper uses disruptive camouflage to break up the edges of their body outline. Like its close cousin, the Gaboon viper, it’s a fairly sedentary snake that doesn’t move around much. It hides in the leaf litter of its African jungle home. When people get bitten, it’s usually because they’ve stepped on or otherwise harassed the snake.

4. Worm Snake (Carphophis amoenus)

An Eastern Worm Snake crawls over the ground

The worm snake is completely fossorial and doesn’t need to be above the ground unless due to heavy downpours.

©Jason Patrick Ross/Shutterstock.com

Technically, it’s a snake. However, this one doesn’t look like one. Its name is appropriate because most people don’t even realize they’ve found a snake until it wiggles its way out of their hands.

The worm snake is completely fossorial and doesn’t need to be above the ground unless the rain has flooded the worm tunnels it travels through while hunting worms and other invertebrates. We’re not sure if this counts as camouflage, but they’re cool little snakes.

3. California Kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae)

Kingsnake vs Rattlesnake - California Kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae) Banded Color Phase

California kingsnakes are nonvenomous constrictors, and their pattern helps them hide among the rocks, plants, and leaf litter of their home.

©Creeping Things/Shutterstock.com

In the wild, California kingsnakes exhibit a wide range of different patterns and colors. Typically, they have dark and light alternating patterns ranging from black and white to brown and cream. However, some wild California kingsnakes have stripes that run the length of their body.

These snakes are popular pets, but in the wild, they’re considered excellent rattlesnake control. These nonvenomous constrictors are active hunters, and their pattern helps them hide among the rocks, plants, and leaf litter of their homes. If you know what you’re looking for, they’re not too difficult to spot. Otherwise, you’ll probably walk by several without ever seeing one.

2. Tentacled Snake (Erpaton tentaculum)

Tentacled snake coming to the surface for air

Tentacled snakes are native to Southeast Asia and are named for the two appendages that stick out from the snout.

©Keung/Shutterstock.com

These fully aquatic snakes are nearly helpless on the land, and because of this, they only rarely leave the water. They’re more likely to bury themselves in the mud if the water dries up too much for them to stay submerged.

Tentacled snakes are native to Southeast Asia and are named for the two appendages that stick out from the snout. Their skin texture and coloration match the grasses and algae that grow in their habitat. The species is an ambush predator that sits as still as the plant stalks around it, both hiding from predators and waiting for prey.

1. Kapuas Mud Snake (Homalophis gyii)

The Kapuas mud snake resembles the rare Kerala mud snake, pictured above.

©Vis M, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons – License

Little is known about this camouflaging genius. Also called the chameleon snake, the Kapuas mud snake changes color spontaneously to blend into its environment.

Normally a reddish-brown color, this species’ color-changing ability was found purely by accident. Dr. Mark Auliya and a few students had gathered a few specimens to study while working in the jungles of Borneo. He placed a snake in a bucket for a few moments, and when he went to retrieve it, he found that it was almost entirely white.

Summary of 10 Camouflaged Snakes

SnakeScientific NameCharacteristics of Camouflage
1Kapuas Mud Snake(Homalophis gyii)Also called chameleon snake; ability to change colors
2Tentacled Snake(Erpaton tentaculum)Skin texture and coloration match the grasses and algae in its habitat
3California Kingsnake(Lampropeltis californiae)Alternating patterns help them hide in rocks, plants, and leaf litter
4Worm Snake(Carphophis amoenus)Fossorial, so can hide underground
5Rhinoceros Viper(Bitis nasicornus)Uses disruptive camouflage to break up edges of body outline
6Garden Tree Boa(Corallus hortulanus)Variety of colors & patterns to camouflage them in trees
7Emerald Tree Boa(Corallus caninus)Bright green color and white markings hide them in tree foliage
8Bushmaster(Lachesis muta)Brown-to-orange base color with dark geometric saddle markings hard to spot
9Spider-Tailed Horned Viper(Pseudocerastes arachnoides)Color & pattern closely mimics rocky terrain in natural habitat
10Twig Snake(Thelotornis capensis)Body color looks like branches and twigs it mimics

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Valt Ahyppo/Shutterstock.com

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About the Author

Gail Baker Nelson is a writer at A-Z Animals where she focuses on reptiles and dogs. Gail has been writing for over a decade and uses her experience training her dogs and keeping toads, lizards, and snakes in her work. A resident of Texas, Gail loves working with her three dogs and caring for her cat, and pet ball python.

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