Date: October 8, 2025
Time: Tour started at 6:30 PM and finished at 09:00 PM
Guide(s): Tiên Nguyễn & Thanh Phan
Group size: 2x PAX
What Tour: Hoi An Snakes & Vipers: 1-Night Herping Tour
Wildlife highlights:
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- Reptiles: Red-neck Keelback (Rhabdophis siamensis), Indochinese Rat Snake (Ptyas korros), Asian Sunbeam Snake (Xenopeltis unicolor), Yellow-spotted Keelback (Fowlea flavipunctata), White-lipped Pit Vipers (Trimeresurus cf. albolabris)
- Amphibians: Asian Common Toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus), Banded Bullfrogs (Kaloula pulchra), Gunther’s Frogs (Sylvirana cf. guntheri)
- Reptiles: Red-neck Keelback (Rhabdophis siamensis), Indochinese Rat Snake (Ptyas korros), Asian Sunbeam Snake (Xenopeltis unicolor), Yellow-spotted Keelback (Fowlea flavipunctata), White-lipped Pit Vipers (Trimeresurus cf. albolabris)
Our 1-night Hoi An Herping Tour took place under a clear full-moon sky. It was a challenging condition for spotting snakes, yet the evening still revealed a great variety of key species and targets. Guests Moina and Tam (both new to herping) joined our tour, both hoping for a pit viper as a major target.
The evening began with a quick motorbike ride through Hoi An’s lantern-lit Ancient Town before reaching our first location.
Conditions were dry, but we soon encountered our first White-lipped Pit Viper (Trimeresurus cf. albolabris) resting quietly on a mangrove palm near a waterway (a typical encounter with this species). As the night went on, we recorded an impressive total of eight individuals of this species, some coiled on branches while others rested close to the ground and low vegetation.
Besides a great run of pit vipers (the main target of course), we also encounter:
- 1x Red-neck Keelback (Rhabdophis siamensis)
- 1x Indochinese Rat Snake (Ptyas korros)
- 1x Asian Sunbeam Snake (Xenopeltis unicolor)
- 1x Yellow-spotted Keelback (Fowlea flavipunctata)
Amphibian encounters added to the evening, including 3x Common Asian Toads (Duttaphrynus melanostictus), 2x Banded Bullfrogs (Kaloula pulchra), and 3x Gunther’s Frogs (Sylvirana cf. guntheri).
Despite the bright moon and dry ground (typically less-than-ideal conditions for activity), the night proved remarkably rewarding. The guests were thrilled to see so many species in their natural habitat, and they appreciated learning how to observe safely and respectfully under guidance.
Our Hoi An Herping Tours are super popular, both with herpers but also wildlife photographers, tourists and families looking to experience a bit more of Vietnam’s wild side.
Interested in joining us? Feel free to reach out to us, we’re keen to hear from you!
