[hamza (OP)]

How does one differentiate between a venomous and a non venomous snake??

[dentstudent]

If your leg drops off after you were bitten, it was probably venomous.......

[Bored chemist]

Or the bite got infected.

[DoctorBeaver]

There is nothing that will identify a snake as venomous or non-venomous. Some (in fact many) non-venomous snakes mimic venomous snakes in order to deter predators. Coral snakes & cobras are among those mimicked by non-venomous snakes.

[another_someone]

Interestingly, I saw some article recently that suggested that new research indicates that there is no such thing as a nonvenomous snake, only some snakes are incapable of injecting the venom into a live prey (e.g. they will inject the venom, which includes many digestive juices, when the prey is well within the mouth, so long after it has been killed by constriction, or other means).

Again, there seems to be molecular evidence that all snakes derived from a single venomous lizard, so all snakes have the genes for creating venom, but they use it differently.

As for snakes mimicking venomous snakes, I recall something about garter snakes, usually green, a colour that is clearly for camouflage, and thus nonthreatening; will sometimes be born brightly coloured, and thus apparently venomous, and it behaviour will be emboldened by its change in colour (after all, if it can't hide, it may as well be brazen and hope to intimidate its potential predators).

[dentstudent]

There's a great section on venomous snakes in Douglas Adam's book "Last Chance to See" when he visits a snake expert before going in to the jungle - it may have been in Australia - I forget exactly, but the upshot was if you got bitten, there was nothing much to do except, well nothing really - just don't get bitten! If you haven't read it, you really should!

[Monox D. I-Fly]

There's a great section on venomous snakes in Douglas Adam's book "Last Chance to See" when he visits a snake expert before going in to the jungle - it may have been in Australia - I forget exactly, but the upshot was if you got bitten, there was nothing much to do except, well nothing really - just don't get bitten! If you haven't read it, you really should!

Including the non-venomous ones?
But again, I heard that in Australia almost everything tries to kill you.

[evan_au]

Re: how does one differenciate between a venomous and a non venomous snake??

If it bites you, and you die, it was venomous.
If you bite it and you die, it was poisonous. 

[chris]

everything tries to kill you

And that's just the locals...

[Bored chemist]

It's simple, if you see a snake, walk away from it.
That way it never matters.

[evan_au]

I live in Australia.
Like most of the population, I live in a city.
Like most cities in the world, the most lethal threat is an attack by a motor vehicle.

[Bored chemist]

I live in Australia.
Like most of the population, I live in a city.
Like most cities in the world, the most lethal threat is an attack by a motor vehicle.

Holy Sh1t! You mean even your cars are venomous!?