Overview
One way to determine if a snake is venomous is to look at its underbelly. If there is a single row of scales leading to the anal plate, the snake is venomous.
Review Date 10/16/2017
Updated by: Jesse Borke, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, Attending Physician at FDR Medical Services/Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Buffalo, NY. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.