There are many different varieties of black and yellow striped snakes and so knowing if it is venomous is very difficult without knowing exactly which one it is. This is especially difficult without knowing the location it was found in. I will give three examples, but this is by no means a complete list and you should never approach a snake; especially if you don't know its species.
If it was found in North America and is black with vertical yellow stripes across the length of its body; it could be a Ribbon Snake; I would say this is most likely. Please see the following link for a picture www.freesnake.com/rib2.html These snakes don't grow particularly big in comparison to other snakes; very rarely would you get one over 1 meter long. Due to this they feed on smaller creatures such as insects, fish and frogs. If this is the snake, then it is not venomous, in fact they are commonly kept as pets.
If the snake was found in Australia or Asia, then it could be a Boiga; also known as a Mangrove Snake (again see picture www.nickgarbutt.com/photo-galleries/borneo-and-se-asia/repti). These snakes are venomous although their venom is not as potent as others. They have an aggressive temperament, and although some people keep them as pets this is not advised for inexperienced keepers and they shouldn't be approached in the wild.
Another possibility, if found on the Asian continent, could be a Banded Krait (see picture www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/6288/Banded-krait). If this is the culprit then yes they are indeed highly venomous. If bitten, the victim very rarely complains of pain however server muscle pain and cramping in the abdominal area will be experienced shortly after the bite. This can in some cases result in death and so medical treatment is urgently required in the case of a bite.
If it was found in North America and is black with vertical yellow stripes across the length of its body; it could be a Ribbon Snake; I would say this is most likely. Please see the following link for a picture www.freesnake.com/rib2.html These snakes don't grow particularly big in comparison to other snakes; very rarely would you get one over 1 meter long. Due to this they feed on smaller creatures such as insects, fish and frogs. If this is the snake, then it is not venomous, in fact they are commonly kept as pets.
If the snake was found in Australia or Asia, then it could be a Boiga; also known as a Mangrove Snake (again see picture www.nickgarbutt.com/photo-galleries/borneo-and-se-asia/repti). These snakes are venomous although their venom is not as potent as others. They have an aggressive temperament, and although some people keep them as pets this is not advised for inexperienced keepers and they shouldn't be approached in the wild.
Another possibility, if found on the Asian continent, could be a Banded Krait (see picture www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/6288/Banded-krait). If this is the culprit then yes they are indeed highly venomous. If bitten, the victim very rarely complains of pain however server muscle pain and cramping in the abdominal area will be experienced shortly after the bite. This can in some cases result in death and so medical treatment is urgently required in the case of a bite.
