Snake identifier app: how to name the snake or spider you just saw

Film from a safe distance

• Zoom instead of walking closer. A snake or spider never needs to be approached for a good answer. Keep several metres between you and any snake.
• Pattern and head shape in frame. Scale pattern, colour bands and the shape of the head are what an identifier compares. For a spider, the abdomen markings and the legs.
• Keep the camera steady. Nature GO checks four frames from the eight seconds, so a steady shot from slightly different angles says more than one photo.
• Check the suggestion. An identification is a hypothesis you confirm. When the image is not clear enough, the app says so instead of guessing.

What we measured

In a test of the Nature GO identification engine on 21 October 2026 with eight reference photos, it named all five snakes to the exact species (western diamondback rattlesnake, ball python, corn snake, Indian cobra, common garter snake) and all three spiders to the right genus. Spiders are often given at genus level on purpose: many species look alike, and a careful answer beats a wrong one.

What it does not tell you

Nature GO never says whether an animal is venomous, harmless or safe to approach, and it gives no medical advice. Treat every wild snake as if it could bite. For a bite, call emergency services at once. The app does not identify from gallery photos, imported files or sounds, and it needs an internet connection.

What happens to your find

Every confirmed capture is kept. Spiders such as the European garden spider and the zebra jumping spider have their own entries in the nature dex of 151 widespread species, and snakes, lizards and every other find outside the list go to Beyond the 151.