The big-headed snake has been included in the List of Beneficial or Important Economic and Scientific Research Terrestrial Wild Animals Protected by the State issued by the State Forestry Administration of China on August 1, 2000. Note: Illegal killing of wild animals protected by the state will be punished by criminal law.

The big-headed snake is mainly distributed in Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan (Dayong), Guangdong, Hainan, Hong Kong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Taiwan Island, and Vietnam, etc., generally inhabit mountainous areas or hills, and often inhabit shrubs beside streams and ditches or dwarf trees in tea hills. In Minshan, Qingliangfeng and other mountain lakes are also distributed. Its survival range is from 300 to 1100 meters above sea level. The type origin of this species is in Keelung, Taiwan.