Snake Facts

There are more than 2,700 snakes varieties spread all over the world in temperate and warm climates; the only part of the globe where snakes cannot live is Antarctica. Snakes vary in size from a few centimeters to more than nine meters in the case of the anacondas or the pythons. Poisonous snakes are a minority in this incredibly large reptile family, but their toxic poison is so powerful that it could cause the death of a human being within a few minutes. According to studies, the history and origins of snakes are lost in the Cretaceous period, some 150 million years ago, when snakes are assumed to have evolved from a lizard and changed their living environment.

Primitive distinctive marks of this ancestry are still present with some snakes, this is the case with pythons and boas that still have hind limbs remains, which only point to a past when snakes resembled lizards a lot more. Snakes or serpents are present in all cultures, carrying symbolic meanings and being widely illustrated in the arts. Worshiped or hunted down as evil creatures, snakes surely have a fascination on human mind; yet, modern attitudes have changed towards snakes under the pressure of ecologist organization that insist on the importance of these creatures for the environment of the planet. And they couldn't be more right.

Fascinating details in the lives of snakes indicate that there are more things to learn about the many existing species. Thus, it is interesting to study how the patterns on the body of snakes differentiate between individuals even within the same species. Then, snakes' response to vibrations, the superior sense of smell and even the perception of low frequency sounds make them pretty out of the ordinary. The same amount of scientific respect is due in terms of anatomical programing by the presence of the infrared sensitive receptors that allow pit vipers for instance to detect the warmth of the prey's body.

Common habitats for humans and snakes are a reality, and people from areas with a higher variety of snake groups and sub-groups develop skills to distinguish between the dangerous or harmless varieties, and thus avoid them accordingly. Non-venomous snakes could also bite and injure one seriously when threatened, therefore, a healthy attitude towards such animals will save you a lot of trouble. Do not attempt to catch, hunt or kill snakes: they will never come after you for the sake of just biting. Be extremely cautious when keeping snakes as pets.

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