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The bright colours of
the coral snake warn that it is highly poisonous |
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There
are over 3000 kinds of snake in the world. Giants like
the seven-metre long python can squeeze the life out of
a large antelope and swallow it whole. Other snakes grow
no longer than a pencil. Some live in the sea, some burrow
underground, others climb trees. |
One species of fer-de-lance, a deadly viper, has been recorded
swallowing prey that was 1.6 times its own body weight.
Poisonous or harmless, large or small,
all snakes - from the desert rattlesnake to the dwarf pipe
snake - have certain things in common: a long, thin shape;
scaly, legless bodies; and unblinking, lidless eyes. Like
all reptiles, snakes rely on the heat of the sun to control
their body temperature. That's why the greatest variety of
species is found in the warm, humid tropical regions of the
world.
The venom of the king cobra,
the world's largest poisonous snake, is strong enough to kill
an elephant.
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The unmistakable hood
of a deadly cobra |
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Snakes
are shy creatures and we are only just beginning to find
out more about how they live. Unfortunately, some species
- including the Antiguan racer - are in danger of disappearing
altogether before we even have a chance to learn about
them. Many snakes are killed for their skins, or simply
out of fear. Their habitats - the places where they live
- are also being disturbed and destroyed by humans, or
invaded by other, more aggressive animals that we have
introduced. See Villains. |
The paradise tree-snake of South-east
Asia can 'fly' through the air by flattening its body into
an s-shaped ribbon.
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