Snakes

SILLY SNAKE

2011-09-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

Snake eating eggs

2011-09-03T00:32:00.000-07:00

The World's Biggest Spide

2011-09-03T00:28:00.000-07:00

Spider-goliath
The scientific name comes from the Greek word "thera" and "phosa",what means wild animal and light. The most common name "Goliath bird eating Tarantula" was given by some explores from the Victorian era who witnessed one eating a hummingbird and reported the sighting to the Western world who were amazed about this gigantic spider.
The average life span of the female Goliath spider lays between 15 and 20 years, but males who die soon after maturity can only reach an age between 3 and 6 years. The color of this big spider is mostly dark to light brown with thousands of hairs on their body.
This spider seems dangerous, but is totally harmless for humans. However they do carry venoums fangs of about 1 to 2 centimeters. A bite of the Goliath Bird Eating Tarantula can be compared with a wasp's sting that is totally harmless, but painfull.
Besides birds, they also feed on bats, lizards, rodents as well as snakes, even the deadly ones.

Poisonous Snakes with Childrens in India

2011-09-02T00:42:00.000-07:00

ELECTRIC FENCE in Australia killed Python

2011-09-02T00:37:00.000-07:00

ELECTRIC FENCE

Seems a sheep farmer was puzzled about the disappearance of some sheep on his farm. After a few weeks the farmer decided to put up an electric fence.

About a week later, this is what he found!

Now, I know we've all heard of people being eaten by
snakes.

Well, this is a Python & they're extremely aggressive &
have a few teeth that they use to hold their prey while
they wrap around them & then constrict.

Could you get away if this one bit you & held on with it's
'few teeth?'

(Note: The wires are 10 inches apart.)

Two headed Snakes

2011-07-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

The two-headed monsters of myth, as a matter of fact, have a basis in reality. Two-headed snakes are very rare odd creatures but not unheard of, and one two headed snake recently found in Spain is giving scientists an opportunity to study how the anomaly affects their ability to hunt and mate.
"Polycephaly is a condition of having more than one head. The term is derived from the stems poly- meaning 'many' and kephal- meaning "head", and encompasses bicephaly and dicephaly (both referring to two-headedness). A variation is an animal born with two faces on a single head, a condition known as diprosopus. In medical terms these are all congenital cephalic disorders.”
How many of us believe in the existence of two headed snakes? Well, as with any living creature, they do exist and are a much more common sight than any other two headed animals.
While a normal snake gives most people the creeps, the sight of a two headed snake must be tremendously gruesome, but captivating. In truth, two headed snakes are merely conjoined twins, connected to each other via their organs or body parts as with other twins that are connected. This means that a two headed snake could be joined to the other sharing the same organs, but one being a parasitic head.
Even in captivity, there are problems. Snakes operate a good deal by smell, and if one head catches the scent of prey on the other's head, it will attack and try to swallow the second head.
Two-headed snakes do exist, but they are rare. Two-headed snakes are actually conjoined twins, or sometimes, a fully formed individual with a parasitic twin that only consists of a head. Though two-headed snakes are a rarity, they are more common than other animals with two heads and are sometimes on display at zoos or in traveling animal side shows. Some museums have preserved specimens of two-headed snakes.
Two-headed snakes do not have a long life expectancy, particularly in the wild. Each head has a brain and, usually, some control over the shared body, and the two cannot communicate with each other. Movement is therefore difficult, as each head may try to travel in a different direction, and in the worst case scenario, the heads may fight or try to eat each other.
Some two-headed snakes share a stomach, while others have a stomach for each head. In a two-headed snake with separate stomachs, one of the heads may die if it routinely loses fights over food. Even if there is only one stomach, two-headed snakes may not be able to capture prey if the heads are competing for food.
Despite these difficulties, two-headed snakes have been known to live up to 20 years in captivity. Thelma and Louise, a two-headed snake that lived at the San Diego Zoo in California, had 15 offspring during her lifetime. Researchers have theorized that the inbreeding of snakes for zoos and pets may lead to an increased incidence of two-headed snakes, but this is very difficult, if not impossible, to verify, as it would entail getting an idea of how often two-headed snakes are born in the wild. The fact that they would not live very long makes the task even more daunting.
In 2000, a two-headed snake named We earned a bid of $150,000 US dollars (USD) on eBay, but the site's policy against the auction of live animals prevented the sale. Instead, Nutra Pharma Corporation adopted the snake in 2006 to aid in their study of the pharmacological benefits of snake venom.

two-headed snake wows visitors at Ukrainian zoo

2011-07-15T06:03:00.000-07:00

A snake with two heads, each able to think and eat separately and even steal food from each other, has become a popular attraction at a Ukrainian zoo.

The small albino California Kingsnake, now on show in the Black Sea resort of Yalta is quite a handful, zoo workers told.

The snake's two heads are fiercely independent, are not always in agreement and like to snatch food from each other, said keepers of the private zoo, called Skazka, or Fairy Tale.

"Sometimes one head wants to crawl in one direction and the other head in another direction," zoo director Oleg Zubkov told.

Zoo worker Ruslan Yakovenko added that he tries to feed the snake's two heads separately as they sometimes fight for food.

"If it is really hungry, its heads may steal food from each other," he said, adding he also needs to separate the heads with a barrier.

"The second head may get angry, but both then feel satiation because they only have one stomach," he told.

The private zoo said kingsnakes hunt other reptiles, meaning one of the snake's head could instinctively try to attack and eat the other one.

The three-year-old, two-foot-long (60 centimetre) reptile is on loan from Germany.

Visitor numbers had nearly doubled since it went on display in early July, said zoo keeper Yakovenko.

"Many enter the zoo feeling horrified and leave delighted."

The snake, believed to be Europe's only two-headed snake, will be on show in Ukraine until September.

Baby Russel Viper I caught

2011-06-30T11:20:00.001-07:00

Russel Viper I caught

2011-06-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

IT WAS AN AWSOME EXPERIANCE...SHE WAS A FEMALE.... LATER ON I CAPTURED MANY BABY VIPERS AND I LEFT THEM SAFELY IN JUNGLE....

Dangerous Fish

2011-06-28T01:06:00.000-07:00

5 headed Snakes - how the people are fooled using technology in INDIA

2011-01-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

I was so surprised to see this picture when a friend of mine sent it to me. This is a snake found in a temple at Karnataka.

Looking like a creature from mythology, multi-headed animals occur in real life as conjoined or parasitic twins. It is not just in mythology that creatures are given to have two or more heads. This condition where an animal or human which has more than one head is termed as polycephaly caused due to developmental abnormality during gene mutation.

Many mythologies like Hindu, Chinese, Greek,etc has references to such a 5 headed snake in their epics. We have so far read about such a snake only in historic stories and epics . I'm sure it will be surprising to most of you as much as myself, to see such a rare species still being alive. This images are look like fake. Five Headed Cobra Hoax Images.

Outline

Circulating images supposedly depict a five-headed cobra found at Kukke Subrahmanya, a Hindu temple in the Indian state of Karnataka.

Brief Analysis:
The images do not show a real five-headed snake. Four of the images are in fact photographs of normal, one-headed snakes that have been altered in an image manipulation program to appear that the snakes are five-headed. One of the images may show a toy or model that has been staged for the photograph.

Detailed Analysis
Messages that are currently circulating via email, blogs, and social networking websites, claim that set of attached images depict a "rare" five-headed Cobra that was found at Kukke Subrahmanya, a Hindu temple located about 105 km from Mangalore in the state of Karnataka, in southern India. There are two main versions of the messages that contain a different set of five-headed snake images. Both versions claim that the snake was found at Kukke Subrahmanya.

However, none of the five-headed snake pictures are genuine. The three images contained in the first example shown above are in fact nothing more than digitally manipulated versions of a set of photographs that show a normal, one-headed cobra. The following photographs, which have been published on a number of websites, show the original source images used to create the fake five-headed snake images:

The original photographs were taken at a snake farm in Thailand in 2003 by blogger, Tien Chiu. I sent an email to Tien Chiu asking about the photographs and she responded that she indeed took the photographs but the snake was definitely not five-headed. It seems that someone has used Tien Chiu's photographs as the source images for the five-headed snake hoax without her permission or knowledge. The first image shown in the second example above is also clearly manipulated from a photograph of a normal one-headed cobra. The following close-up screenshot of the image shows how the snake's head in the original photograph was replicated and joined together to create the five-headed manipulation: The second image in the second example above, may also be a manipulated photograph. However, the strange colouration and shape of the "snake" suggest that it may actually be a model or a toy that has been placed in the water for the photograph. Moreover, although the message suggests that the two images show the same, five-headed snake, it is very clear that the second image does not depict the same snake that is shown in the first image.

Thus, the supposed five-headed snake shown in these images represent nothing more than the fairly amateurish "photoshopping" work of some unknown prankster. The hoax photographs have circulated widely in India, perhaps accelerated by the fact that a five-headed snake god known as Nagaraja is part of that nation's cultural and religious heritage. The occurrence of animals, including snakes, with more than one head is not uncommon. The condition is known as Polycephaly. However, while bicephalic (two-headed) or tricephalic (three headed) animals have been well-documented, there are no credible reports of animals with more than three heads. Animals with more than three heads abound in mythology, but do not exist in the real world.

MILK SNAKE

2011-01-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

Lampropeltis triangulum (24-36", up to 52")

Description
Adults 18"—36" in length. Colored with bands of whitish to yellowish, black, and red or orange. Red or orange may appear as incomplete bands or saddles on black. Smooth scales. Single anal plate, two rows of scales on underside to tail.

Habitat
The milk snake occurs in a wide variety of habitats in Colorado, including shortgrass prairie, sandhills, shrubby hillsides, canyons, and open stand of ponderosa pine in the foothills, pinon juniper woodlands, and arid river valleys.

Food
This constrictor feeds opportunistically on a wide variety of small vertebrates, including mammals, birds, lizards, and snakes. It alsoconsumes bird and reptile eggs.

A boldly patterned snake, the milk snake has a light gray to tan body covered with reddish-brown blotches bordered in black. Larger blotches on the back alternate with smaller ones on each side. The head is patterned, usually with a light colored "Y" or "V" within a reddish-brown patch. Smooth scales give this attractive snake a shiny or glossy appearance. The belly is patterned with an irregular checkerboard of black on white. Similarity of patterns causes some to confuse it with the Copperhead however, the copperhead lacks any pattern on the head. Tail rattling may also lead some to mistake it for a RATTLESNAKE although the two species look quite different.
Mating generally occurs in May, with females depositing 3-24 eggs in June and July. Eggs are deposited under rocks, boards or other debris, in rotting vegetation, stumps or logs, or small mammal burrows, and usually hatch in August and September.
Woodlands, fields, rocky hillsides and borders of wetlands provide natural habitat for milk snakes. They are also commonly found around houses, barns and outbuildings. Small mammals are the preferred prey of milk snakes, who are able to enter burrows and consume young in their nests. Milk snakes routinely eat other snakes, and may also take birds and bird eggs, frogs, fish, earthworms, slugs and insects. Primarily nocturnal, milk snakes can be found during the day under rocks, logs, or other cover. Although they are not very aggressive, milk snakes will bite and spray musk if handled.

WESTERN HOGNOSE SNAKE

2011-01-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

Identification:

Snout upturned, spadelike; upper scales keeled; 23 or fewer rows of scales on back and sides at midbody; underside of tail mostly black; maximum total length rarely more than 90 cm (35 inches), but in Colorado relatively few exceed 50 cm (20 inches) total length.

Description:
Adults 16”–35" in length. Color light brown, with dorsal row of dark brown blotches. Row of smaller blotches on sides. Stout body; scales keeled. Enlarged and upturned scale on nose, giving snout a spade-like appearance (hence'hognose' snake). Divided anal plate.

Habitat
Typical habitat includes sandhills, plains grassland, and sandy floodplains, often in the vicinity of, or along the margins of, streams, irrigation ditches, and ponds. Hognose snakes are terrestrial and fossorial. Periods of inactivity are spent burrowed in the soil, in mammal burrows, or less commonly, under rocks or debris. Throughout most of eastern Colorado at elevations below 6,000 feet. Fairly common. Records of this species in Moffat County in northwestern Colorado need to be confirmed.

Life History: Females produce a clutch of eggs in late June-July. Hatchlings emerge in August-September. Toads, lizards, and reptile eggs are the primary foods. Hognose snakes can use the spadelike snout to dig out buried prey.

Food
Toads, lizards, and reptile eggs seem to be the primary foods, but mice, small birds, bird eggs, other reptiles and amphibians, and insects also may be eaten.

WESTERN RATTLESNAKE

2011-01-02T08:57:00.000-08:00

Species: Western Rattlesnake(Crotalus viridis)

Description

Adults to 26" (subspecies concolor) or 48"(subspecies viridis) in length. Color cream oryellowish (subspecies concolor) or brown orgreenish (subspecies viridis).Median row ofdarker blotches on back; two rows of similar butsmaller blotches on sides (blotches faded insubspecies concolor). Wide head narrow neck,and stout body; keeled scales.

Habitat

The western rattlesnake occurs in virtually everyterrestrial habitat within its broad geographic andelevational range in Colorado. Typical habitatsinclude plains grassland, sandhills, semidesertshrubland, mountain shrubland, riparian zones,pinon juniper woodland, and montane woodland.

Food

Known prey in Colorado includes the plainsspadefoot, sideblotched lizard, lesser earlesslizard, shorthorned lizard, prairie and plateaulizard,plateaustriped whiptail,ringneckpheasant, songbirds, pocket mouse, prairie dog,ground squirrel, chipmunk, Ord's kangaroo rat,deer mouse, and other western harvest mouse.

RACER SNAKE

2011-01-02T08:52:00.000-08:00

Species:Racer(Coluber constrictor)

Description

Adults 30"–60" in length. Color uniform brown,olive or grayish in adults; dark blotches onlighter background in juveniles. Slender bodywith smooth scales. Divided anal plate.

Habitat

Below 6000 feet in eastern Colorado; below5500 feet in western valleys.In westernColorado, this snake inhabits semidesertshrublands and lowland riparian habitats andadjacent areas in valleys and canyon bottoms, insome areas ranging into rocky pinon-juniperwoodlands bordering valley bottoms.

Food

The racer is a wide-ranging predator thatsearches for small animals and sometimesemploys quick bursts of speed to capture them. Racersfeed opportunisticallyon smallmammals, birds, (including those obtained fromnests in trees or shrubs), snakes, lizards,hatchling turtles, amphibians, and large insects.

Most Venomous Cobras in the World

2010-12-30T10:49:00.000-08:00

Forest Cobra (N. melanoleuca)

Forest cobra is a large, thick-bodied, black snake from the tropical and subtropical rain forests of Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. Considered by some to be the least dangerous of the African (Naja) Cobras, the bite of this snake, however, can be rapidly fatal without prompt intervention.

Monocled Cobra (N. kaouthia)

Monocled cobra is the second most common cobra species and is widespread in Asia. It has a circular mark behind the hood unlike that of the spectacled Cobra. This cobra can be found in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, NE India, Laos, N Malaysia, Southern China, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Black-necked Spitting Cobra (N. nigricollis)

This species of cobra is native to Egypt. The spitting cobra is capable of ejecting its venom from a distance of about 2.4 m or about 8 ft into the eyes of its victims. The venom causes temporary or permanent blindness and great pain. Despite their name, these snakes do not actually spit their venom. They spray the venom, using muscular contractions upon the venom glands.

Cape Cobra (N. nivea)

The Cape Cobra is a moderately sized cobra inhabiting the arid regions of Southern Africa. It averages 4 feet (120cm) long but may grow to be 6 feet (180cm) long. The mortality rate in humans is 60% and death normally occurs 2-5 hours after being bitten and is usually as a result of respiratory failure due to the onset of paralysis. The snake is quick to strike and becomes aggressive if cornered, but given its space it is likely to retreat. It has the most potent venom of all African cobras. It is probably the snake with the highest fatality count in the Southern parts of South Africa.

Chinese Cobra (N. atra)

The Chinese cobra is a species of cobra that lives in areas of Southeast Asia. The average adult length of a Chinese cobra is about 1.5 m, or five ft. They are usually dark brown or black, with widely spaced, lightly-colored bands around the body. Like other cobras, Chinese cobras have a marking resembling an eye on the back of the hood. The venom of the Chinese cobra is a powerful cobrotoxin b.

Central Asian Cobra (N. oxiana)

Central Asian Cobra is a species of venomous snake found in Central Asia. Like other cobras, this large snake spreads its “hood” as a warning to other animals. When alarmed, it rears up and widens its neck skin by altering the position of its ribs.

FEEDING SAND BOAS

2010-12-28T10:46:00.001-08:00

Feeding Sand Boas
Feeding Sand Boas in captivity is usually pretty straightforward. Most people that have problems getting Sand Boas to eat are failing to provide appropriate housing and/or temperatures for their snakes.

Adults
Most adult Sand Boas eat commercially available rodents. However, most Eryx prefer small food items not much larger in diameter than their bodies. Many also prefer nestling rodents to adults, for example, a large E. tataricus I had consistently refused dead or alive adult mice, but readily consumed smaller (crawler) mice and crawler rats, many of which were larger than the adult mice I offered!
Many Eryx will learn to take pre-killed rodents but a few seem to insist on live prey. Here are some suggestions to get your Sand Boa to take dead food:
Often a freshly killed mouse is acceptable to a snake that refuses previously frozen and thawed food. If you try this for a while your snake may get used to feeding on dead prey and start taking previously frozen animals.
Sometimes warming a thawed mouse (put it in a watertight plastic bag and submerge it a few minutes in warm water) helps.
Sometimes offering dead rodents with forceps will be acceptable. To encourage the snake, either wave the rodent gently in front of the sand boa or alternatively, gently press the food item up against the lower part of the mouth opening for a second.
Sand Boas usually prefer to eat at dusk or after dark. While this is the best time to offer food, you should never leave live rodents in a cage overnight with your snakes.
I had success scenting mice with dead chicks (maybe chicken soup would work as well as it does for pythons?) and also created false rodent nests with an overturned deli cup (with lid on) or similar container and an entrance tube. I usually place the false nest on top of the litter and puts some of the dirty rodent cage shavings in the container to make the container more attractive to an investigative snake.
Feeding snakes that insist on feeding in their cages by putting a food item on a paper towel to prevent shavings, etc., from sticking to the food item.

Babies
Babies of some species are as easy to care for as the adults. This is the case with the species that have larger babies, including E. colubrinus, E. conicus, and E. johnii. These larger babies are born big enough to take a standard sized pink mouse. Some of the smaller species have very small babies. These small babies can be problematic, not only because it is hard to find very small pinkies, but also because many of these species appear to be lizard eaters in the wild. See individual species accounts for specifics on this.

I have used several techniques to get reluctant baby Sand Boas to feed:
1.I try live and dead pinkies.

2.I try feeding the babies in snake bags or very small dark containers. Frequently, isolating them in a deli cup with a dead pinkie is all that it takes to get them to start.

3.Scenting pink mice is also effective. This can be done by rubbing a pinkie on a lizard. It works best if the pinkie is wet first then rubbed on the lizard. I have also had good success with some snakes by wetting a small piece of shed lizard skin and sticking this on the forehead of the pinkie.

4.Some species can be tricked into lunging at a pinkie. This is done by getting the baby snake excited with a preferred food item (such as a lizard) by dragging that food around the cage. When the baby snake starts actively pursuing the prey item and lunging for it, keep the prey item out of reach and quicky substitute the pinkie in front of one of the lunges. This trick works better if the pinkie is scented first and is surprisingly effective with some species of Sand Boa (and also by the way with baby Hognose Snakes Heterodon sp.).

5.Some people find that washing a pinkie with liquid soap or dishwashing detergent before offering it may stimulate a feeding response. I haven't ever tried this, but some of the Gray-banded Kingsnake (Lampropeltis alterna) breeders I know swear by this technique. Apparently, some soaps work better than others, so try a couple (Ivory soap seems to be a particular favorite!).

6.I have recently had success with taking previously frozen pinkies and "braining" them. To do this, I poke a small hole in the center of the skull of a thawed pinkie (I use the end of a paper clip) and very gently squeeze the head so that a little bit of the brain comes out the hole. I then spread some of this brain tissue down over the nose and mouth of the pinkie with the paper clip and then place the pinkie and the snake in a deli cup overnight. It is quite amazing how often this gruesome ruse works. I have had good success with baby E. miliaris and baby Rubber Boas like this. (I've always wondered who figured this trick out,........and how?)

7.For some species, it may be necessary to brumate the young snakes before they will feed. For babies that are born late in the year, just keep them cool for a few weeks and allow them to go into brumation. Often they will emerge from several weeks of brumation ready to feed.

8.As a last resort, I hold the snake behind the head and place a small pinkie in the snake's mouth and put it down gently to see if it will swallow the pinkie. Sometimes you have to do this several times before the snake will swallow the pinkie. Some snakes will not respond to this method and as it is stressful, I usually give up after 5 tries.

Huge (55ft) snake shocks World

2010-08-03T02:30:00.000-07:00

A photograph purporting to show a 55ft snake found in a forest in China has become an internet sensation.The dead snake was 55ft (16.7m) long, weighed 300kg and was estimated to be 140 years old.

SNAKE EATEN BY RED BACK SPIDER IN AUSTRALIA

2010-07-25T12:28:00.001-07:00

Snake: Deadly Beauties

2010-07-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

World's Smallest Snake Discovered, Study Says

2010-01-24T01:12:00.000-08:00

A snake that's as thin as a spaghetti noodle with a body small enough to rest comfortably on a U.S. quarter has just been identified as the world's smallest snake, according to a paper published today in the journal Zootaxa .
The newly identified species, Leptotyphlops carlae, measures just 3.9 inches long and was found under a rock on the western Atlantic island of Barbados. Two other extremely small snakes, L. bilineatus from Martinique and L. breuili from Saint Lucia, were identified nearby, suggesting that the world's three smallest snakes are all Caribbean threadsnakes.
Blair Hedges, who made the finds, told Discovery News that "determining the smallest (snake) is not simple."
Hedges, an evolutionary biologist at Penn State University, previously identified the world's smallest frog and lizard on Caribbean islands. He explained that the process of naming the smallest requires measuring adult individuals -- ideally at least one male and one female -- and then comparing the average size to all other known species.
He determined the Barbados threadsnake is the smallest of more than 3,100 known snakes. The snake may even be as miniscule as nature could go for snakes since, if it were any smaller, he believes its young would have nothing to eat. As it stands, Hedges thinks it primarily consumes the tiny larvae of termites and ants.
Females of this smallest species produce just one slender egg. In contrast to larger species that may lay up to 100 eggs in a single clutch, with each egg measuring just a fraction of the mother's body, this snake produces a single hatchling that is half its mother's size.
"The fact that tiny snakes produce only one massive egg -- relative to the size of the mother -- suggests that natural selection is trying to keep the size of hatchlings above a critical limit in order to survive," he explained.
Hedges added that, because of the snake's small size, "almost anything could be a predator, including centipedes and spiders."
Already the species appears to be in grave danger.

Why Ireland Has No Snakes

2010-01-24T01:07:00.000-08:00

Legend has it that St. Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland. Sometime back in the fifth century he stood on a hill, the story goes, and used a staff to herd the slithering creatures into the sea, banishing them for eternity. It's true, aside from zoos and pets, there are no snakes on the emerald isle. In fact, there never were any snakes in Ireland. This state of affairs probably has more to do with the vagaries of geography than any neat tricks performed by St. Patty.
Snakes first evolved from their lizard forebears about 100 million years ago during the late Cretaceous period, about the same time that Tyrannosaurus rex first appeared. Early snakes were small and wormy, resembling modern blindsnakes (suborder Scolecophidia). Ancient snake fossils are found only on southern continents, suggesting that snakes first radiated from Gondwanaland—a former supercontinent comprised of modern-day Antarctica, South America, Africa, India, and Australia. Migrating to Ireland wasn't an option at this time, as the area was completely underwater. The chalky sediments that would eventually become the 700-foot Cliffs of Moher on Ireland's west coast were being laid down at the bottom of the sea.
During the Cenozoic era, beginning 65 million years ago, the world's climate gradually began to dry out, and vast tracts of grasslands and other open habitats came to dominate much of the northern hemisphere. Large dinosaurs went extinct, opening the door to new groups of animals. By the Eocene epoch, 50 to 35 million years ago, the predecessors of boas and pythons (called the basal Macrostomatans) were widespread throughout the northern hemisphere. Explosive radiation of snakes in the suborder Colubroidae, including vipers and cobras, occurred during the Miocene epoch, 25 million years ago. Now snakes are found in deserts, grasslands, forests, mountains, and even oceans virtually everywhere around the world. Everywhere except Ireland, New Zealand, Iceland, Greenland, and Antarctica, that is.
One thing these few snake-less parts of the world have in common is that they are surrounded by water. New Zealand, for instance, split off from Australia and Asia before snakes ever evolved. So far, no serpent has successfully migrated across the open ocean to a new terrestrial home. As the world's oceans have risen and fallen over the millennia, land bridges have come and gone between Ireland, other parts of Great Britain, and the European mainland, allowing animals and early humans to cross. However, any snake that may have slithered it's way to Ireland would have turned into a popsicle when the ice ages hit.
The most recent ice age began about three million years ago and continues into the present. Between warm periods like the current climate, glaciers have advanced and retreated more than 20 times, often completely blanketing Ireland with ice. Snakes, being cold-blooded animals, simply aren't able to survive in areas where the ground is frozen year round. Ireland thawed out for the last time only 15,000 years ago. Since then, 12 miles of icy-cold water in the Northern Channel have separated Ireland from neighboring Scotland, which does harbor a few species of snakes. There are no snakes in Ireland for the simple reason that they can't get there.
Snakes and MythsSo where did the myth of St. Patrick and the snakes come from? Most scholars agree that snakes symbolize paganism, which St. Patrick is also credited for banishing from Ireland. Snakes as symbols of evil are prevalent throughout Judeo-Christian mythology, most notoriously in the Garden of Eden as a tempter of Eve. Other societies have viewed snakes with more favor. Snakes were venerated in ancient Egypt, and many gods were represented by snakes, such as the cobra goddess Neith, founder of the universe. More recently, Ben Franklin advocated making a rattlesnake the symbol of the United States.
Mythology aside, herpetologists (scientists who study snakes and other reptiles and amphibians) like to point out that snakes play an important role in many ecosystems throughout the world. Snakes benefit humans by controlling rodent populations, and snake venom has been used to treat various diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and hemophilia. Unfortunately, some 200 species of snakes are considered threatened or endangered, the biggest threat being habitat loss resulting from human activities. Unless humans start taking more of an interest in their survival, real-life snakes may find themselves banished from more places than just Ireland.

LARGEST SNAKE IN WORLD

2010-01-24T01:05:00.000-08:00

THE YOU TUBE REALLY HELPED US TO GET NICE VIEW OF SNAKES
FOLLWING VIDEO HELP US TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IT.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np8Ki4VEEVk

King Cobra: World Longest Venomous Snake

2009-07-25T23:53:00.001-07:00

King cobra is the longest venomous snake in the world. Although its venom is not much powerful like Black mamba or other snakes. But his large size make him more deadly. This huge snake can grow up to (19ft) and 20 kg in weight which is a lot for venomous snake. In ancient times peoples worshiped king cobra and some peoples are still doing so.

Lifestyle

King Cobra mostly lives in forested areas. This huge snake can be found in Southeast Asia and some parts of India. It normally eats other small snake that’s why its genus name is Ophiophagus , which means “snake- eater”. It can also eat pythons which is size able snakes. Its color is pale olive, tan, yellow olive color or something like this.

Hunting

This huge snake mostly hunt at day time and very little at night time. It hunts with their long fangs which may be growing up to 0.5 inches which make this snake more deadly. It swallows its prey and his toxins help him in digestion of prey. King Cobra venom is also very dangerous. The bite taken from king cobra can lead you to death. Its mortality rate of a bite is 75%.

Defense Against Enemy

The great predator of King cobra is mongoose, which is quite resistance to neurotoxins. King cobra will try to fight with its hood flatten this help him in closed mouth strikes. If all fails, he will generally try to flee. But it is also hard for mongoose to defeat such a long snake.

Venom

Due to king cobra long size and deadly venom make him perfect predator. Although his venom is not much powerful like black mamba or Russell viper. But it is five times faster reactive venom then black mamba. With every bite king cobra inject 6 mil of venom to prey with the help of its fangs. Which is enough for killing elephant in three hours. Venom is produced in salivary glands. When this huge snake injects his venom to a prey his fastest venom paralysis it in two minutes, thus the prey go in comma due to respiratory system failure and prey died.

Reproduction

The female King cobra lay about 20 to 50 eggs but before laying eggs she make a nest or mound with leaf litter to lay eggs in it. She guards her eggs and prevents any big animal to come near it. When eggs hatch a new king cobras arise from it and the life cycle of king cobra remains continuous.

Interesting Facts

King cobra is the world longest venomous snake.
King Cobra average life span is 20 years.
King Cobra fastest venom allows him to kill elephant in three hours.
King Cobra is used by snake charmers for dancing and for fun.
King Cobra can smell blood from far away.
King Cobra is one of the snakes who create nest or mound.
The natural predator of king cobra is mongoose which is small mammal.
Ancient peoples worshiped king cobras some are still doing so.

Terror and Shock: the World's Largest Snakes Ever

2009-07-25T23:44:00.000-07:00

Snakes are scary creatures. Have you ever seen some of the world’s largest snakes? They are not only longer in size but also heavier in weight.

An Indonesian caught a 14.85m long Python weighing 447kg. Up to now, this python is regarded as the world’s largest snake. It was captured in the jungle of the western part of Sumatra Island. The owner of the snake later sold this snake to a park and the staff at the park gave it a name as “guihua”. “guihua” here, in general, refers to a type of a flower. That is why this name may sound gentle to hear, but it is indeed a scary scene when “guihua” opens its mouth while attacking its enemy. It can swallow the whole body of a human in a very short period. According to the Indonesian media, an examination on its length, weight and species has been carried out extensively by Indonesia’s National Institute of Science, Institute of Agriculture and other academic institutions. Many scientists said that they had never seen such a long snake.

According to the sources of Indonesia, it is not an easy task to subdue such a gigantic snake. It usually needs an accumulation of 8 to 10 strong men’s energy to get hold of this snake. Previously, the Guinness World Records has recorded the world’s longest snake which has a length of 10m. However, this snake was shot in 1912 in Indonesia. Meanwhile, the scientists disclosed that the discovery of this world’s longest snake is the Southeast Asia’s indigenous snake. This snake is commonly seen in Indonesia, Philippines but generally its length hardly reached to such extend.

This snake was discovered in the Amazon Rain Forest and it is the world’s largest snake. It can grow up to a maximum of 10m and weight in more than 225kg. It likes to swim in water, and sometimes it survives in the mud or in shallow water. It feeds on turtles, dolphins, tapir, and even 2 ½ m long alligator can become its prey. It chokes its prey to death before swallowing it and it can go with an empty stomach for few weeks to sustain its live. It gives birth to 70 small snakes. These vulnerable small snakes are more likely to be eaten by alligators along the shore, but when they grow bigger, the alligators will become the food that they feed on.

They are believed to be the world’s heaviest snake. They like to live in swamp, shallow river and slow moving river. They are most active at night, but sometimes you may encounter they have their bodies sunbathing along the shore. Living in the tropical regions of South America, it is also regarded as the world’s largest snake. Adult snake can grow to more than 10m long or more.

This long snake has its eyes on its head to ease its movement under the water. Adult snake can catch a meter long crocodile easily. It has been a record that this snake has eaten an American Jaguar within a few minutes. It lays eggs with each snake has a length of 60cm. Its huge body, amazing energy and scary attack has included it as the scariest creature to be scared by other animals in the food chain. Its attack is just like a movie of “anaconda” that you may have watched. When the living thing is being captured by this snake, it will get hold of its prey tightly and later a bone fracture sound can be heard.

Bonus updated information.

Have you ever thought of how the snake, particularly the python captured a Kangaroo and then eating it greedily and cruelly? Now, see yourself the whole process on how the python is swallowing the kangaroo that I managed to capture.

Now you may wonder how the giant python swallowing one big animal like a pig. First, the python swallowed its head and then it gradually swallowed the entire body of the pig. As the python’s lower jaw can be misplaced as it desires, and thus it can swallow animals that are bigger than its size. Now, watch the whole process on how the python has turned the pig into its delicious meal. Here are photos I managed to capture to share with you.

Lastly, what can I say about these snakes. They’re indeed very scary, aren’t they?

World’s Most Dangerous Snake

2009-07-25T23:32:00.000-07:00

Many people think that the most venomous snakes are probably the most dangerous but that is not necessarily true. The most dangerous snake in the world has to be the Black Mamba which is both highly venomous and aggressive.

Some people think that the inland Taipan is the most dangerous snake but that is not true. They may be the most venomous snakes in the world but not the most dangerous.

In my opinion, the Black Mamba has to be the most dangerous snake because not only its highly venomous, its also extremely aggressive. The black mamba is the longest venomous snake in Africa and the second longest venomous snake after the King Cobra. It is known to reach a maximum length of 4.5 meters. It is also the fastest snake in world able to reach speeds in excess of 12 miles per hour.

The skin of Black Mamba’s is olive Grey. They get their name from the blackish interior of their mouth which they display when threatened. Black Mamba’s are nervous snakes and if cornered, they raise themselves a third of their body from the ground and hiss loudly at their attacker. They are able to raise themselves four feet of the ground and hit their attackers repeatedly with fast multiple strikes. Unlike many other snakes, black mamba’s can strike up to twelve times in a row. Full grown Black Mamba’s are able to strike from 4-6 feet away.

A single bite from a Black Mamba can kill up to 20 to 25 grown men. A bite from a Black Mamba is 100% fatal unless anti-venom is given in time. Death can result between 15 minutes and 3 hours depending on the nature of the bite. This involves factors as such as location of the bite, amount of venom injected and penetration of one or both fangs. The Black Mamba’s are found in habitat’s such as savannas, rocky places and open woodlands. They have also been found in houses. Black Mamba’s eat small mammal’s and birds. They strike large animals and then release it. Then they stalk their victim until it becomes paralyzed so they can easily swallow their prey using their flexible jaws and muscles. Once a mamba was found with a full grown Forest Cobra in it stomach. Its definitely not a snake to be messed with.

Biggest Anaconda Snakes Found: Some Facts About It!

2009-07-25T23:02:00.001-07:00

There has always been a lot of debate as to which snake holds the record of being the biggest snake. Anacondas have more often been considered the largest snake because of its huge dimensions. It is the biggest snake also because of its mass and weight. The other largest snake that comes nearest to it is the Asiatic Reticulated Python or scientifically known as Python reticulates.

Anacondas in the jungles of South America are considered to be bigger than the Python snake. The debate regarding the biggest anaconda found has not been resolved yet by crypto zoologist or zoologists. However, know that a fully grown anaconda snakes can easily kill a tiger or a crocodile.

Green Anacondas also known as water boas are considered to be the biggest and heaviest snakes in the world. The biggest snakes of these species can grow to be up to 35 feet (11 meters) long and can weigh up to 1,000 pounds (500 kilograms). The Green Anaconda, supposed to be the biggest snake found is of a dark green colour with black oval patches on its back.

This drab pattern enables the snake to easily blend with the wet, dense vegetations of its habitat. The sides have similar spots with yellow centers. There have been a lot of stories going around that the biggest Anaconda would probably be more than 40 feet, but such stories and reports have not yet been proved. Specimen's bigger than 35 feet have never been captured.

Anacondas of such huge size are termed as cryptids. Anacondas of such huge length are extremely rare to sight. Instead stories of such big anacondas devouring animals and human beings are found more in films and stories but in real life they are probably extremely rare.

European colonisers and explorers as well as natives are reported to have first sighted the biggest anaconda's measuring up to 60 feet (18 meters) long in the dense jungles of South America. The Wildlife Conservation Society in the early 20th century onwards offered a large cash reward for the delivery of any snake (live) of 30 feet or more in length.

The prize has never been claimed despite the numerous reporting and sightings of giant anacondas. There has also been several surveys carried on in Brazil but those found are no where near to the claims of the biggest anaconda found.

There have been several claims about the biggest anaconda found. A colombia petrolium expedition in 1944 claimed that they have measured an anaconda 37.5 feet long. A scientist named Vincent Roth claimed that he had shot a Anaconda 34 feet long. Percy Faucett, an adventurer made a tall claim.

The biggest Anaconda found by him measured 62 feet from nose to tail. Faucett claimed that he had shot the Anaconda. A historian named Mike Dash has been severely criticized by critics because he said he had sighted Anaconda's ranging from 100 to 150 feet. Mike Dash supported his arguments with the help of pictures but pictures unfortunately do not have scale.

There have been so many claims and counter claims that it is difficult to ascertain the biggest Anaconda snakes that have been sighted. It could range from more than 30 feet to 150 feet.

Sand boas

2009-05-16T10:27:00.000-07:00

Sand Boas are related to the well-known boa constrictor of South America. They are also closely related to the python. All these non-venomous snakes kill their prey by squeezing them in their muscular coils.

There are three species of sand boas in India. All are stocky, thick-bodied snakes, especially suited for underground activities.

Common sand boa (Eryx conicus) has a blotched pattern of spots and wavy bands and a very rough, keeled, dull body
Red sand boa (Eryx johnii) : it is reddish brown , smooth and glossy.
Whitaker's sand boa Eryx whitakeri) : Recently described by Romous Whitaker

However, the greatest dissimilarity is in the tail. The red sand boa (which is black in north-west India) has a tail so blunt that it looks as though it has been chopped off. In temperament too they do not resemble each other. The common sand boa is easily irritated and is quick to strike and bite, while the red sand boa has great patience and will never bite. This makes it an ideal snake for a child to be introduced to. Sand boas mostly eat rodents, which makes them another friend of the farmer. Sand boas have live young, usually 6 to 8, and newly hatched boas eat small mice, lizards, birds and insects.

Indian Red Sand Boa

2009-05-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

Indian sand boas scales have small litters, typically 4-10 babies in each. Babies are born red with black stripes. As the snakes age, the stripes fade and the orange becomes brown. There are a few lines that retain the orange.

It's Red sand boa...part of Boa's family its a constrictor snake and non venomous. Pretty young one hence the colors....as they grow they loose the red to gain brownish..

Probably the only snake which can dig in the sand...that's why the front tip of the nose is so hard...acts like a shovel...

Red Sand Boa

2009-05-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

A great creativity of nature Red Sand Boa.

Largest snake as long as a bus

2009-04-13T00:52:00.001-07:00

Artist's impression showing the giant snake Titanoboa cerrejonensis

The discovery of fossilized remains belonging to the world's largest snake has been reported in Nature journal. By Paul Rincon
Science reporter, BBC News

Titanoboa was 13m (42ft) long - about the length of a bus - and lived in the rain forest of north-east Colombia 58-60 million years ago.

The snake was so wide it would have reached up to a person's hips, say researchers, who have estimated that it weighed more than a tonne.

Green anacondas - the world's heaviest snakes - reach a mere 250kg (550lbs).

Reticulated pythons - the world's longest snakes - can reach up to 10m (32ft).

Snakes had the opportunity to evolve and grow as big as this one did in a way that they probably wouldn't today

P David Polly, Indiana University

The team of researchers led by Jason Head, from the University of Toronto at Mississauga, Canada, used a known mathematical relationship between the size of vertebrae and the length of the body in living snakes to estimate the size of the ancient animal.

Named Titanoboa cerrejonensis by its discoverers, the beast's 13m-long body and 1,140kg (2,500lb) weight make it the largest snake on record.

"At its greatest width, the snake would have come up to about your hips. The size is pretty amazing," said co-author P David Polly, from Indiana University in Bloomington, US.

Researchers discovered fossilized bones belonging to the super-sized slitherers and their possible prey at Cerrejon, one of the world's largest open-pit coal mines. The animal is a relative of modern boa constrictors.

Warming world

"Probably like an anaconda, it spent a lot of time in the water," said Professor Polly.

"It would have needed to eat a lot.

"What its prey was exactly, we don't know. But it probably included alligators, big fish or crocodiles."

The researchers also used the reptile's size to make an estimate of Earth's temperature 58 to 60 million years ago in tropical South America.

Palaeontologists have long known that as temperatures go up and down over geological time, generally speaking, so does the upper size limit of cold-blooded creatures - or poikilotherms.

This is because the metabolism of a poikilotherm is more or less controlled by the average temperature of its environment.

Assuming the Earth today was not particularly unusual, the researchers calculated that a snake of Titanoboa's size would have required an average annual temperature of 30C to 34C (86F to 93F) to survive.

By comparison, the average yearly temperature of today's Cartagena, a Colombian coastal city, is about 28C.

Opportunity knocks

"A snake living in the tropics would have been operating at a much higher metabolic rate," said Professor Polly.

"So snakes had the opportunity to evolve and grow as big as this one did in a way that they probably wouldn't today."

Titanoboa (r)" vspace="0" width="226" border="0" height="170" hspace="0">

A vertebra from an anaconda (l) is dwarfed by one from Titanoboa (r)

He added that as the Earth warmed up in future, cold-blooded animals could be expected to evolve larger bodies.

Dr Head adds that the find "challenges our understanding of past climates and environments, as well as the biological limitations on the evolution of giant snakes."

However, Dr Matthew Huber, a climatologist from Purdue University in Indiana, who was not connected with the study, questioned whether the link between size and temperature was "generalizable and accurate".

He commented: "Head and colleagues' findings are the result of probably the first study in 'snake palaeothermometry', and as such must be viewed with caution."

Thai villagers work to keep snakes warm

2009-04-13T00:47:00.000-07:00

BAN KHOK SANGA, Thailand, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Residents of a village in Thailand have had an unusual problem recently -- unusual for them, anyway -- keeping their cobras warm.

Ban Khok Sanga in the northeastern part of the country is famous for its cobra shows, Thai News Agency reports. The village is home to about 300 king cobras -- the world's largest venomous snake -- and 20 snake charmers.

Thailand has been hit with unusually cold weather with temperatures dropping low enough to kill unprotected snakes. The cold also makes the cobras lethargic.

"When the snakes are warm, they'll move fast and turn their bodies fast when fighting," said Bancha Laorad, a snake charmer. "If not, they'll be very slow and not elegant."

The villagers use scraps of cloth and hay to insulate the caskets in which they keep the snakes. They also make sure all the snakes get a daily dose of sunlight.

"The UVA from the sunlight helps spur the snakes' activity. It also stimulates the immunity of the serpents. If the snakes don't have the appropriate temperature and sunlight in the morning, they tend to die easily," said Sompoch Weerakul, an assistant professor at the Khon Kaen University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

Fossil of largest snake found in Colombia

2009-04-13T00:46:00.000-07:00

BOGOTA, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Fossilized remains of a 42-foot-long, 2,500-pound snake discovered in northeastern Colombia represent the biggest snake ever found, scientists say.

The researchers, led by Jason Head of the University of Toronto, estimate the snake, called Titanoboa cerrejonensis, lived 58 million to 60 million years ago, the BBC reported Wednesday.

By comparison, the heaviest snakes living today, the green anacondas, weigh only about 550 pounds and reticulated pythons can reach about 32 feet long.

The researchers used the mathematical relationship between the size of vertebrae and the length of the body in living snakes to project the size of the prehistoric serpent.

"At its greatest width, the snake would have come up to about your hips. The size is pretty amazing," said co-author P. David Polly of Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind.

The snake fossil was found at Cerrejon, one of the world's largest open-pit coal mines. It was related to today's boa constrictors.

"Probably like an anaconda, it spent a lot of time in the water," Polly said.

"It would have needed to eat a lot. What its prey was exactly, we don't know. But it probably included alligators, big fish or crocodiles."

The researchers' findings were reported in the Nature scientific journal.

Scorpion diet makes snakes more venomous

2009-04-13T00:43:00.000-07:00

BANGOR, Wales, April 10 (UPI) -- Deadly saw-scaled vipers that feed on scorpions are far more dangerous than those that eat mammals and reptiles, a Welsh researcher says.

Axel Barlow of Bangor University began studying the snakes, one of the major killers in West Africa, to determine why anti-venom does not help some bite victims, the North Wales Chronicle reported. He found that the scorpion-eaters' venom is about 30 times as toxic as that of other saw-scaled vipers.

Barlow is collaborating on his research with the Venom Research Unit at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

"The West African governments continue to buy this anti-venom from India, but it doesn't work," Barlow said. "It's kind of intuitive that a snake's venom is going to be more toxic to the type of animals that they feed on."

Anti-venom is produced by injecting snake venom into horses, causing them to produce antibodies, and then harvesting their blood. To work, anti-venoms must be matched to the type of venom produced by the snake involved in the bite.

Snake diet find aids anti-venom

2009-04-13T00:41:00.000-07:00

The research could help prevent people dying

New research by a Bangor university student has found that the diet of venomous snakes affects its venom strength.

Axel Barlow's discovery means that anti-venom can be developed specific to a certain snake's location or diet.

His studies into saw-scaled vipers, which have evolved to eat scorpions, found that they also had venom which was more lethal to scorpions.

Researchers hope the information will lead to fewer snake bite deaths.

The research was done as part of a final-year paper on saw-scaled vipers by Mr Barlow.

Anti-venom treatment

He said the significance of the discovery was that variation in venom composition between different species or populations of snakes can complicate anti-venom treatment.

This is particularly relevant in the case of saw-scaled vipers which are probably responsible for the majority of snakebite deaths in Africa, he said.

This was because west African hospitals still rely on imported anti-venom from Asia, where the saw-scaled vipers have a very different venom composition.

The saw-scaled vipers have evolved along with their diet

Axel Barlow added: "Saw-scaled vipers provide a good model to study venom variation as different species have extremely different diets.

"This allows us to investigate the effects of evolutionary changes in diet within a single group of related snake species."

Dr Wolfgang Wüster, an expert in snakes and snake venoms who lectures at Bangor added: "This study provides one of the most convincing pieces of evidence to date for the role of natural selection for diet in shaping snake venom composition.

"It is a key question in our understanding of venom evolution in snakes."

Python Swallows Pig

2009-04-13T00:40:00.000-07:00

I received these pictures of a couple of zoo keepers feeding a rather large pig to this Snake. I don't know where they are from but it does show you that a snake this size can swallow a small human.

Man Eaten by Python

2009-04-13T00:39:00.000-07:00

The pictures below allegedly document a recent incident of a snake eating a person. The accompanying stories vary as to victim (local child, camper, or oil rig crew member) and location (South America with the snake an anaconda, Borneo, and Singapore). The snake is a reticulated python.

The two pictures below obviously are of poorer quality and detail than the ones above. The pictures above also seem to have been in circulation several years before the ones below appeared. The lump appears to be of a stocky animal such as a pig rather than of a person. The person's body has very little mucus on it for having been inside a snake. Those who keep snakes well know how slimy food items get, especially when a snake regurgitates. It's difficult to ascertain where his arms are; one of them should be lying right along his side, since they would have to fold that way during the snake's feeding. His arms may be extending up into the snake to open a path for his head and chest. The upper torso appears to be within a bag inside the snake. The python's stomach and/or intestine also seem to have disappeared. Most experts suspect that these were staged photographs, though I have to give the man credit for crawling that far into the snake. In any event, no news service has ever carried a story relating to these photographs … and it would have made a great story. Some Internet sites with information on these pictures are:

The picture below was taken in Malaysia and printed in a local magazine there. The reticulated python could not completely eat the person. An adult human's shoulders present a real obstacle to the biggest snake. Whether the person already was dead or was killed by the snake remains unknown.

World Record Python

2009-04-13T00:35:00.000-07:00

This was a picture I got out of the newspaper. It claimed the snake was a world record and the largest snake ever captured and held in captivity. Unfortunately I lost the clipping with the text that came with it. When I get around to cleaning my office, I'll scan the text in and add it to the picture.

I am not sure where the picture below came from. I do not know if it's the same snake but the pictures came out around the same time.

Giant Snakes in Old Newpapers

2009-04-13T00:34:00.000-07:00

This scrub or amethystine python that ate an adult wallaby in Australia, sometimes turns up in the sensational press as a man-eater.

Picture published in Weekly World News on October 30, 1990. The story alleges that a 25-foot 380-pound anaconda ate a Japanese researcher in the Amazon. Since when do people wear pith helmets in the 90's? The snake itself is a reticulated python from Southeast Asia.

The same picture was modified and run a second time in the Weekly World News on January 8, 1991. This time the snake is a serial baby-eater! It has also shrunk from a HUGE 25 to a giant 13 feet. At least the location makes sense. The reticulated python occurs throughout Southeast Asia.

Two photographs submitted by Mr. A.J. "Mac" McBride of Colchester, England, to The Vivarium. He states that they were sepia postcards that a friend of his father had obtained. The second photograph reveals that the retic had eaten a deer.

All of these photos have been retouched to remove military insignia on the men's clothes. It's fairly well known that these were Japanese soldiers during World War II.

Snakes in India- in detail

2009-04-11T07:10:00.000-07:00

There are over 2000 types of snakes in the world out of which approximately 200 are found in India. They can be different from a worm snake which is approximately 10 cms to a snake which can be 6 mts long. They live at almost all places in warm seas, semi deserts, swamps, lakes and even Himalayan glaciers up to an elevation of 500 mts.

The main type os snakes from India are :

Common Worm Snake also known as Typhlina bramina. It is a small worm like snake found almost all over india and lives in the elevation of hills up to 1000 mts.

Perrotet's Shield-tail Snake also known as Plectrurus perroteti. Found in the west coast of India a small snake mainly found in The western Ghats of Nilgiri abd Annamalai hills.

Indian Rock Python also known as Python molurus. It is a large thick-bodied snake found in many parts of India. It ranges from the mangrove forest to arid scrublands and dense rain forest of the eastern Himalaya up to an elevation of about 2000 mts.

Common Sand Boa known as Eryx conicus. It is a short and thick-bodied snake. Mainly found in the plains and low hills of India. Being nocturnal they hunt after it gets dark.

Red Sand Boa also known by the name of Eryx johnii. These are medium sized snakes with a very blunt tail. It is found in the drier parts of land.

Common Wolf Snake named as Lycodon aulicus. A small snake thin and proportionate its height found throughout India. It occurs at an elevation of about 2000 mts in the hills.

Banded Kukri known as Oligodon arnesis. It is a small snake having prominent cross bands on its body. It is found all over India and can go up to an elevation of 200 mts. Found mainly in eastern Himalayan.

Stripped Keelback also named as Amaphiesma stalata. They are medium sized snakes. They resemble with the water snakes. They are found all over India and can go up to an elevation of 2000 mts. In the hills.

Green Keelback is also names as Macropisthodon plumbicolor. They are medium in size. And are found in the forest region of India. They can go to an elevation of 1500 mts.

Checkered Keelback Watersnake also names as Xenochropis piscator. Medium sized snake which can elevate up to 3000 mts.

Olive Keelback Watersnake also named as Altritium schistosum. It can be small as well medium sized snake. They are found in central and peninsular india. And can go to an elevation of about 1000 mts.

Trinket Snake is also named as Elaphe halena. It is a medium sized snake. It is found all over India to an elevation of 4000 mts. In the Himalayas.

Rat Snake is also known as Ptyas muscosus. It is found upto an elevation of 4000 mts. And is a large scaled snake. It can adapt to any environment. They are rat-eaters.

Banded Racer known as Argyrogena fasicolatus. This snake prefers to live amongst tall grass and bushes and is small to medium sized and is found in plains of India.

Royal Snake also named as Spalerosophis diadema. It is found in the drier tracts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu hills and Himachal Pradesh. The size of the snake is medium to large. And it can elevate 2000 mts.

Bronze-back Tree Snake is known as Dendrelaphis tristis. These type of snakes prefers low bushes and thorny trees. And can elevate of 2000 mts in the Himalayas. The size of the snake is medium and it is found all over India.

Flying Snake is named as Chrysopelea ornata. It is found in the forest of southwest India and even northeastern parts of the country. North of Bihar and Orissa. The size of the snake is medium sized. These snakes prefer to live on large trees and appear to glide for some distance.

Vine Snake named as Ahaetulla nasutus. It is found all over India except in the northwest and parts of Ganga Plain. The size is medium to large sized. They can occur at an elevation of 2500 mts and prefer to live in low bushes and trees.

Common Cat Snake also by the name of Boiga trigonata. These are nocturnal in habit . These snakes prefer to spend the day time in cool place. The size of the snake is small to medium. It is found all over India up to an elevation of 3000 mts.

Dog-faced Water snake is named as Cerberus rhynchops. It is a medium sized snake and is found in the coastal tracts. They normally prefer to live in muddy and rocky areas in estuaries, mangrove swamps, salt pans and deserted creeks.

Common Krait also named as Bungarus caeruleus. These snakes are found almost all over India up to an elevation of 1700 mts. The habit of this snake is nocturnal. The size of this snake is medium and it has white thin bands on its body.

Banded Krait named as Bungarus caeruleus. These snakes have prominent yellow and black bands on its body. The size of the snake is medium. They are found in northeast India, Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. They can be found up to an elevation of 1500 mts.

Sleder Coral Snake also named as Callophis melanurus. This type of snake is found in all parts of the country except northeast India, Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. They can go up to an elevation of 1500 mts. It is small in size.

Indian Spectacled Cobra also known as Naja naja naja. They eat frog, toads, rodents, birds and small snakes. They can elevate of about 4000 mts. The size is medium to large. They are found all over India.

Indian Monocled Cobra is also named as Naja naja kaouthia. The habit of these snakes is nocturnal. They are found in northeast parts of India Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal. They are medium-sized snakes.

King Cobra is also names as Ophiophagus hannah. This type of snakes have distinct cross bands on its forebody. These are large sized snakes. The length of these snakes is up to 5 mts in length. They are found in dense forests of South India Himalayan foothills, Orissa, Bihar, West Bengal and North east India up to an elevation of 2000 mts.

Hook-nosed Sea Snake is also named as Enhydrina schistosa. The body of these snakes is flattened body and tail. The size is medium sized. They are found along the coast and coastal islands. Seasonally they are also found in deep sea though they prefer coastal areas.

Russell's Viper named as Vipera russellii. The ya re found all over India in plains as well as hills up to an elevation of about 3000 mts. The size of the snake is medium to large. They have bright patterns on its body.

Saw-scaled Viper is named as Echis carinatus. They can occur in area as high as 2000 mts. In northwestern Himalayas. Usually a small sized snake and is found all over India mainly in the plains.

Bamboo Pit Viper is also named as Trmeresurus gramineus. Found in the hills of central and eastern India. It prefers cold, thick vegetation along watercourses and bamboos and other dense foliage. They are smaller in size and have triangular head.

These were 30 out of 200 different types of snakes found in India. There are even other types of snakes some of them are 1. Slender Worm Snake (Typhilina porrectus) 2. Pied-belly Shield-tail Snake (Melanophidium punctatum) 3. Nilgiri Shield-tail Snake(Uropeltis ocellatus) 4.Regal Python (Python reticulatus) 5. Khasi Earth Snake (Stoliczkaia khasiensis) 6. Olive Forest Snake (Rhabdops olivaceus) 7. Glossy Marsh Snake (Gerarda prevostiana).

Poisonous Snakes of India

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The Indian (Monocled) Cobra - Naja naja kaouthia

Distinctive Features: Medium-sized; smooth, shiny scales; wide head and neck; distinctive hood marking different from that of the spectacled cobra.

Description: The skin of the Monocled Cobra is shinier, the hood rounder and smaller and the head smaller than is that of the spectacled cobra. The colour varies widely, from yellowish to greenish brown to black, with ragged bands. There is a conspicuous white monocle on the hood. The underside is yellowish white Monocled Cobras superficially resemble Spectacled Cobras, but there are many small differences.

Distribution: Monocled Cobras are a sub-species most commonly found in northwest India, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa and the Andamans, all of Bengal and Assam.

Russells Viper - Vipera russellii

Distinctive Features: Medium-sized to large; strongly keeled scales; distinctive bright chain pattern; large triangular head.

Description: Russells Vipers are heavy, rough-scaled snakes with vertical eye pupils and generally a very bright pattern. The body colour is usually brown or yellowish and the pattern is composed of dark, round spots edged with white and black. The underside is white in the western, partly speckled in the southeastern and heavily speckled in the northeastern race. Colour variation is common, and the best recognition characters are the short, fat body, the triangular-shaped head and very regular chain like pattern. Russells vipers resemble the fat, harmless common sand boas which however have shorter and blunter tails and irregular body patterns. The bright symmetrical spots on Russells Viper's backs make them easy to differentiate. Russells Vipers are one of the big Four dangerous snakes of India. The other large Indian viper is the Levantine Viper, a heavy brown snake found in parts of Kashmir which grows to 11/2 m.

Distribution: Hills and plains throughout India upto 3,000 m.

Saw-Scaled Viper - Echis carinatus

Distinctive Features: small; strongly keeled scales; head wider than neck; dull colour; cross mark on top f head distinctive.

Description: A rough scaled snake with large eyes, wider head than neck and stocky body. The scales are heavily keeled. The body is brown, grayish or sandy with a darker zigzag pattern on the back and a distinct cross or lance mark on the head. The underside is white with brown speckles. The tail is short and stubby. Saw-scaled Vipers are the smallest of the Big Four venomous snakes and are less of the threat to man in South India because of the small size of the southern type. The northern for, however, grows large enough to be a potentially dangerous member of the Big four.

Distribution: Throughout India, mostly on the plains. In northwest India, Saw-scaled Vipers are reported from upto 2000m ion the hills. They are plentiful in certain area such as Ratnagiri District in Maharashtra, parts of Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadir and Andhra Pradesh.

Common Krait - Bungarus caeruleus

Distinctive Features: Medium-sized; smooth, glossy scales; head slightly wider than neck: jet-black, usually with distinct white cross lines.

Description: Common Kraits are smooth, glossy bluish-black snakes with the rounded head slightly distinct from the neck. The body colour varies from a dark steely blue-black in a specimen which has freshly shed its skin to a pale faded bluish grey in one just about to shed. There are normally about 40 thin white cross bands. The young and some adults may have white spots along the first third of the backbone in place of the cross lines. This variation as well as uniform black variants appear in certain geographic races. The underside is white. Common Kraits are often confused with wolf snakes (Lycodon sp.) which are much smaller, with flat, somewhat pointed heads. The Common Krait is the best known of the 6 Krait species found in India and one of the big Four dangerous snakes. Besides the Common and Banded Krait, the other krait are rare and confined to the eastern Himalayas and Assam.

Distribution: Most of India including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands: sea level up to 1700 m. uncommon in Bengal, Assam and Orissa, where the Banded Krait is found

Poisonous Snakes of India - SLENDER CORAL SNAKE- CALLOPHIS MELANURUS

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Distinctive Features: small, slender; smooth, shiny scales: blunt, black head; tail black, scarlet and blue.

Description: The Slender Coral Snake is light brown and family speckled. The head and neck are black with two conspicuous yellow spots on the top of the head. There is a ragged black ring at the tail-base and at the tail-up. The underside is uniform pinkish-red (coral), bright scarlet at vent, and the underside of the tail is bluish. The head is blunt and has the same width as the neck; the scales are smooth and slightly glossy. Slender Coral Snakes are one of the 5 Indian coral snakes. The other 4 are hill forest species of the Western Ghats and eastern Himalayas.

Distribution: Reported from the most parts of India on the plains, except central and northwestern India. MacClelland's Coral Snake is found up to 4000 m in the Himalayas.

Poisonous Snakes of India - BANDED KRAIT- BUNGARUS FASCIATUS

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Distinctive Features: Medium-sized to large; smooth, shiny scales: wide bright yellow and black bands on back.

Description: The Banded Krait is a large, conspicuous yellow and black banded snake with a prominent backbone, blunt tail and rounded head slightly distinct from the body. The bands are faded on the underside.

Distribution: Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and reported in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Found upto 1500 m above sea level.

Poisonous Snakes of India- KING KCOBRA - OPHIOPHAGUS HANNAH

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Distinctive Features: Large; smooth, shiny scales; distinct light cross bands mainly on the forebody; large head scales edges with black.

Description: The large head of the giant King Cobra is little wider than the neck. The head scales are edged with black and the overall colour varies from yellowish to deep olive-green but the tail if often jet-black. The underside is a lighter shade of the body colour. The yellow bands on the snake's back are more obvious in the light coloured specimens from Orissa and UTTAR PRADESH. King Cobras are the largest venomous snakes in the world.

Distribution: Rare in India, King Cobras are confined mostly to the dense forests of the Western Ghats and the northern hill forests. Nilgiris, Plains and Western Ghats upto GOA, the Himalayan foot hills (upto 2000 m) starting near Lahore in Pakistan through North Indian to Assam. Forests of Orissa, Bihar, WEST BENGAL and the Andamans.

Poisonous Snakes of India - INDIAN (SPECTACLED) COBRA - NAJA NAJA NAJA

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Distinctive Features: Medium-sized to large; smooth, shiny scales; wide head and neck; wide black band on underside of neck; distinctive hood marking on top of neck.

Description: The Spectacled Cobra is a smooth-scaled snake with black eyes, wide neck and head and medium body. Colouring varies form black or dark brown to yellowish white. The underside is usually white or yellowish with a wide dark neck band. The body is generally covered with a speckled white or yellow pattern, sometimes forming ragged bands. The famous hood marking of the classic design, shows a connected pair of rings. Occasionally, it may not even resemble spectacles, or may be altogether absent. The cobras of northwest INDIA are blackish and have a barely distinguishable hood marking. Cobras are often confused with the Indian rat snakes, which have a much thinner neck and head, and become 3 metres long, a metre more than do the biggest Indian cobras.

The Spectacled Cobra is the most widely distributed of the generally accepted 3 sub -species of cobras in Indian and is one of the big four dangerous snakes, 6 species of cobras occur in Asia and 9 in Africa. The jet black cobras occur in Asia and 9 in Africa. The jet black cobra of northwest India and Pakistan is another sub-species or geographic race. Except for its colour and absence of hood marking, it is very similar to the spectacled Cobra.

Distribution: Throughout India, sea level upto 4000 m (in the Himalayas)

Snakes of India - Street-side Snake Charmer

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A street side SNAKE dances his cobra

List of snakes of South Asia

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The following is a list of snakes of South Asia, primarily covering the region covered by mainland India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, parts of Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Island chains. All families are covered except for the Colubridae which is found here.This forms part of the complete list of reptiles of South Asia.

Order Squamata - suborder Serpentes

Family Typhlopidae

Brahminy Blind Snake (Ramphotyphlops braminus) Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Giant blind snake (Typhlops diardii) Northeast India, Bangladesh, China, Indo-China, Myanmar, Thailand, Malay region
Pied blind snake (Typhlops leucomelas) Sri Lanka
Jan's blind snake (Typhlops mirus) Sri Lanka
Slender blind snake (Typhlops porrectus) Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
Typhlops exiguus
Typhlops beddomii
Typhlops andamanesis
Rhinotyphlops acutus
Ramphotyphlops exocoeti
(Typhlops tindalli)
(Typhlops thurstoni)
(Typhlops tenuicollis)
(Typhlops pammeces)
(Typhlops oligolepis)
(Typhlops oatesii)
(Typhlops meszoelyi)
(Typhlops loveridgei)
(Typhlops jerdoni)
(Typhlops fletcheri)

Family Cylindrophiidae

Sri Lankan pipe snake Cylindrophis maculata Sri Lanka

Family Uropeltidae

Palni Shieldtail Snake Brachyophidium rhodogaster
Two-lined Black Shieldtail Melanophidium bilineatum
Beddome's Black Shieldtail Melanophidium punctatum
Indian Black Earth Snake Melanophidium wynaudense
Travancore Hills Thorntail Snake Platyplectrurus madurensis
Lined Thorntail Snake Platyplectrurus trilineatus
Kerala Shieldtail Plectrurus aureus
Kanara Shieldtail Plectrurus canaricus
Günther's Burrowing Snake Plectrurus guentheri
Nilgiri Burrowing Snake Plectrurus perroteti
Cardamom Hills Earth Snake Rhinophis fergusonianus
Schneider's Earth Snake Rhinophis oxyrhynchus
Salty Earth Snake Rhinophis sanguineus
Travancore Shieldtail Rhinophis travancoricus
Purple-red Earth Snake Teretrurus sanguineus
Madurai Earth Snake Uropeltis arcticeps
Beddome's Earth Snake Uropeltis beddomii
Brougham's Earth Snake Uropeltis broughami
Ceylon Earth Snake Uropeltis ceylanicus
Sirumalai Hills Earth Snake Uropeltis dindigalensis
Elliot's Earth Snake Uropeltis ellioti
Günther's Earth Snake Uropeltis liura
Bombay Earth Snake Uropeltis macrolepis
Anaimalai Earth Snake Uropeltis macrorhynchus
Spotted Earth Snake Uropeltis maculatus
Boulenger's Earth Snake Uropeltis myhendrae
Southern Earth Snake Uropeltis nitidus
Ocellated Shieldtail Uropeltis ocellatus
Shieldtail Earth Snake Uropeltis petersi
Phipson's Shieldtail Uropeltis phipsonii
Indian Earth Snake Uropeltis pulneyensis
Red-lined Earth Snake Uropeltis rubrolineatus
Red-spotted Earth Snake Uropeltis rubromaculatus
Smith's Earth Snake Uropeltis smithi
Woodmason's Earth Snake Uropeltis woodmasoni

Family Acrochordidae

Wart snake Acrochordus granulatus India, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Timor

Family Boidae

Common sand boa Gongylophis conicus Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
Red sand boa Eryx johnii India, Pakistan
Whitaker's sand boa Eryx whitakeri Southwest India
Indian rock python Python molurus Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Java
Reticulated python Python reticulatus India (Arunachal Pradesh, Nicobars), Myanmar, China, Indo-China, Malay region

Family Xenopeltidae

Sunbeam snake Xenopeltis unicolor India (Nicobars), Myanmar, Thailand, China, Indo-China, Malay region

Family Elapidae

Bungarus fasciatus, the Banded Krait

Andamans krait Bungarus andamanensis India (Andamans)
Common Indian krait Bungarus caeruleus Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan krait Bungarus ceylonicus Sri Lanka
Banded krait Bungarus fasciatus Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Indo-China, China, Malay region
Sindh krait Bungarus sindanus Pakistan, India
Northeastern Hill Krait Bungarus bungaroides
Lesser Black Krait Bungarus lividus
Greater Black Krait Bungarus niger
Beddome's Coral Snake Calliophis beddomei
MacClelland's coral snake Calliophis macclellandi Nepal, India, Myanmar, Indo-China, Taiwan
Slender coral snake Calliophis melanurus Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka
Black Coral Snake Calliophis nigrescens
Bibron's Coral Snake Calliophis bibroni

Monocled cobra Naja kaouthia Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Indo-China, China
Spectacled cobra Naja naja Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
Black cobra Naja oxiana Central Asia, Pakistan, India
Andaman cobra Naja sagittifera India (Andamans)
King cobra Ophiophagus hannah India, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Indo-China, Malay region, Philippines

Family Hydrophiidae

Spine-tailed seasnake Aipysurus eydouxii (Gray, 1849)
Large-headed sea snake Astrotia stokesii (Gray, 1846) Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malay region
Yellow-and-black sea snake Atretium schistosum India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka
Olive-Headed Seasnake Disteira major (Shaw, 1802)
Disteira nigrocincta (Daudin, 1803)
Wall's Sea Snake Disteira walli Kharin, 1989
Beaked Seasnake or Hook-nosed sea snake Enhydrina schistosa (Daudin, 1803) Persian Gulf, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indo-China, Malay peninsula
Faint-Banded Seasnake Hydrophis belcheri (Gray, 1849)
Peters' Sea Snake Hydrophis bituberculatus Peters, 1872
Hydrophis brooki Günther, 1872
Blue sea snake Hydrophis caerulescens Shaw, 1802 Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, China, Malay region
Annulated Sea Snake Hydrophis cyanocinctus Daudin, 1803
Banded sea snake Hydrophis fasciatus (Schneider, 1799) Pakistan, India, Myanmar, Malay region
Hydrophis inornatus (Gray, 1849)
Kloss' Sea Snake Hydrophis klossi Boulenger, 1912
Black-headed sea snake Hydrophis mammilaris Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka
Black-banded sea snake Hydrophis nigrocinctus India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar
Estuarine sea snake Hydrophis obscurus India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar
Cochin banded sea snake Hydrophis ornatus Persian Gulf, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malay region, Indo-China, China
Persian Gulf Sea Snake Hydrophis lapemoides (Gray, 1849)
Slender-Necked Seasnake Hydrophis melanocephalus (Gray, 1849)
Yellow Sea Snake Hydrophis spiralis (Shaw, 1802)
Collared Sea Snake Hydrophis stricticollis Günther, 1864
Jerdon's sea snake Kerilia jerdonii India, Sri Lanka, Malay peninsula
Bighead Sea Snake Kolpophis annandalei (Laidlaw, 1901)
Short sea snake Lapemis curtus (Shaw, 1802) Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Malay region, Indo-China
Yellow-lipped sea krait Laticauda colubrina India, East of the islands of the Sundas
Laticauda laticaudata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Hardwicke's Spine-Bellied Seasnake Lapemis hardwickii Gray, 1834
Annulated sea snake Leioselasma cyanocincta Persian Gulf, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malay region
Yellow sea snake Leioselasma spiralis Persian Gulf, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Malay region
Microcephalophis cantoris
Slender narrow-headed sea snake Microcephalophis gracilis Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malay region, China
Yellow-bellied Sea snake Pelamis platurus
Thalassophina viperina
Anomalous Sea Snake Thalassophis anomalus

Family Viperidae

Russel's viper Daboia russelii

Common hump-nosed pit viper Hypnale hypnale

Himalayan pit viper Gloydius himalayanus India, Pakistan, Nepal
Levantine viper Macrovipera lebetina Middle East, Pakistan
Russel's viper Daboia russelii Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Indo-China, islands of Java, Komodo, Flores, Indonesia
Indian saw-scaled viper Echis carinatus Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
Echis megalocephalus
Common hump-nosed pit viper Hypnale hypnale India, Sri Lanka
Millard's hump-nosed pit viper Hypnale nepa Sri Lanka
Wall's hump-nosed pit viper Hypnale walli Sri Lanka
Blotched pit viper Ovophis monticola Bangladesh, India, Nepal
Brown spotted pit viper Protobothrops mucrosquamatus India, Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Vietnam
Protobothrops jerdonii
White-lipped pit viper Trimeresurus albolabris India, Nepal, Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Sumatra, Java, Lesser Sundas up to Timor
Anderson's pit viper Trimeresurus andersonii India (Andamans)
Bamboo pit viper Trimeresurus gramineus Nepal, India
Large-scaled green pit viper Trimeresurus macrolepis Southwest India
Malabar rock pit viper Trimeresurus malabaricus Southwest India
Tibetan pit viper Trimeresurus tibetanus Tibet, Nepal
Trimeresurus stejnegeri
Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus
Pope's Pit Viper Trimeresurus popeiorum
Medo Pit Viper Trimeresurus medoensis
Trimeresurus labialis
Trimeresurus erythrurus
Cantor's Pit Viper Trimeresurus cantori
Pseudocerastes persicus

Indian Snakes

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Indian subcontinent boasts of housing approximately 10 percent of the total snake species found in the world, adding up to somewhere around 200 species in number. From warm seas to semi-deserts, swamps, lakes and even the Himalayan glaciers, one can find snakes in almost all the habitats in India. The snakes of India range from Worm Snakes, about 10 cm in length, to the King Cobra, measuring upto 6 m. In the following lines, we have mentioned the four most popular species of Indian snakes:

Cobra
Cobra, scientifically known as Naja naja, is one of the poisonous snake species native to the Indian subcontinent. It grows to an average height of 1 m and has two circular ocelli patterns on the rear of its hood. These patterns seem to be connected by a curved line, giving the look of spectacles.

King Cobra
Indian King cobra snake belongs to the Ophiophagus Genus and is scientifically known as Ophiophagus Hannah. It is believed to be the largest poisonous terrestrial snake, measuring upto 5.7 m in length. However, the weight of a King cobra rarely exceeds 44 lb (20 kg).

Python
Python snake, also known as Ajgar, is one of the most massively built snakes of the Indian subcontinent. It belongs to the Boidae Family and is dependent on water to quite an extent. One of the unique features of the Rock pythons of India is that they can raise their body temperature above the ambient level, through muscular contractions.

Russells Viper
Russells Viper is known by a number of other names, like Daboia, Tic Polonga, etc. A highly poisonous snake of the Viperidae family, it is scientifically known as Vipera russelli. Indian Russell's viper is responsible for most of the snakebite deaths within its habitat.

Apart from the above-mentioned species, the following types of snakes are also commonly found in India:

Saw Scaled Viper
Purple Pit Viper
Krait
Flower Snake
Common Rat Snake

Snakes From Wild India

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Russells Viper

Snakes are COLD BLOODED legless reptiles, closely related to lizards, which share the order Squamata. There is also one species of LEGLESS LIZARD which superficially resemble snakes, but are not otherwise related to them. A love of snakes is called ophiophilia, a fear of snakes is called ophidiophobia (or snakephobia), a specialist in snakes is an ophiologist.

There are over 270 species of snakes in India out of which about 60 are venomous. In size, color and habits they can be very different from each other.

Snake Senses

Snakes have good vision especially KING COBRA and the tree snakes, but most of them are near-sighted like borrowing snakes and the others. Of course, all are colour-blind. They do not have eye-lid to cover their eye.

Snakes can smell pretty well mainly by their sensitive tongue,but not much by their nostrils. The tongue picks up the odours/molecules in the air and the Jacobson's organ above the mouth will make out what the odour is.

Snakes like Pythons & Pit Vipers have heat sensing pits, which helps in detect warm-blooded animals like rodents & birds in absolute darkness.

Venomous Snakes

Venom is a prey-immobilizing substance in snakes that is used secondarily as a defense system. Venom is not composed of a single substance, but is a toxic saliva consisting of a complex mixture of chemicals called enzymes. Almost all venoms are composed of approximately 90% proteins. Two general types of toxins are known, neurotoxins and hemotoxins.

Hemotoxin (blood toxin) : Hemotoxic venom attacks the circulatory system and muscle tissue causing excessive scarring, gangrene, and sometimes leads to amputation of the affected area. This venom basically destroys tissue and blood cells. In addition to killing the prey, part of the function of a hemotoxic venom for some animals is to aid digestion. The venom breaks down protein in the region of the bite, making prey easier to digest.ex : VIPERS

Neurotoxin (nerve toxin) : Neurotoxic venom attacks the victim's central nervous system and usually result in heart failure and/or breathing difficulties or even total respiratory paralysis. eg: COBRAS, KRAITS, CORAL SNAKES.

Some snakes have venom that is both hemotoxic and neurotoxic.

Snakes Classification

Water Snakes

As their name suggests, watersnakes spend most of their time in water. They eat frogs and fish. None of the Indian freshwater snakes are venomous however sea snakes are very venomous. Some fresh water snakes have mild venom to help them catch their prey. But the venom is not harmful to man.

Watersnakes are average-sized snakes: not too thin and not too fat. They do not move fast on land like tree snakes but take their time getting around. Once in the water, however, they are strong, swift swimmers.

KEELBACK and Olive Keelback
DOG FACED WATER SNAKE

Land Sankes

RAT SNAKE
PYTHON
COBRAS

Burrowing Snakes

Burrowing snakes live underground. Of course, there are also other snakes that go underground to escape the heat of the sun and to hide from predators. But burrower’s are the only ones that can dig their own holes. The other has to depend on the holes made by crabs, rats and termites. The burrowing snake’s skull is as powerful as the point of a crowbar. Its stocky body and strong neck muscles make it easy for the snake to bulldoze its way through soft soil. The species from the hills are so dependent on remaining cool that they often die in a human hand (Which usually has a temperature of about 37º C).

There are three groups of burrowing snakes in India:

Small WORM SNAKES (often mistaken for worms)
SHEILDTAILS or uropeltids
SAND BOAS

Snakes In India

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Of the over 2000 species of snakes in the world, about 200 are found in India. These range from the worm snakes having a length of about 10 cms. to those more than 6 mts. long. They live in almost all habitats from the warm seas to semi-deserts, swamps, lakes and even in the Himalayan glaciers up to an elevation of about 5000 mts. Thirty main species of Indian snakes have been discribed here.

Common Worm Snake

( Typhlina bramina): A small worm-like snake found all over India. In the hills, it lives up to an elevation of 1000 mts.

Perrotet's Shield-tail Snake

(Plectrurus perroteti): A small snake found in the hills along the west coast of India, i.e., The Western Ghats, Nilgiri and Annamalai hills.

Indian Rock Python

(Python molurus): A large thick-bodied snake found in many parts of India. It ranges from the mangrove forest to arid scrublands and dense rain forest of the eastern Himalayas up to an elevation of about 2000 mts.

Common Sand Boa

(Eryx conicus): A short thick-bodied snake found in the plains and low hills of India. They are nocturnal and hunt after dark.

Red Sand Boa

(Eryx johnii): A medium-sized snake with a very blunt tail. It is found in the drier tracts of the country.

Common Wolf Snake

(Lycodon aulicus): A small slender snake found throughout India. In the hills, it occurs at an elevation of about 2000 mts.

Banded Kukri

(Oligodon arnesis): A small snake with prominent cross bands on its body. Found all over India and up to an elevation of 200 mts. in the eastern Himalayan.

Stripped Keelback

(Amaphiesma stalata): A small to medium-sized snake that is closely related to and resembles the water snake. Found all over India and up to an elevation of 2000 mts. in the hill.

Green Keelback

(Macropisthodon plumbicolor): A medium-sized keelscaled snake found in the forested region of India up to an elevation of 1500 mts.

Checkered Keelback Watersnake

(Xenochropis piscator): A medium-sized keeled snake found all over India up to an elevation of about 3000 mts.

Olive Keelback Watersnake

(Altritium schistosum): A small to medium-sized snake found in central and peninsular India up to an elevation about 1000 mts.

Trinket Snake

(Elaphe halena): A medium-sized, slender snake found all over India up to an elevation of about 4000 mts. in the Himalayas.

Rat Snake

(Ptyas muscosus): A large-scaled snake found all over India up to an elevation of about 4000 mts. It is capable of adapting to almost any environment. They are prodigal rat-eaters.

Banded Racer

(Argyrogena fasicolatus): A small to medium-sized snake found in the plains of India. It prefers to live amongst tall grass and bushes.

Royal Snake

(Spalerosophis diadema): A medium to large-sized snake found in the drier tracts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu hills and Himachal Pradesh up to an elevation of 2000 mts.

Bronze-back Tree Snake

(Dendrelaphis tristis): A medium-sized slender snake found all over India up to an elevation of 2000 mts. in the Himalayas. They prefer low bushes and thorny trees.

Flying Snake

(Chrysopelea ornata): A small to medium-sized snake found in the forest of southwest India and northeastern parts of the country north of Bihar and Orissa. They prefer to live on large trees and appear to glide for some distance.

Vine Snake

(Ahaetulla nasutus): A medium to large-sized snake found all over India, except in the northwest and parts of the Ganga plain. They may occur at elevation of about 2500 mts. preferring low bushes and trees.

Common Cat Snake

(Boiga trigonata): A small to medium-sized snake found all over India up to an elevation of 3000 mts. in the Himalayas. They are nocturnal in habit and prefer to spend the daylight hours in a cool place.

Dog-faced Watersnake

(Cerberus rhynchops): A medium-sized snake found in the coastal tracts. They live in muddy and rocky areas in estuaries, mangrove swamps, salt pans and deserted creeks.

Common Krait

(Bungarus caeruleus): A medium-sized snake with thin white bands on its body. Found almost all over India up to elevation of about 1700 mts. They are nocturnal in habit.

Banded Krait

(Bungarus caeruleus): A medium to large-sized snake with prominent yellow and black bands on its body. Found in northeast India, Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh up to an elevation of 1500 mts.

Sleder Coral Snake

(Callophis melanurus): A small slender snake found in most parts of the country except parts of central and northeast India, Bihar, Orissa, Madhya pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradseh up to an Elevation of 1500 mts.

Indian Spectacled Cobra

(Naja naja naja): A medium to large-sized snake found all over India up to an elevation of about 4000 mts. in the Himalayas. They feed on frogs, toads, rodents, birds and small snakes.

Indian Monocled Cobra

(Naja naja kaouthia): A medium-sized snake found in northeast

India, parts of Uttar Pradesh , Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal. They are mainly nocturnal in habit.

King Cobra

(Ophiophagus hannah): A large-sized snake that may be up to 5 mt. in length . It has distinct cross bands on its forebody. Found in dense forests of South India, Himalayan foothills up to an elevation of 2000 mt., Orissa , Bihar, West Bengal and North east India.

Hook-nosed Sea Snake

(Enhydrina schistosa): A medium-sized snake with a flattened body and tail. Found along the coast and coastal islands. They are seasonally found in the deep sea though they prefer coastal areas.

Russell's Viper

(Vipera russellii) : A medium to large-sized snake with a characteristic bright pattern on its body. Found all over India, both in the plains and hills up to an elevation of about 3000 mts.

Saw-scaled Viper

(Echis carinatus): A small-sized snake found all over India, usually in the plains. They may occur in areas as high as 2000 mt. in the northwestern Himalayas.

Bamboo Pit Viper
(Trmeresurus gramineus): A small-sized snake with a triangular head. Found in the hills of central and eastern India. It prefers cold, thick vegetation along watercourses and bamboos and other dense foliage.

Some Other Common Snakes Of India

1. Slender Worm Snake (Typhilina porrectus)

2. Pied-belly Shield-tail Snake (Melanophidium punctatum)

3. Nilgiri Shield-tail Snake(Uropeltis ocellatus)

4.Regal Python (Python reticulatus)

5. Khasi Earth Snake (Stoliczkaia khasiensis)

6. Olive Forest Snake (Rhabdops olivaceus)

7. Glossy Marsh Snake (Gerarda prevostiana)

Brown Cat Snake

2009-04-11T01:39:00.000-07:00

This 1.3 metre adult was found at an altitude of around 800 metres in the Gobe area, Southern Highlands Province, PNG.

Family : COLUBRIDAE
Species : Boiga irregularis
Maximum Size : 2.3 metres

The Brown Cat Snake is Papua New Guinea's only species of Boiga, a genus more commonly associated with Southeast Asia. It occurs in a wide range of habitats including cultivated areas, mangroves and forests up to an altitude of 1400 metres.

The images shown here are of a 1.3 metre specimen encountered at night along a quiet road through primary forests in the Gobe area of Southern Highlands Province, PNG at an altitude of around 800 metres. The typical strike pose is a warning of the temperament of this frequently aggressive species.

The species is identified by its brownish colour, generally with darker barring, its large head and large eyes with vertical pupil.

Its varied diet includes other vertebrates such as frogs, lizards, nesting or sleeping birds and smaller mammals.

The Brown Cat Snake is notorious for reasons wholly due to one of mankind's tragic ecological mistakes. At the end of the Pacific War in 1945 the species is believed to have hitched a ride with U.S. military equipment being back-loaded from the PNG island of Manus to the Pacific island of Guam. There it multiplied rapidly forcing the extinction of numerous species of vertebrate, particularly the island's unique flightless birds.

The Brown Tree Snake is widely distributed throughout its natural range of PNG and Papua (formerly Irian Jaya). Its range extends westwards to the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi and the Moluccas, and southwards to parts of Australia.

New Guinea Death Adder

2009-04-11T01:36:00.000-07:00

This 45 cm roadkill specimen is from the Gobe area of Southern Highlands Province, PNG, at an elevation of 900 metres.

Above the eyes, the raised supraocular scales form two distinctive 'horns'.

Family : ELAPIDAE
Species : Acanthophis sp.
Maximum Size : 1 metre

Death Adders occur in a variety of habitats including various forest types from sea level to around 1800 metres, grasslands, plantations and gardens. They lie well-concealed amongst leaf-litter or grasses : if trodden upon they will not hesitate to strike, and fatalities from Death Adder bites are a reality in much of rural Papua New Guinea.

Though the various Acanthophis species are considered largely nocturnal, the roadkill specimen shown here had ventured onto a remote road in the late afternoon before being crushed by a vehicle.

The genus is unmistakable in its appearance : the head is triangular and viper-like, the body short and thick and the tail short. The eyes are moderate in size, and above each a raised 'horn' is generally present (a modified supraocular scale). The scales are smooth or mildly keeled.

Dorsal patterning and colouration is variable, ranging from brownish to greyish often with pale banding. The underside is generally pale, sometimes with dark spots.

Death Adders will wriggle their short tail to lure their prey, which includes lizards, birds and small mammals.

The various Acanthophis species are widespread in PNG, and range further afield to Indonesian Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), the Aru Islands and parts of Australia.

Olive Sea Snake

2009-04-11T01:35:00.000-07:00

The paddle-shaped tail is typical of all true sea snakes.

Photographed in the Coral Sea, south of Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 20 metres.

Family : HYDROPHIIDAE
Species : Aipysurus laevis
Maximum Size : 2 metres

The Olive Sea Snake is perhaps the commonest true sea snake in the tropical waters south of Papua New Guinea. It inhabits coral reefs and rocky coastlines to depths of up to 45 metres.

The upper body is purplish grey or dark brown, and the head light to medium brown. Commonly, though not always, there are creamy scales along the body. The head is short and of equal width as the stocky body. The nostrils are valved, thus preventing water ingress. The tail is paddle-shaped with a raised ridge running along its length. The eyes are small.

As with all true sea snakes, live young are born at sea. Adults need to surface every half an hour to breathe fresh air. The species feeds on fish and crustaceans, and is active both day and night.

Sea Snakes are highly venomous and should be treated with caution, though in reality they are generally not aggressive in temperament. Bites from the Olive Sea Snake are rare.

The Olive Sea Snake occurs in the Timor Sea, throughout the northern and north-eastern coasts of Australia, and in the Coral Sea and other areas south of Papua New Guinea.

Ophidiophobia

2009-04-11T01:30:00.000-07:00

The fear of snakes is possibly the most common subcategory of herpetophobia, or fear of reptiles. Some researchers believe that the fear may be evolutionary, developed by our ancestors as a survival mechanism. This theory, however, would not explain why snake phobias are relatively common, while fears of predatory animals, such as tigers, are rare. More recent research shows that while the tendency to pay close attention to snakes may be evolutionary, the actual fear is learned rather than innate.

Symptoms of Ophidiophobia

The fear of snakes can be tricky to diagnose, as symptoms can vary widely between sufferers. If you have mild ophidiophobia, you may fear only encounters with large or venomous snakes. If your phobia is more severe, you may be afraid of smaller snakes as well. You may even be unable to look at photographs or television shows in which snakes appear.

It is important to distinguish between ophidiophobia and herpetophobia. If you are also afraid of lizards, from small geckos to six-foot Komodo dragons, then your phobia is more properly termed herpetophobia.

Your symptoms may include, but are not limited to, shaking, crying or running away from snakes. You may experience heart palpitations or have difficulty breathing. You may find it difficult or even impossible to remain in the same room as a snake.

Effects of Ophidiophobia

Ophidiophobia can be insidious. Over time, you may begin to fear things that are not directly related to snakes themselves. For example, you may become afraid of pet stores that offer snakes for sale. You may avoid camping or hiking trips, or even zoos and nature preserves. You may also develop a secondary fear of other reptiles.

Diagnosing Ophidiophobia

It is normal to be nervous or unsure around unfamiliar animals. In addition, there are a number of common myths about snakes. If you have never handled one, you may be nervous that it will be slimy or disgusting or afraid that you will be crushed by a constrictor. These fears are common and can be dispelled simply by gaining more personal knowledge about the animals. The symptoms listed above, on the other hand, are out of proportion to normal nervousness and may indicate an actual phobia. Only a mental health professional, though, can make that determination.

Treating Ophidiophobia

The most common treatments for snake phobia are based on cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques. You may be encouraged to talk about your fear and taught new messages to replace your fearful self-talk. You may also be slowly exposed to snakes, beginning with photographs and gradually building up to a live encounter with a small snake in a controlled environment. Hypnosis is sometimes used to assist in relaxation.

Fortunately, ophidiophobia has an excellent chance for successful treatment. It is important, though, to choose a therapist that you feel you can trust to help you through this process.

Blind Snake

2009-04-11T01:27:00.000-07:00

Measuring 55 cm in length, this unusual looking Blind Snake was discovered at an elevation of 710 meters, near to primary forest in the Southern Highlands Province of PNG.

Family : TYPHLOPIDAE
Species : Typhlops sp. / Ramphotyphlops sp.
Specimen Size : 55 cm

There are reckoned to be at least 11 species of Blind Snake in Papua New Guinea, though doubtless the true species count is much greater. These are secretive, burrowing snakes which rarely come to the ground surface unless disturbed by earthworks or heavy rain.

Blind Snakes are instantly recognisable by their smooth, cylindrical profile, short tail, small head and tiny eyes : all features which have evolved to suit their burrowing habits. They are not totally blind, however, and are probably able to distinguish between light and dark. Blind Snakes feed mainly on the soft larvae and eggs of ants and termites.

There is a tale to tell about the specimen shown here. I was able to save it from almost certainly being crushed or killed so, hastily taking a few photos, I planned to store the snake overnight in a jar with a heavy, but loose lid and release it the next day. In the morning, hoping to take a closer look and more detailed photos, I was shocked to find the snake had escaped by forcing the lid upwards. It was never found again.

Subsequently I learned that this might be rather an unusual specimen. Based on these images, it is not possible to identify the species with any certainty - it could be Typhlops depressiceps, T. mcdowell, Ramphotyphlops angusticeps or R. multilineatus (Van Wallach, pers. comm.). Its patterning and colour is quite different, however, and it may represent an undescribed species - one of many certainly to be lurking somewhere in the forests of New Guinea.

Blind Snakes are distributed throughout PNG.

List of snakes in South Carolina

2009-03-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

This is a list of the known varieties of snakes in South Carolina

Non Venomous

Image	Binomial Name	Name	Map
	Carphophis amoenus amoenus	Eastern worm snake
	Cemophora coccinea copei	Scarlet snake
	Coluber constrictor	Black racer
	Diadophis punctatus edwardsii	Northern ringneck snake
	Diadophis punctatus punctatus	Southern ringneck snake
	Elaphe guttata guttata	Corn snake
	Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta	Black rat snake
	Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata	Yellow rat snake
	Farancia abacura abacura	Eastern mud snake
	Farancia erytrogramma erytrogramma	Rainbow snake
	Heterondon platirhinos	Eastern hognose snake
	Heterondon simus	Southern hognose snake
	Lampropeltis calligaster rhombomaculata	Mole king snake
	Lampropeltis getula getula	Eastern king snake
	Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides	Scarlet King Snake
	Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum	Eastern milk snake
	Masticophis flagellum flagellum	Eastern coachwhip
	Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster	Redbelly water snake
	Nerodia fasciata fasciata	Banded water snake
	Nerodia floridana	Florida green water snake
	Nerodia fasciata fasciata	Banded water snake
	Nerodia floridana	Florida green water snake
	Nerodia sipedon pleuralis	Midland water snake
	Nerodia sipedon sipedon	Northern water snake
	Nerodia taxispilota	Brown water snake
	Opheodrys aestivus	Rough green snake
	Pituophis melanoleucus	Pine snake
	Regina rigida rigida	Glossy crayfish snake
	Regina septemvittata	Queen snake
	Rhadinaea flavilata	Pine woods snake
	Seminatrix pygaea paludis	Carolina swamp snake
	Storeria dekayi	Brown snake
	Storeria occipitomaculata obscura	Florida redbelly snake
	Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata	Northern redbelly snake
	Tantilla coronata	Southeastern crowned snake
	Thamnophis sauritus sackenii	Peninsula ribbon snake
	Thamnophis sauritus sauritus	Eastern ribbon snake
	Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis	Eastern garter snake
	Virginia striatula	Rough earth snake
	Virginia valeriae valeriae	Eastern smooth earth snake

Venomous

Image	Binomial Name	Name	Map
	Agkistrodon contortrix	Copperhead snake
	Agkistrodon piscivorus	Cottonmouth snake
	Crotalus adamanteus	Eastern diamondback
	Crotalus horridus horridus	Timber rattlesnake
	Micrurus fulvius fulvius	Eastern coral snake
	Sistrurus miliarius barbouri	Dusky pigmy rattlesnake
	Sistrurus miliarius miliarius	Carolina pigmy rattlesnake

List of snakes in New Jersey

2009-03-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

This is a list of snakes known to be found in New Jersey, United States.

Non-venomous

Image	Binomial name	Name	Map
	Carphophis amoenus amoenus	eastern worm snake
	Cemophora coccinea copei	Northern Scarlet Snake
	Coluber constrictor constrictor	Northern Black Racer
	Diadophis punctatus punctatus	Southern Ringneck Snake
	Diadophis punctatus edwardsi	northern ringneck snake
	Elaphe guttata guttata	corn snake
	Elaphe obsoleta	black rat snake
	Heterodon platirhinos	eastern hognose snake
	Lampropeltis getula getula	eastern kingsnake
	Lampropeltis triangulum	"coastal plain" milk snake
	Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum	eastern milk snake
	Nerodia sipedon sipedon	northern water snake
	Opheodrys aestivus	rough green snake
	Opheodrys vernalis	smooth green snake
	Regina septemvittata	queen snake
	Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus	northern pine snake
	Storeria dekayi dekayi	northern brown snake
	Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata	northern red-bellied snake
	Thamnophis sauritus sauritus	eastern ribbon snake
	Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis	eastern garter snake
	Virginia valeriae valeriae	eastern smooth earth snake

Venomous

Image	Binomial name	Name	Map
	Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen	northern copperhead
	Crotalus horridus	timber rattlesnake

List of snakes in Missouri

2009-03-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is a list of known snakes in Missouri, United States.

Non-venomous snakes

Western Worm Snake Carphophis vermis

Northern Scarlet Snake Cemophora coccinea copei

Eastern Yellowbelly Racer Coluber constrictor flaviventris

Prairie Ring-necked Snake Diadophis punctatus arnyi

Great Plains Rat Snake Elaphe guttata

Black Rat Snake Elaphe obsoleta

Western Fox Snake Elaphe vulpina

Western Mud Snake Farancia abacura reinwardtii

Plains Hog-nosed Snake Heterodon nasicus nasicus

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake Heterodon platirhinos

Prairie Kingsnake Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster

Speckled Kingsnake Lampropeltis getula holbrooki

Red Milk Snake Lampropeltis triangulum syspila

Eastern Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum flagellum

Mississippi Green Water Snake Nerodia cyclopion

Yellow-bellied Water Snake Nerodia erythrogaster flavigaster

Broad-banded Water Snake Nerodia fasciata confluens

Diamond-backed Water Snake Nerodia rhombifer rhombifer

Northern Water Snake Nerodia sipedon sipedon

Rough Green Snake Opheodrys aestivus aestivus

Smooth Green Snake Opheodrys (Liochlorophis) vernalis

Bullsnake Pituophis catenifer sayi

Graham's Crayfish Snake Regina grahamii

Ground Snake Sonora semiannulata

Midland Brown Snake Storeria dekayi wrightorum

Northern Red-bellied Snake Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata

Flat-headed Snake Tantilla gracilus

Western Ribbon Snake Thamnophis proximus proximus

Plains Garter Snake Thamnophis radix

Eastern Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis

Lined Snake Tropidoclonian lineatum

Rough Earth Snake Virginia striatula

Western Earth Snake Virginia valeriae elegans

Venomous snakes

Osage Copperhead Agkistrodon contortrix phaeogaster

Western Cottonmouth Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma

Timber Rattlesnake Crotalus horridus

Western Pygmy Rattlesnake Sistrurus miliarius streckeri

Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Sistrurus catenatus catenatus

List of snakes in Minnesota

2009-03-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

This is a list of snake species known to be found in the state of Minnesota.

Non-Venomous

Image	Binomial Name	Name	Map
	Coluber constrictor flaviventris	Eastern Yellowbelly Racer
	Diadophis punctatus	Ringneck Snake
	Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta	Black Rat Snake
	Elaphe vulpina	Fox Snake
	Heterodon nasicus	Western Hognose Snake
	Heterodon platirhinos	eastern hognose snake
	Lampropeltis triangulum	Milk Snake
	Opheodrys vernalis	Smooth Green Snake
	Nerodia sipedon	Northern Water Snake
	Pituophis catenifer sayi	Bullsnake
	Storeria dekayi	Brown Snake
	Storeria occipitomaculata	Redbelly Snake
	Thamnophis radix	Plains Garter Snake
	Thamnophis sirtalis	Eastern Garter Snake
	Tropidoclonion lineatum	Lined Snake

Venomous

Image	Binomial Name	Name	Map
	Crotalus horridus	Timber Rattlesnake
	Sistrurus catenatus	Massasauga

List of snakes in Kansas

2009-03-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

This is a list of Kansas snakes, including Venomous as well as Non-Venomous snakes native to the state of Kansas.

Venomous species

Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) (very rare)
Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)
Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)
Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus)

Non-venomous species

Eastern Glossy Snake (Arizona elegans)
Western Worm Snake (Carphophis vermis)
Eastern Racer (Coluber constrictor)
Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus)
Western Hognose Snake (Heterodon nasicus)
Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)
Night Snake (Hypsiglena torquata)^MT
Prairie Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster)
Common Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula)
Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum)
New Mexico Blind Snake (Leptotyphlops dissectus)
Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum)
Plainbelly Water Snake (Nerodia erythrogaster)
Diamondback Water Snake (Nerodia rhombifer)
Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon)
Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus)
Great Plains Rat Snake (Pantherophis emoryi)
Western Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta)
Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer)
Graham's Crayfish Snake (Regina grahamii)
Longnose Snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei)
Ground Snake (Sonora semiannulata)
Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi)
Redbelly Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata)
Flathead Snake (Tantilla gracilis)
Plains Blackhead Snake (Tantilla nigriceps)
Checkered Garter Snake (Thamnophis marcianus)
Western Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus)
Plains Garter Snake (Thamnophis radix)
Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)
Lined Snake (Tropidoclonion lineatum)
Rough Earth Snake (Virginia striatula)
Smooth Earth Snake (Virginia valeriae)

^MT)This snake has enlarged grooved teeth near the back of the upper jaw and secretes a mildly toxic saliva to incapacitate its prey. However, it is not considered dangerous to humans.

List of snakes in Colorado

2009-03-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

This is a list of the known venomous and non-venomous snakes in Colorado, United States.

Non-Venomous Snakes

Blind Snake: Rare (Texas)New Mexican Blind Snake - Leptotyphlops d. dissectus (S.E. CO)

Glossy Snake: Secure Kansas Glossy Snake - Arizona e. elegans (E. CO) Painted Desert Glossy Snake - Arizona e. philipi (S.W. CO)

Racer: Common E. Yellow Bellied Racer - Coluber c. flaviventris (E. CO) W. Yellow Bellied Racer - Coluber c. mormon (W. CO)

Ringneck Snake: Secure Prairie Ringneck Snake - Diadophis p. arnyi (S.E. CO) Regal Ringneck Snake - Diadophis p. regalis (Note noted with hammerson, this could be a possible occurrence in extreme S.W. CO)

Great Plains Ratsnake: Common

Pantherophis g. emoryi Pantherophis g. intermontana(Valid subspecies?)

Western Hognose Snake: Nasicus is secure. Plains Hognose Snake - Heterodon n. nasicus (E. CO) E. Hognose Snake - Heterodon platirhinos (Extreme E. CO)

Night Snake: Secure Texas Nightsnake - Hypsiglena t. janii (S.E. CO) Mesa Verde Nightsnake - Hypsiglena t. loreala (W. CO)

Common Kingsnake: Uncommon Kingsnake Intergrade - Lampropeltis g. hoolbrooki/splendida(Speckled/Desert) S.E. CO California Kingsnake - Lampropeltis g. californiae (Extreme S.W. CO)

Milk Snake: Secure Utah Milksnake - Lampropeltis t. taylori (West-Central CO) Lampropeltis t. taylori/celaenops (Utah/New Mex) S.W. & South-Central CO Lampropeltis t. multistriata/gentilis(Pale/Central Plains) N.E. CO Central Plains Milksnake - Lampropeltis t. gentilis/ Rest of E. CO Note: Could be variants instead of subspecies.

Green Snake: Secure W. Smooth Green Snake - Liochlorophis vernalis blanchardi (Central to Western Slope)

Coachwhip: Common W. Coachwhip - Masticophis f. testaceus (East to South-Central to Southeastern CO) Red Coachwhip - Masticophis f. piceus ( This snake may occur in extreme S.W. Colorado, but there is no evidence to suggest such. The closest populations are in S.W. Utah. Striped Whipsnake: Common Desert Striped Whipsnake - Masticophis t. taeniatus (W. CO)

Watersnake: Secure Northern Watersnake - Nerodia s. sipedon (N.E. to S.W. CO)

Bullsnake/Gophersnake: Common Bullsnake - Pituophis c. sayi (Eastern Slope) Great Basin Gophersnake - Pituophis c. deserticola (Western Slope) Sonoran Gophersnake - Pituophis c. affinis ( Intergradation may occur with deserticola in Colorado)

Longnose Snake: Uncommon Texas Longnose Snake - Rhinocheilus l. tessellatus (S.E. CO)

Ground Snake: Secure W. Ground Snake - Sonora semiannulata (S.E. CO) Note: This could also occur in N.W. CO.

Black-headed Snake: Secure S.W. Black-headed Snake - Tantilla hobartsmithi (W. CO) Plains Black-headed Snake - Tantilla n. nigriceps (Eastern Slope)

Garter Snake: W. Blackneck Garter Snake - Thamnophis c. cyrtopsis (S.E. to S.W. CO) Uncommon Western Terrestrial Garter Snake - Thamnophis e. vagrans (Most of Colorado) Common W. Plains Garter Snake - Thamnophis r. haydenii (Eastern Slope) Common Red Sided Garter Snake - Thamnophis s. parietalis (North-Central to N.E. CO) Common Arid Land Ribbonsnake - Thamnophis p. diabolicus (S.E. CO) RARE!

Brown Snake: Rare(May be extirpated) Texas Brown Snake - Storeria d. texana (This species was reportedly found in Las Animas County by Arthur E. Beardsley(1883). This species may be extirpated, but fieldherping might yield specimens.

Lined Snake - Tropidoclonion l. lineatum (Generally Eastern Slope) Secure

Rubber Boa - Charina bottae (This species may occur in Colorado, but no substantial evidence suggest such, as of yet.)

Western Rattlesnake: Common Prairie Rattlesnake(Crotalus v. viridis) Most of the state. Midget Faded Rattlesnake(Crotalus v. concolor) Western Half of state.

Massasauga: Secure Western Massasauga(Integrade between S.c. edwardsii and S.c.tergeminus)

List of snakes in Georgia

2009-03-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

This is a list of the known snakes of Georgia.

Snakes

Non Venomous

Worm Snake (Carphophis amoenus)

Scarlet Snake (Cemophora coccinea)

Black Racer (Coluber constrictor)

Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus)

Indigo Snake (Drymarchon corais)

Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata)

Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta)

Mud Snake (Farancia abacura)

Rainbow Snake (Farancia erytrogramma)

Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)

Southern Hognose Snake (Heterodon simus)

Mole Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster)

Eastern Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula)

Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum)

Scarlet Kingsnake (Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides)

Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum)

Redbelly Water Snake (Nerodia erythrogaster)

Banded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata)

Green Water Snake (Nerodia floridana)

Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon)

Brown Water Snake (Nerodia taxispilota)

Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus)

Pine Snake (Pituophis melanoleucus)

Striped Crayfish Snake (Regina alleni)

Glossy Crayfish Snake (Regina rigida)

Queen snake (Regina septemvittata)

Pine Woods Snake (Rhadinaea flavilata)

Black Swamp Snake (Seminatrix pygaea)

Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi)

Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata)

Florida Brown Snake (Storeria victa)

Southeastern Crowned Snake (Tantilla coronata)

Central Florida Crowned Snake (Tantilla relicta)

Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus)

Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)

Rough Earth Snake (Virginia striatula)

Smooth Earth Snake (Virginia valeriae)

Venomous

Viper

Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)

Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus)

Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

Pigmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius)

Coral Snake

Coral Snake (Micrurus fulvius)

List of snakes in Arkansas

2009-03-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

This is a list of the known varieties of snakes in Arkansas

Non Venomous

Image	Binomial Name	Name	Map
	Cemophora coccinea copei	Northern Scarlet Snake
	Coluber constrictor ssp	Eastern Racer
	Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster	Prairie Kingsnake
	Lampropeltis getula holbrooki	Speckled Kingsnake
	Lampropeltis triangulum	Milk Snake
	Masticophis flagellum flagellum	Eastern Coachwhip
	Opheodrys aestivus	Rough Green Snake
	Pantherophis obsoletus	Western Rat Snake
	Pantherophis slowinskii	Slowinski's Corn Snake
	Sonora semiannulata	Ground Snake
	Tantilla gracilis	Flathead Snake
	Carphophis amoenus helenae	Midwest Worm Snake
	Carphophis vermis	Western Worm Snake
	Diadophis punctatus ssp.	Ringneck Snake
	Nerodia cyclopion	Mississippi Green Water Snake
	Nerodia erythrogaster ssp.	Plainbelly Water Snake
	Nerodia fasciata confluens	Broad-banded Water Snake
	Nerodia rhombifer rhombifer	Diamondback Water Snake
	Nerodia sipedon pleuralis	Midland Water Snake
	Regina grahamii	Graham's Crayfish Snake
	Regina rigida sinicola	Gulf crayfish snake
	Regina septemvittata	Queen Snake
	Storeria dekayi wrightorum	Midland Brown Snake
	Storeria occipitomaculata ssp	Redbelly Snake
	Thamnophis proximus proximus	Western Ribbon Snake
	Thamnophis sirtalis ssp.	Common Garter Snake
	Virginia striatula	Rough Earth Snake
	Virginia valeriae elegans	Western Earth Snake
	Farancia abacura reinwardtii	Western Mud Snake
	Heterodon platirhinos	Eastern Hognose Snake
	Pantherophis guttata	Eastern Corn Snake
	Pantherophis spiloides	Midland Rat Snake
	Pituophis catenifer sayi	Bullsnake
	Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus	Northern Pine Snake
	Tropidoclonion lineatum	Lined Snake

Venomous

Image	Binomial Name	Name	Map
	Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix	Southern Copperhead
	Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma	Western Cottonmouth
	Crotalus atrox	Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
	Crotalus horridus	Timber Rattlesnake
	Sistrurus miliarius streckeri	Western Pigmy Rattlesnake
	Micrurus tener tener	Texas Coral Snake

List of snakes in Arizona

2009-03-19T10:49:00.000-07:00

Snakes

Non Venomous

Venomous

List of snakes in Alabama

2009-03-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

Snakes

Colubrids

worm snake, Carphophis amoenus ssp
eastern worm snake, Carphophis amoenus amoenus
midwest worm snake, Carphophis amoenus helena
scarlet snake, Cemophora coccinea
black racer, Coluber constrictor ssp
northern black racer, Coluber constrictor constrictor
southern black racer, Coluber constrictor priapus
ringneck snake, Diadophis punctatus ssp
eastern indigo snake, Drymarchon corais couperi
corn snake, Elaphe guttata guttata
gray rat snake, Elaphe obsoleta spiloides
mud snake, Farancia abacura ssp
eastern mud snake, Farancia abacura abacura
western mud snake, Farancia abacura reinwardti
rainbow snake, Farancia erytrogramma erytrogramma
eastern hognose snake, Heterodon platirhinos
southern hognose snake, Heterodon simus
mole kingsnake, Lampropeltis calligaster ssp
prairie kingsnake, Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster
mole kingsnake, Lampropeltis calligaster rhombomaculata
common kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula
eastern kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula getula
speckled kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula holbrooki
black kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula niger
milk snake, Lampropeltis triangulum
scarlet kingsnake, Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides
red milk snake, Lampropeltis triangulum syspila
eastern milk snake, Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum
eastern coachwhip, Masticophis flagellum flagellum
Gulf Salt Marsh Snake, Nerodia clarkii clarkii
green water snake, Nerodia cyclopion
Plainbelly Water Snake, Nerodia erythrogaster ssp.
banded water snake, Nerodia fasciata fasciata
Florida green water snake, Nerodia floridana
diamondback water snake, Nerodia rhombifer
midland water snake, Nerodia sipedon
brown water snake, Nerodia taxispilota
rough green snake, Opheodrys aestivus
pine snake, Pituophis melanoleucus ssp
black pine snake, Pituophis melanoleucus lodingi
northern pine snake, Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus
Florida pine snake, Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus
glossy water snake, Regina rigida sinicola
queen snake, Regina septemvittata
pine woods snake, Rhadinaea flavilata
north Florida swamp snake, Seminatrix pygaea pygaea
midland brown snake, Storeria dekayi wrightorum
northern red-bellied snake, Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata
southeastern crowned snake, Tantilla coronata
eastern ribbon snake, Thamnophis sauritus sauritus
eastern garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
rough earth snake, Virginia striatula
smooth earth snake, Virginia valeriae ssp.

Coral Snake

eastern coral snake, Micrurus fulvius fulvius--Venomous

Viper

copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix ssp--Venomous
southern copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix--Venomous
northern copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix mokeson--Venomous
cottonmouth, Agkistrodon piscivorus ssp--Venomous
Florida cottonmouth, Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti--Venomous
western cottonmouth, Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma--Venomous
eastern cottonmouth, Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus--Venomous
eastern diamondback rattlesnake, Crotalus adamanteus--Venomous
timber (canebrake) rattlesnake, Crotalus horridus--Venomous
pigmy rattlesnake, Sistrurus miliarius ssp--Venomous
dusky pigmy rattlesnake, Sistrurus miliarius barbouri--Venomous
Carolina pigmy rattlesnake, Sistrurus miliarius miliarius--Venomous
western pigmy rattlesnake, Sistrurus miliarius streckeri--Venomous

NOW SNAKES IN ALABAMA IN DETAIL

Colubrid Snakes - Family Colubridae
Worm Snake Carphophis amoenus ssp. Fairly common. Known from most regions except portions of Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Ridge and Valley. A secretive small woodland snake of mesic deciduous forest. Includes subspecies C. a. amoenus (Eastern worm snake) and C. a. helenae (midwest worm snake). Lowest Conservation Concern.

Scarlet Snake Cemophora coccinea. Fairly common statewide. A small secretive snake of forested habitat types, especially areas with loose, well-drained soils. Often mistaken for coral snakes or scarlet kingsnakes due to colorful banded pattern. Thought to be declining throughout much of its distribution. Lowest Conservation Concern.

Black Racer Coluber constrictor ssp. Common statewide, but declining in many areas. A familiar diurnal species that occurs in virtually all terrestrial habitats. Most frequently encountered in open forest and forest edges, and along brushy margins of aquatic habitats. Includes subspecies C. c. constrictor (northern black racer) and C. c. priapus (southern black racer). Low Conservation Concern.

Ring-necked Snake Diadophis punctatus ssp. Fairly common statewide, but less abundant than in the past. A frequently encountered small woodland snake. Alabama populations are intergradient combinations involving two or all of three subspecies, D. p. punctatus (southern ring-necked snake), D. p. edwardsi (northern ring-necked snake) and D. p. stictogenys (Mississippi ring-necked snake). Lowest Conservation Concern.

Eastern Indigo Snake Drymarchon couperi. Endangered/Possibly extirpated. Historically reported from Southern Pine Plains and Hills in Mobile, Baldwin, and Covington Counties in extreme southern Alabama, but not documented from natural populations in state since 1954. Recent reports may be from several experimental introductions in late 1970s and 1980s. Further investigation into possibly extant natural populations is needed, especially in Mobile County. Listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. HIGHEST CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Corn Snake Elaphe guttata guttata. Uncommon to locally fairly common statewide. While still fairly common in northern Alabama, Coastal Plain populations have declined precipitously. Somewhat arboreal, but less so than related rat snakes. Corn snakes nest in loose soil or organic debris, are mainly nocturnal, and are found in a variety of terrestrial habitats that support sizeable small rodent populations. MODERATE CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Rat Snake Elaphe obsoleta ssp. Fairly common statewide. This large arboreal snake, known to many as “chicken snake,” has not declined like corn snakes. Rat snakes may nest high in tree cavities, a position that may reduce mortality from fire ants and other ground-foraging predators. Occurs in most terrestrial habitats, and occasionally may be found in, or near, forested suburbs. Populations in extreme northeastern Alabama are E. o. obsoleta (black rat snake), while others, except intergrades, are E. o. spiloides (gray rat snake). Lowest Conservation Concern.

Mud Snake Farancia abacura ssp. Uncommon to fairly common throughout Coastal Plain, wherever suitable habitat is found. Also known from Interior Plateau near Tennessee River. A large and secretive semi-aquatic snake of beaver swamps, ponds, floodplains, and sluggish streams. Includes two intergrading subspecies, F. a. abacura (eastern mud snake) and F. a. reinwardti (western mud snake). Low Conservation Concern.

Rainbow Snake Farancia erytrogramma erytrogramma. Rare and possibly threatened. Seldom encountered in known distribution, which includes Coastal Plain and possibly adjacent regions above Fall Line Hills. Recorded from fewer than 10 locations in Alabama. A large semi-aquatic burrowing snake of rivers, large creeks, and occasionally ponds. HIGH CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake Heterodon platirhinos. Uncommon to rare in many places where formerly common. Statewide in distribution. Often called “spreading adder,” this familiar snake is apparently declining for unknown reasons. Typically inhabits fields, open woods, and disturbed areas. MODERATE CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Southern Hog-nosed Snake Heterodon simus. Endangered/Possibly extirpated. Known from portions of Coastal Plain and Ridge and Valley. A small secretive snake of sandy woods, fields, and other upland habitats. Although at least 10 records exist, none are known since 1975. Reasons for apparent decline unknown. Southern hognose snakes are declining throughout their distribution, but still occur in parts of southern Georgia South Carolina, and Florida, and may persist in very low numbers in Alabama. HIGHEST CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Prairie Kingsnake Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster. Peripheral and uncommon in Interior Plateau, and possibly Appalachian Plateau north of Tennessee River. Known from Madison County, and may occur in Limestone and Jackson Counties. A secretive and poorly known burrowing snake of open woodlands and grassy areas. HIGH CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Mole Kingsnake Lampropeltis calligaster rhombomaculata. Uncommon to rare in Coastal Plain, uncommon elsewhere. Thought to occur statewide, but records are lacking from substantial areas. A secretive burrowing snake of woods and fields. Occasionally found above ground after dark, especially after rains. MODERATE CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Eastern Kingsnake Lampropeltis getula getula. Rare to uncommon, and possibly threatened. Found in south-central and eastern portion of Coastal Plain and adjacent Piedmont. Also known from Dauphin Island. A large, diurnal, conspicuous ground-dwelling snake of most terrestrial habitats. Formerly one of Alabama’s most commonly encountered snakes, it and speckled kingsnake have declined markedly for reasons not well understood. HIGH CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Speckled Kingsnake Lampropeltis getula holbrooki. Rare to uncommon, and possibly threatened. Coastal Plain inhabitant, except for those portions occupied by eastern and black kingsnakes. Attains its greatest population densities in Blackland Prairie. This subspecies is similar in both habits and conservation status to eastern kingsnake. HIGH CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Black Kingsnake Lampropeltis getula nigra. Fairly common above Fall Line Hills in northern Alabama. Similar in habits to eastern and speckled kingsnakes, but apparently has not declined to extent of Coastal Plain forms of L. getula. Low Conservation Concern.

Scarlet Kingsnake Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides. Uncommon to fairly common. Presumed statewide in distribution, but many areas lack records. Secretive and rarely seen except in spring. Along with scarlet snake, sometimes confused with the coral snake due to its similar colorful banded pattern. Low Conservation Concern.

Red Milk Snake Lampropeltis triangulum syspila. Uncommon and infrequently encountered in northwestern portion of Appalachian Plateau. Inhabits woodland, often near rocky areas. A secretive snake usually found in, and under, rotting logs, and occasionally seen on roads at night. Intergrades eastward with eastern milk snake. MODERATE CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Eastern Milk Snake Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum. Uncommon and infrequently encountered in eastern portions of Appalachian Plateau, including Lookout Mountain. Similar in habits and habitat preference to red milk snake, with which it intergrades westward in DeKalb and Jackson Counties. MODERATE CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Eastern Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum flagellum. Formerly common, now declining and generally rare to uncommon, especially in northern Alabama. A large conspicuous snake of sparse grassy woods and fields from Tennessee River to coastal dunes. While some northern populations are feared extirpated, a few areas of scrubby or frequently burned Coastal Plain habitats still support fair numbers. MODERATE CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Gulf Saltmarsh Snake Nerodia clarkii clarkii. Uncommon to fairly common in suitable habitat, which is limited. This coastal water snake has specialized habitat requirements and has declined due to destruction and degradation of salt marshes in both Baldwin and Mobile Counties. Formerly considered a subspecies of N. fasciata. MODERATE CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Mississippi Green Water Snake Nerodia cyclopion. Peripheral and fairly common in Southern Coastal Plain from Tensaw Delta westward. A large snake of forested swamps, oxbows, and sluggish, tree-lined streams, where it may be found as far as 97 kilometers (60 miles) inland from coastal areas. Less frequently encountered in lower Mobile Bay area, where forest gives way to marsh and grass flats. MODERATE CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Plain-bellied Water Snake Nerodia erythrogaster ssp. Common statewide. A large snake of most permanently aquatic habitats, especially swamps, sluggish streams, and weedy lakes and ponds. Chiefly nocturnal. Includes two intergrading subspecies, N. e. erythrogaster (red-bellied water snake) and N. e. flavigaster (yellow-bellied water snake). Lowest Conservation Concern.

Southern Water Snake Nerodia fasciata ssp. Common across southern portions of Coastal Plain. Inhabits most permanently aquatic habitats, especially sinkhole ponds and streams with abundant vegetation. Includes subspecies N. f. fasciata (banded water snake), N. f. confluens (broad-banded water snake), and N. f. pictiventris (Florida water snake) and intergrades. Lowest Conservation Concern.

Florida Green Water Snake Nerodia floridana. Peripheral and locally common in Southern Coastal Plain from Mobile Bay eastward in Baldwin County. Similar in appearance to Mississippi green water snake, but inhabits marshes and wet prairie habitats instead of forested wetlands. Not known more than 48 kilometers (30 miles) inland from coastal areas, and susceptible to local extirpations from hurricanes. MODERATE CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Diamond-backed Water Snake Nerodia rhombifer. Fairly common to common in western portions of Coastal Plain, extending eastward along Tennessee and Tallapoosa drainages to Macon County A heavy-bodied large snake of river sloughs, lakes, and swamps. Low Conservation Concern.

Midland Water Snake Nerodia sipedon pleuralis. Common statewide, except southernmost portions of Coastal Plain, where apparently confined to immediate vicinity of Conecuh, Yellow, and Choctawhatchee Rivers. A conspicuous inhabitant of ponds, lakes, and streams, and the most frequently encountered water snake in the northern two-thirds of Alabama. Lowest Conservation Concern.

Brown Water Snake Nerodia taxispilota. Fairly common in southeastern portion of Coastal Plain. Most frequently encountered in streams and stream impoundments. Large and active by day, it basks conspicuously and is frequently subject to human persecution. Low Conservation Concern.

Rough Green Snake Opheodrys aestivus. Uncommon to fairly common statewide. Formerly more common, this familiar slender and docile snake is found in a variety of heavily vegetated terrestrial habitats, including overhanging branches around lakes and streams. Reasons for apparent decline unknown. Low Conservation Concern.

Black Pine Snake Pituophis melanoleucus lodingi. Rare and possibly endangered in southern Pine Plains and Hills region west of Mobile Bay. Also known from Buhrstone/Lime Hills of Clarke County. Apparently extirpated from large area around Mobile. Intergrades east of Mobile Bay with Florida pine snake. large snake of dry, periodically burned open pine or mixed pine-scrub oak forest with abundant groundcover vegetation. Currently a candidate for federal listing. HIGHEST CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Northern Pine Snake Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus. Rare and possibly threatened. Populations may be disjunct and very localized in Ridge and Valley, Appalachian Plateau, and Interior Plateau. A large upland snake of relatively open, periodically burned pine or mixed pine-hardwood forest and adjacent clearings in sandy or gravelly uplands. HIGH CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Florida Pine Snake Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus. Threatened in southern portion of Coastal Plain east of Mobile Bay. Also known from Southern Hilly Gulf Coastal Plain region of Russell County in extreme eastern Alabama. Individuals from Escambia and Baldwin Counties are intergradient with black pine snake, and a Fall Line Hills population in Elmore County appears to be intergradient with northern pine snake. A large snake of open, periodically burned pine forest with abundant groundcover. Frequently associated with burrows of gopher tortoise and southeastern pocket gopher. HIGH CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Glossy Crayfish Snake Regina rigida sinicola. Fairly common in Coastal Plain, except extreme northwestern portions. A small secretive snake of ponds and swamps. Believed to be stable throughout most of its distribution. Lowest Conservation Concern.

Queen Snake Regina septemvittata. Fairly common to uncommon. Nearly statewide, but apparently absent from Coastal Plain west of Tombigbee River, and from southern portions of Baldwin County. Believed to be declining, especially in southern Alabama. A small slender water snake of streams and stream impoundments, often seen basking on limbs overhanging water. MODERATE CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Pine Woods Snake Rhadinaea flavilata. Peripheral and rare in southern Coastal Plain and southern Pine Plains and Hills of southwestern Alabama where known from only a few localities in Mobile, Washington, and Baldwin Counties. A small secretive snake of damp pine flatwoods; occasionally appears in residential areas. MODERATE CONSERVATION CONCERN.

North Florida Swamp Snake Seminatrix pygaea pygaea. Peripheral and rare in extreme southern Coastal Plain. Known from three Covington County localities and one locality west of Conecuh River in Escambia County that represents the northwestern limit of the known United States’ distribution. A small secretive snake of swamps and weedy ponds. HIGH CONSERVATION CONCERN.

DeKay’s Brown Snake Storeria dekayi ssp. Common essentially statewide, but lack of records from much of southeastern Coastal Plain may reflect actual scarcity or absence there. One of Alabama’s most common snakes north of Buhrstone/Lime Hills. Often encountered around human dwellings and erroneously called “ground rattler.” Includes three intergrading subspecies, S. d. dekayi (northern brown snake), S. d. limnetes (marsh brown snake), and S. d. wrightorum (midland brown snake). Lowest Conservation Concern.

Northern Red-bellied Snake Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata. Fairly common statewide. A small, secretive ground-dwelling snake of mesic forested habitats where soils are moderately heavy. Often found under logs, rocks, and other objects. Believed to be declining in many areas. Lowest Conservation Concern.

Southeastern Crowned Snake Tantilla coronata. Fairly common statewide, but thought to be declining. A small, secretive ground-dwelling snake of dry woodland ridges and hillsides. Often found under rocks, logs, and in rotting stumps. Low Conservation Concern.

Eastern Ribbon Snake Thamnophis sauritus sauritus. Fairly common statewide, but not as frequently encountered as in the past. A semi-aquatic snake of marshes, beaver swamps, lake and stream margins, and wet meadows. Low Conservation Concern.

Eastern Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis. Fairly common statewide. Very generalized in habitat preferences, and found in most terrestrial habitat types. Frequently encountered, especially in northern Alabama. Low Conservation Concern.

Rough Earth Snake Virginia striatula. Fairly common across most of Alabama, and present in all regions except Interior Plateau. Absent from northeastern portions of Appalachian Plateau and Ridge and Valley. Inhabits relatively drier woodlands than smooth earth snake. More commonly encountered in Coastal Plain, and believed to have declined in recent decades. Lowest Conservation Concern.

Smooth Earth Snake Virginia valeriae ssp. Common statewide. Usually inhabits more mesic woodlands than rough earth snake, but both may occur together, and are very similar in appearance. Most Alabama populations are V. v. valeriae (eastern smooth earth snake), but western populations may show influence of intergradation with V. v. elegans (western smooth earth snake). Lowest Conservation Concern.

Coral Snakes - Family Elapidae
Eastern Coral Snake Micrurus fulvius. Rare and possibly threatened. A colorful, venomous snake principally occurring in Coastal Plain from Buhrstone/Lime Hills southward, but also known from disjunct localities in southern Ridge and Valley (Bibb and St. Clair Counties) and Piedmont (Coosa County). Spends much time underground, emerging to forage in early morning and late afternoon. Inhabits a variety of terrestrial habitats having loose, friable soils. Few recent observations may indicate that this secretive species has declined in Alabama. Two more common and similarly patterned nonvenomous snakes, scarlet kingsnakes and scarlet snakes, are frequently mistaken for eastern coral snakes. HIGH CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Pit Vipers - Family Viperidae
Copperhead Agkistrodon contortrix ssp. Common statewide. Most frequently encountered venomous snake in Alabama. Inhabits a wide variety of upland habitats. May be increasing in parts of Coastal Plain, especially where fire is suppressed. Includes subspecies A. c. contortrix (southern copperhead) and A. c. mokeson (northern copper-head). Lowest Conservation Concern.

Cottonmouth Agkistrodon piscivorus ssp. Common statewide. Occurs in most aquatic habitats, but reaches greatest abundance in Coastal Plain swamps. The only venomous aquatic snake in North America. Includes subspecies A. p. piscivorus (eastern cottonmouth), A. p. conanti (Florida cottonmouth), and A. p. leucostoma (western cottonmouth). Lowest Conservation Concern.

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Crotalus adamanteus. Uncommon to rare and possibly threatened. Alabama’s largest venomous snake. Exploits a variety of upland habitats from extreme southern portion of Southern Hilly Gulf Coastal Plain to Gulf Coast, favoring relatively dry pine flatwoods and longleaf pine-turkey oak sandhills. Overwinters in stump holes and gopher tortoise burrows, where it is vulnerable to “gassing” by snake hunters. Infrequently encountered where formerly common, and now absent from many areas of historic occurrence. HIGH CONSERVATION CONCERN.

Timber Rattlesnake Crotalus horridus. Fairly common to uncommon statewide, except for extreme southern Alabama. Commonly called canebrake or velvet-tail rattlesnake. A large venomous snake of upland and lowland forested habitats, especially in sparsely settled areas. Declining or absent from many formerly inhabited areas because of direct persecution, habitat fragmentation, and gradual loss of deciduous and mixed forest types, but still apparently secure in some areas. Low Conservation Concern.

Pigmy Rattlesnake Sistrurus miliarius ssp. Uncommon to rare. Statewide in distribution, but rarely encountered in recent years except in extreme southern Alabama. Believed to be declining. Inhabits a variety of upland habitats. Often called "ground rattler" by those who recognize it. Includes subspecies S. m. miliarius (Carolina pigmy rattlesnake), S. m. barbouri (dusky pigmy rattlesnake) and S. m. streckeri (western pigmy rattlesnake). MODERATE CONSERVATION CONCERN.