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

World's Smallest Snake Discovered, Study Says

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

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.

King Cobra: World Longest Venomous Snake

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

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.

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

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.