19 Amazing Snake Facts: Everything You Need to Know

Snake is known as one of the deadliest creatures in nature. There are about 3600 different species of this creature.

Among them, around 725 species are venomous. These are cold-blooded reptiles who don’t like to be disturbed. Snakes come in a variety of colors, sizes, and shapes. 

These reptiles don’t have legs and slither through deserts and jungles on every continent on Earth except Antarctica.

All types of snakes are vital to life balance in their ecosystems. So, in this article, we will now discuss some amazing facts about these reptiles called snakes.

Amazing snake Facts

👉 Snakes evolved more than 142 million years ago.

Though it is hard to determine when snakes came to be on our planet, these creatures first appeared in the record of fossils during the Cretaceous period.

According to scientists, snakes came about 98 to 142 million years ago. Hence, this makes snakes younger than other reptile species, such as lizards, crocodiles, and even turtles.

As per the latest count, there are about 3789 species of snakes around the world. However, this number continues to rise as more snake species are discovered.

👉 A snake skeleton has about 600 to 1800 bones.

All snakes usually have ten bones in the jaw and skull, but the ribs and vertebrates vary greatly.

For instance, the 10 cm long thread snake has an average number of 200 vertebrae and a pair of ribs each, which amounts to 600 bones. Longer and more giant snakes have some more to compare.

Snakes can live around 170 years in captivity; however, they may survive 100 years in the wild.

👉 The eyes of a snake can tell whether it’s venomous or not

Venomous snakes usually have elliptical or slitted pupils, while non-venomous snakes generally have round pupils. However, there are still some particular exceptions. 

Also another surprising fact is that snake poop appears like bird droppings, which have a cord-like and tubular look.

👉 Snake venom is their saliva.

Snake venom has toxins that help digest, immobilize, and defend against threats or prey.

Once expelled, this venom may target different body functions, like breathing, sight, or even the production of a red blood cell. Snake venom comprises 20 different types of protein compounds and polypeptides.

The teeth of snakes are mainly curved backward because, unlike humans, these creatures don’t chew with their teeth. Instead, snakes use their teeth to keep their prey from escaping from their mouth.

👉 Some snakes live on land.

Though many snakes live on land, around 70 species of snakes live in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Despite looking much like their land-dwelling relatives, sea snakes are entirely adapted to aquatic life, so they are not comfortable moving on land.

The only exception is Laticauda or sea kraits, but they still have minimal power to become mobile on land.

👉 Purpose of snake scale

Snake scales aid them in breathing underwater. For many snakes, their rankings help them retain moisture in the body.

In some other situations, these snake scales assist with grip and even reduce friction; hence, these creatures can navigate faster in different terrain.

However, scaleless snakes are regarded as popular pets. The first scaleless snake was seen in 1942.

Found in the wild, the western garter snake was the first one to start the practice of domesticating these creatures. Many love scaleless snakes for their striking colors.

👉 Pico jackfruit snake can treat cancer.

The bushmaster or Pico jackfruit snake is native to South America. This snake has potent venom that causes diarrhea, vomiting, blindness, blood pressure crash, and even a closed-up throat. If these symptoms are left untreated, an adult person can die in several minutes. 

However, scientists are researching this venom as a cure for cancer. Through experiments, scientists are trying to engineer this venom to target cancer cells.

👉 Snakes shed their skin 3-6 times a year.

Snakeskin doesn’t stretch, unlike humans, so they need to shed or molt as they grow. On average, these reptiles shed their skins about 3-6 times a year in a specific procedure called ecdysis.

Before clearing, underneath the old skin, a new layer of skin grows, and then the snake rubs its head against rough stones or objects to start the shedding procedure, which even rids its body of parasites.

The famous Albino snakes don’t have a lot of melanin in their skin, so they are sensitive to UV rays.

👉 In New Zealand, there are no snakes.

Since the start of time, the geological climate of New Zealand has undergone some periods of glaciation, which was too cold for snakes.

Similarly, you wouldn’t be able to find any snakes in Greenland, Ireland, Iceland, Newfoundland, and Antarctica.

However, there is an island called the IIla da Queimada Grande, located between Brazil and the Atlantic Ocean, which is usually famous as Snake Island.

There is a vast population of snakes, with five per square meter; hence, this place is off-limits to tourists.

👉 There are flying snakes.

The flying snake is a specific species native to Southeast Asia, especially famous for its ability to glide smoothly through forests.

The Chrysopelea snakes can climb trees with the help of the particular scales on their belly. With these scales, the flying snake can launch itself off once it can reach the top. 

Then it can curve its body and remains in motion to keep itself in the air and even land safely. This way, these snakes can reach about 100 m with minimal effort.

👉 The Inland Taipan and death adder snakes

The famous inland taipan can deliver about 44 mg to 110 mg of venom in just one bite, and in a single bite, this snake can kill almost 100 humans.

Hence, this Australian snake species have the record of being the most venomous snake. A proper dose of this snake’s venom can kill almost 250,000 mice.

In contrast, the death adder snake native to Australia can strike, inject venom, and then be ready to hit again in just 0.15 seconds. Thus, this snake is famous as the fastest snake in the world.

👉 Snakes can explode if they overeat.

Although the jaw and body of a snake can stretch multiple times its size, it still has its limits. In Florida, a python of 13 feet was found with an alligator of 6 feet protruding from its body.

The head of the python was missing, and the hind leg and tail of the python were stuck out from its body. 

👉 The world’s fastest snake

The black mamba is famous as one of the deadliest snakes in the world. This snake can move about 4.32 to 5.4 meters in a second, the fastest for any snake species.

This snake’s venom is highly potent, and although an effective antivenom can lower the casualties, this black mamba can still kill around 20,000 lives per year.

About 1 in 3 adult humans have a snake phobia. This phobia of snakes is called herpetophobia or ophiophobia.

👉 Snakes use their tongues for navigation.

Snakes sticking their tongue out is not just out of habit. As most snakes have poor hearing and eyesight, they need to depend on their tongues to navigate and even locate their prey.

The forked tongue of these snakes can pick up pheromones in the surroundings, route the signals to Jacobson’s Organ, and eventually offer them a proper sense of direction.

Also, to drink water, snakes need to dunk their snouts underwater and pump water into their stomachs using their throats.

👉 The most intelligent snakes-king cobra

The famous king cobra is considered one of the most intelligent snakes. These snakes have a strong familial sense.

Unlike many other snake species that abandon their young, these are the only snakes that defend their young and even create nests.

Another interesting fact about snakes is that these animals have evolved to be immune to the venom of their species, as bites usually happen during socialization and mating.

However, snakes would not resist the poison of another snake species.

👉 Sea snakes can dive deep into the ocean.

Sea snakes can dive deep due to their flattened bodies and paddle-shaped tails. However, unless provoked, most sea snakes do not bite others.

However, some sea snakes are incredibly aggressive. Despite their names, these snakes are not entirely aquatic animals and lack gills. Hence, they need to surface regularly to breathe.

👉 They have pit organs.

Many snake species have specialized structures (pit organs) on either side of their head. These organs allow the snake to detect infrared radiation, which assists them in locating their warm-blooded prey even in complete darkness.

Many snake species are highly skilled predators, using a combination of speed, stealth, and even venom to catch and kill their prey.

However, some snake species, like constrictors, kill their game by squeezing and suffocating them.

👉 Just 70% of snakes lay eggs.

Though most reptiles lay eggs, 30% of snake species mainly give birth to live young, like a garter snake.

Live birth for snakes are either ovoviviparous, meaning, in this case, the eggs are hatched inside the mother’s body, or viviparous, meaning no eggs, depending on the species.

👉 Snake’s body may fail in temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius

Snakes are cold-blooded reptiles, so they cannot generate body heat. Usually, these legless creatures bask on a rock to keep themselves warm.

So, if the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius, they can be immobilized and even die if not taken to a much more hospitable environment.

Hence, snakes are fascinating reptiles that have amazed scientists and animal lovers with their exciting characteristics and behaviors.

At the end of this article, we learned about 19 amazing facts about these fascinating reptiles called snakes.

These facts offer us a clear picture of this fascinating cold-blooded creature. If you want to collect some more great points, you may visit our website.