SNAKES-- DEADLIEST OF THE DEADLY:

INFORMATION AND FAQS

ON VENOMOUS SNAKES & LIZARDS

DEADLIEST SNAKES IN THE WORLD

The top 10 deadliest snakes include the Inland Taipan, Australian Brown Snake, Malayan Krait, Taipan, Tiger Snake, Beaked Sea Snake, Saw Scaled Viper, Coral Snake, Boomlang, and Death Adder.

1. INLAND  TAIPAN

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: Southwestern Queensland, Australia

Although the Inland Taipan has the most potent venom of any land snake on earth, it is usually quite shy and has a placid disposition. Their single bite that delivers up to 110 mg of venom is poisonous enough to kill 100 people, or 250,000 mice! The back, sides and tail may be buff-grey to grayish brown, buff-brown, brown or reddish dark brown with many individual scales having a wide blackish lower anterior (proximal) edge.

It is usually most active on the surface in the early half of the morning when it bask and forages in and near soil cracks at ground level. In cooler weather, it is also active in the afternoon; in hot weather it becomes nocturnal. The lowermost lateral scales often have an anterior yellow edge. The dorsal scales are smooth and without keels. The round-Snouted head and neck are usually noticeably darker than he body (glossy black in winter, dark brown in summer).

2. AUSTRALIAN BROWN SNAKE

LOCATION:  Sydney, Australia. (east coast of Australia)

The eastern brown snake is the species responsible for most deaths caused by snakebite in Australia, although, with the advent of efficient first-aid treatment and antivenom, there are now usually only one or two deaths per year. A large adult brown snake is a formidable creature. They may exceed two metres in length and, on hot days, can move at surprising speed.

It has a slender body and is variable in colour ranging from uniform tan to grey or dark brown. The belly is cream, yellow or pale orange with darker orange spots. It has extremely potent venom, and although the quantity of venom injected is usually small, this snake causes more snakebite deaths in Australia than any other. Sudden and relatively early deaths have been recorded.

Its venom causes severe coagulation disturbances, neurotoxicity, and occasionally nephrotoxicity (by a direct action of the venom), but not rhabdomyolysis. The Gwardir is also known as the western brown snake, and the Dugite is a spotted brown snake found in Western Australia.

3. MALAYAN KRAIT

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: China, Sri Lanka, Indo-China, India, and other parts of Southeast Asia.

The Malayan Krait is # 3 on our most deadly list.  It gets ready to bite without hissing, so you have no warning that it is going to strike.  This snake grows to be about 1 meter long, and it hunts at night.  It is not easily angered and would be called "moderate" on a scale. 

Most kinds of kraits are boldly banded in black and white or black and yellow.  They are medium-sized to large snakes with large shiny scales. Their bodies are slender and many seem to be shaped like triangles. Other species, though, have scales that are large and shaped like hexagons. They have a variety of habitat.

4. TAIPAN

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: Northeastern, coastal region of Australia.

 The Coastal Taipan is only 6-7 feet, and is usually darker than the Inland Taipan.  Futhermore, it also has paling on its sides and a creamy colored head that is lighter than the rest of its body. The Taipan are generally considered to be Australia's most dangerous snakes, though their restricted range and sparse distribution in populated areas has kept mortality rates low. 

When threatened, a Taipan will raise its neck in an s shape and its body and tail will twitch nervously (venoms).  Its neck will flatten and it will elevate one or two coils of its body off the ground and wave its tail back and forth in an elevated position.  Unlike other elapids that, after striking a victim, will hold on and chew, the Taipan will repeatedly strike and inject venom. 

Often times, it strikes so fast that victims may not have time to react before being bitten several times.  Most of the venom is injected on the first strike

5. TIGER SNAKE

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: Tasmania, Australia

The Tiger snake Notechis scutatus is a usually timid species which, like most snakes, usually retreats at the approach of a human. They are an interesting snake which despite the name may not have any striping at all. Generally the belly is pale yellow, white or grey, the enlarged ventral scales often edged with black. The head is broad and blunt.

The highly toxic venom is produced in large amounts. The venom is mainly neurotoxic, affecting the central nervous system, but also causes muscle damage and affects blood clotting. The breakdown of muscle tissue can lead to kidney failure.

6. SAW SCALED VIPER

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: Africa, India and parts of the Middle East

When aroused, they coil and twist, rubbing their serrated scales against each other to create a sound similar to that of a saw cutting wood and it is this characteristic noise that gave its name. This is usually a warning prior to fast leaping strikes to defend itself. Saw-scaled vipers are quick to strike, and their venom is highly toxic to humans.

They are grey or brownish in colour, patterned on the body with brownish blotches, a wavy white stripe, and a dark cross on their heads.

7. CORAL SNAKE

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: South and Eastern United States

These snakes possess long, slender bodies and large scales (plates) on the head.  The small fangs in the front of the mouth are "effectively tubular" meaning they contain grooves that are enclosed by an in-folding of the tooth edges coral snakes are relatively small snakes that spend most of their time underground.  Their primary food is other snakes. 

Despite their small size and small fangs, their venom is extremely toxic.Several non-venomous snakes mimic the Coral Snake.  It can be distinguished from these other snakes by the fact that its red band is directly against the yellow stripe.  No other snake in North America resembling the Coral Snake has a red band located directly next to a yellow stripe.
 

8. BOOMSLANG VIPER

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: Africa

The Boomslang Snake is a rather large, highly poisonous tree dwelling snake found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Boomslangs are greenish to brown or even black in color. These coloring variations are the greatest of any other snakes in their Afrotropic regional habitat. It is the adult females that are usually brown in color, with males a light green color often with black or blue highlights outlining the edges of their scales. This snake is a one deadly animal because of its preference for aerial positioning in tree top and shrub cover. Hard to see in the thick forested cover of the savanna, the Boomslang Snake is well camouflaged and strikes without giving any warning signal.

9. Death Adder

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: The Death Adder is found everywhere in Australia except for Victoria and Tasmania. It is also found in Papua New Guinea. 

The Death Adder is different from all other snakes in Australia. Most other snakes would slip away when a human approached, but not the Death Adder, it stays put. It lies half buried in the sand, curls up with its head next to its tail. It then dangles its tail in the air to attract rodents like lizards and small birds. The Death Adder rarely misses its prey and it never wastes its venom.

Its fangs can rotate forward just in time to strike its prey. Its fangs can be at a right angle to the skin and it can still bite. A Death Adder has 85 milligrams of venom and it strikes its prey as fast as lightning.

10. THE BLACK MAMBA

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: Eastern Africa, from southern Ethiopia to southwest Africa

Black mambas spend their nights in holes in the ground - usually disused burrows - or hiding deep among fallen rocks or timber. These hiding places are also fled to by the snake if it becomes alarmed and it will attack any creature blocking the path to its hole.After the king cobra, the black mamba is the longest venomous snake in the world.

It is also the fastest-moving snake in the world, reaching up to 23km/h. In spite of its name, the snake tends to be greyish-brown in colour. Black mambas travel quickly across rough ground or along low tree branches when hunting. They are able to hold their heads up to 1m above the ground when striking, and can hold them 50cm above the ground even when moving.

They have very good eyesight and can strike their prey - rodents, bats, birds and lizards like lightning, leaving their powerful venom to finish off the kill.

EYELASH VIPER

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: Venezuela and Ecuador

The eyelash viper is a nocturnal, arboreal animal.  This  means that it does most of its hunting from late evening through early morning, and more than likely in, from, or around trees.  When subduing its prey, the snake grabs it and holds on while it injects a hemotoxic venom.  The snake holds on until the animal is dead and then proceeds to swallow it by "walking" it down the throat by moving one side of its jaw at a time. 

Eyelast vipers are usually not known to be an aggressive snake, however it strikes instantly if anyone brushes against it.  Vipers are also one of the most dangerous of the poisonous snakes on Central America.  Their venom affects the central nervous system of their victim as well as the cardiovascular system.  With small animals the venom can kill within minutes, but larger animals rarely succumb unless the viper manages to inject a large amount of venom into the victim. 

GABOON VIPER

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: South Africa

The Gaboon viper is a venomous snake with the longest fangs of any snake in the world, reaching up to 2 inches (over 5 cm) long. It is a reptile of a solitary type. Once it is excited or irritated by an intruder, he inflates and makes a threatening hiss. Many people have died to a result of being bitten by him.

Those that survived where the ones that had amputated the part of their body that was bitten or taken a serum injection soon after they were bit. He feels as if he has to defend himself, once he is being provoked or his space is being invaded.  It is a heavy bodied, land-dwelling snake with very distinctive coloring.

Its body is heavily patterned in tans and browns. The top of its head is tan and has a narrow brown stripe down the middle, resembling a fallen leaf and making it perfectly camouflaged in its native environment. Its fanciful colors are disruptive, and the snake quite literally vanishes among debris on the forest floor, dappled with light and shadow. 

It is typically lethargic and relatively placid. It will often warn with a series of hisses before striking, if it has time. Once agitated, the Gaboon viper can strike extremely fast. Its venom is highly toxic, destroying the blood's ability to clot and causing severe muscle and nerve damage.

KING COBRA

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: From India eastward to Vietnam, southern China, and the Philippines, and southeast through Malaysia and Indonesia. The largest are found in peninsular Malaysia and in Singapore. It is rare throughout its range and uncommon in Singapore.

The king cobra is the longest of the venomous land snakes, growing up to 18.5 feet (5.7 meters) in length. Although, being slender, these snakes probably do not exceed 20 kg (44 lb). The snake's venom is a powerful neurotoxin known to be frequently fatal to humans.

The mortality rate in King Cobra bites is 75%. Although called a Cobra it does not belong to the same genus (Naja) as "true" cobras. The King Cobra is peculiar in that it feeds almost exclusively on other snakes, which is reflected in its genus name of Ophiophagus (Snake eater). The King Cobra is known to attack larger snakes, including pythons. In spite of the King Cobra's fearsome reputation, it is generally a shy and reclusive animal, avoiding confrontation with people as much as possible.

There are many smaller venomous snakes within this species' range that are responsible for a far greater number of fatal snake bites.

GREEN MAMBA

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: Most of East Africa; from Kenya to Zimbabwe.

Eastern green mambas are the smalles of the mambas. Green mambas reach an average of length of 1.8 meters, with a maximum length of up to 3.7 meters. The body is slender and bright green, with scales laid like paving stones against darker skin. The dorsal scales are darker than the scales on the belly.

These beautiful fast-moving snakes are highly venomous, but less aggressive than black mambas. Mambas are elapids, with short front fangs and the venom is primarily neurotoxic. Digestion of prey is also aided by the venom. Green mambas are arboreal and hunt during the day for birds, frogs, lizards, rodents or other small mammals.

They will hunt on the ground if suitable prey cannot be found in the trees. When disturbed or threatened, mambas prefer to flee, moving at speeds up to 7 mph, but will strike when cornered. Mambas can live up to 14 years in captivity. Mambas are solitary, except during mating. Males find females by following a scent trail. Male green mambas will compete with other males with a ritual dance or wrestling contest on the ground, in which one male tries to force the other down.

These combats may last for several hours. Courtship and mating take place in the trees, after which the female lays 10-15 eggs. After a little over three months, the young mambas hatch and are about half a meter long

RED SPITTING COBRA

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: These animals, native to Africa, can be found in Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan and southern Egypt.

Spitting cobras are extremely accurate at distances over 10 feet. Red spitting cobras are venomous snakes that produce hemotoxins, which are delivered to the tissue via the blood system, and neurotoxins, which affect the nervous system of their victims.

While venom is often delivered via a bite with the snake’s fangs, spitting cobras are so-named because they can direct it into their victim’s eyes. This is thought to be for defense only and is not to kill prey.

SPECTACLED COBRA

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: India

DEADLY LIZARDS

KOMODO DRAGON

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: Indonesia Islands

The Komodo dragon is the world's largest lizard species. It is found mainly on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rintja, Padar, and Flores.

There are only about 5,000 Komodo dragons left living on four small islands of Indonesia. Komodo dragons got their name from the island on which they were first discovered - Komodo Island. Some people also call them "Komodo Island monitors" because these animals belong to the monitor lizard group.

Reaching lengths of up to 3 m or more, and weighing up to 126 kg, these reptiles are swift runners and climbers with great appetites for deer and wild boar. 
Although often regarded as pests, they are not a serious menace to humans. In order to protect the dragon, the Indonesian government has made the islands of Padar and Rintja into nature reserves for both the lizard and its prey.

Commercial trade in specimens or skins is illegal under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. 

The Komodo is carnivorous and cannibalistic and it has a prodigious appetite. They regularly kill prey as large as pigs and small deer, and have been known to bring down an adult water buffalo. They are opportunistic feeders and will eat anything they can overpower including small dragons and small or injured humans (dragons make up to 10% of their diet).

An eyewitness account revealed that a 101 lb dragon  ate a 90 lb.  pig in 20 minutes. the dragon’s bite contains deadly bacteria that will eventually kill its intended meal. Soon other dragons will join in on the feast, fighting over the best pieces. 

As a comparison, a 100 lb. person would have to eat 320 quarter pound hamburgers in less than 20 minutes to keep up with the dragon. In the zoo, the Komodo dragons are fed previously frozen rats.

GILA MONSTER

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: Gila monsters are found in the Southwestern United States, specifically Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. They are also found in Northwestern Mexico.

The Gila monster is one of two known venomous lizards, the other being the Mexican beaded lizard, Heloderma horridum. It is a stout animal which usually weighs 3 - 5 pounds. Its length varies from 12 - 24 inches for an adult. This lizard has a thick, short tail which contains fat storage that the animal can survive on when there is no food or when the animal is in hibernation.

The female also takes advantage of this extra fat during pregnancy. The Gila monster has skin which feels granular or bumpy. The bumpy scales on the upper body gradualy tun into plate-like scales on the underbelly. The coloration of the skin is black with contrasting pink, yellor or orange. This animal has five toes on each foot with claws that are short and sharp. The Gila monster seems to prefer an area which is wet enough to support shrub life. They are found more often in the rockier, wetter desert scrub but they are also found in drier, sandier areas. They prefer rocky foothills to open land or agricultural areas.

In the wild Gila monsters eat small mammals, lizards, frogs, insects, carrion, birds and birds' eggs. They hunt primarily with their sense of taste and smell instead of with their eyes. These predatos smell its prey and tracks it. They flick their forked tongue to taste the scent particles that were left, like a trail, on the ground. The element of surprise is their key to successful hunting. They grab their prey and subdue it with their jaws and teeth.

Most of their prey is small enough to overcome without the venom. Nonetheless, venom flows into the bite wounds after infliction. Their venom attacks the nervous system and is strong enough to kill birds and mammals. This may be intensified as the Gila monster clamps down with his jaws and rolls over. It has been theorized that the venom of the Gila monster is used more as a defense mechanism.

Gila monsters court and mate between April and June. Copulation takes approximately 1 hour. Usually 3 - 13 eggs are laid in mid-late summer. These eggs are oval in shape and have a leathery feel to them. The female buries these eggs about 5 inches below the surface. When the sun heats the sand, the sand, in turn, heats the eggs. In about 117-130 days, the eggs hatch. The vibrantly-colored babies are about 4 inches in length at the time of hatching.
Gila monsters have lived up to 20 years in captivity.

Gila monsters are solitary creatures who are inactive most of the time. They hide under rocks and also in burrows. Sometimes they steal burrows from other animals but they can also dig their own. The Gila monster does hibernate in winter, using the fat in its tail as sustenance. In the summer, this lizard is active only at twilight in order to aviod the heat.

When this animal is threatened it uses a burrow for escape or it will inflate its body for intimidation. It may lift its head, hiss, lunge sideways or bite its adversary. It is important to note that in the cases of humans being killed by the venom of a Gila monster, the victims were in poor health prior to the attack. Usually people do not die from a Gila monster bite, but they do suffer great pain. The worst part is trying to get the monster to let go!  

MEXICAN BEADED LIZARD

FAQ: WHERE IS THE SNAKE LOCATED? Answer: Southwestern United States; northern and southwestern Mexico to northern Guatemala

The Mexican Beaded Lizards, true to their name, have black “beaded” scales with either a yellow or white pattern to them. They have squat, fat tails that store fat reserves. Their forked tongue is serpentine in nature and flicks in and out to smell, much like a snake. They closely resemble the Gila Monster in many ways, except for being larger and darker colored.

The venom glands are in their lower jaws, and the venom leeches out from the glands and flows through the grooves in the teeth of the lower jaw and is delivered by a chewing motion. These lizards use primarily as a defensive weapon.These beautiful lizards can grow to be up to3' (91 cm) in length and weigh around three and a half to five pounds, the females are slightly smaller. The largest males have been known to get to 40” (101 cm) and weigh close to ten pounds.

They have a long life span, living 30 plus years. Most Mexican Beaded Lizards reach sexual maturity at about 2 1/2 to 3 years. Adult males are larger than females and generally have broader heads and longer necks. In the wild, the male would scent out the female in the late spring. In captivity they have been observed to copulate in May and June. The female then lays her eggs in July and August. The incubation period is about 165 to 215 days, with the eggs hatching the following January to February.
 

SNAKES: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)

What is a snake?

A snake is a reptile without legs. A reptile usually has scales, lays eggs, breathes air, and doesn’t spend much time taking care of its babies. It is also cold-blooded, which means that its body doesn’t stay the same temperature all the time. (Our bodies stay at 98.6 F all day.) Snakes get very cold on winter days and very hot in the summer. Because of this, snakes usually stay in burrows during very hot and cold weather. A burrow is a hole in the ground where they can live.

What do snakes eat?

All snakes are carnivores (car-ni-vorz) or meat-eaters. There are no snakes that can eat people in Florida. Small snakes eat bugs and frogs. Larger ones eat fish, birds, mice, and rabbits. They use sharp teeth and strong muscles to catch the prey. If the prey animal is bigger than the snake’s mouth, the snake can dislocate (unhinge) its bottom jaw to fit the big animal in.

RATTLESNAKES

North American rattlesnakes - timber, western and eastern diamondbacks and prairie snakes - are poisonous. They live in the highlands of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Pennsylvania – and they don't like to be bothered.

Florida Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti) is a thick-bodied (fat) water snake also called a Water Mocassin. He is usually between 2 and 4 feet long. When he is young, he is light brown with black and olive patterns. As he gets older, black covers up the patterns, and he looks like an all-black snake. When he’s angry, he opens his mouth wide, showing the white inside. This snake does NOT have a rattle. Cottonmouths can be aggressive and may strike several times. They like to live near fresh water swamps, lakes, streams, and ditches.

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) is the largest snake native to North America, reaching 6 feet long. It has brown, black, and beige diamond marks on its back. This snake lives in forests near palmetto bushes. It makes its home in old animal burrows (holes in the ground). It is a good swimmer and can live near fresh or salt water. The eastern diamondback does NOT always rattle before it strikes.

Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius barbouri) is usually less than 1 ½ feet long and not even as thick as a grown-up’s thumb. It is dark gray with black and brown patches. The rattle is very tiny and hard to see. The sound it makes is so small that it may sound like an insect buzz. This snake lives near marshes and ponds under palmetto bushes.

Each species arrived at the same solution. They share the same characteristics of size, shape, color, and the presence of "horns"- raised supraocular scales or spines over their eyes. They use the same form of locomotion, sidewinding, and conceal themselves from predators by shuffling or "swimming" below the sand's surface by rocking their body back and forth.

TERMS ABOUT SNAKES

Hemotoxin - a blood poison that causes the red blood cells to rupture.
Hibernate - to pass the winter in a dormant or inactive state with lowered metabolism and heart rate.
Mimicry - the resemblance of one organism to another or to an object in its surroundings for the purpose of concealment and
protection from predators.
Nocturnal - active at night.
Venom - a poisonous secretion of an animal, such as a snake, spider, or scorpion, usually transmitted by a bite or sting.

FAMILY LEPTOTYPHLOPIDAE (slender blind snakes)

FAMILY BOIDAE (boas and pythons)

COLUBRIDAE (colubrid snakes)

LONGEST SNAKES

The reticulated python gets its name from the distinctive color and pattern on its scales.  According to Webster’s Third New International Dictionary the word “reticulated” is an adjective defined as “having lines intercrossed, forming a network.”  It is also known as the regal python (regal is a word that refers to a king). Its scientific name is Python reticulatus

This snake is the largest species of python living today.  Some people believe that the giant South American water boa, known as the anaconda may grow larger or heavier, but the longest snakes that are found in the wild or that are living in a zoo today are reticulated pythons.

Reticulated python hatch from eggs.  Very large females may lay over 100 eggs at a time. The eggs are white and have a soft, leathery shell. Female pythons wrap their powerful bodies around their eggs until they are ready to hatch.  This behavior is known as brooding and it prevents the eggs from getting too warm or too cool.  The eggs need to remain close to 89 degrees Fahrenheit during the incubation period, which lasts about eighty-five days. The young pythons emerge by cutting a slit in the eggshell with their egg tooth.

RETICULATED PYTHON

Wild Giants

The largest reticulated python ever found in the wild was reported in 1912 from the island of Celebes (now known as Sulawesi) in Indonesia.  This snake measured thirty-three feet.

Captive Giants

Very large reticulated pythons have often been kept in zoological parks around the world.  Many of them refused food for long periods of time and it was common practice for zookeepers to assist or force-feed them. One specimen at the Frankfurt Zoo refused food for 679 days. Another specimen at the Frankfurt Zoo in Germany measuring 24 feet ate a pig that weighed 120 pounds.

ANACONDA

Range: Neotropical
The Anaconda is found in the Guianas, throughout tropical South America, east of the Andes and mainly in the Amazon and Orinoco Basins The Yellow Anaconda can be found as far south as Argentina.

Habitat
The various biomes where Anacondas are usually found are tropical rainforests, savannas, grasslands, scrub forests, and deciduous forests. The Anaconda prefers to be in the water, but they do enjoy spending some time on land in shallow caves by the water's edge, or in riverbank trees to bask in the sun.

On land they can become tick-infested and they cannot move as quickly as they do in water. In water, they can stay completely submerged for 10 minutes. They often lay submerged waiting for prey. They are agile swimmers but sometimes prefer to let the river's current carry them downstream with only their nostrils above the watery surface. Once they are satisfied with the change in scenery, they simply drift to the river's edge.

Anacondas are more often found in swamps and calmer waters than in swift-moving rivers.

Diet -- Carnivorous
They typically feed on large rodents, tapirs, capybaras, deer, peccaries, fish, turtles, birds, sheep, dogs and aquatic reptiles. They have been known to occasionally prey on jaguars and attacks on humans can be confirmed, although this is rare. Younger Anacondas feed on mice, rats, chicks, frogs and fish.

Anacondas are usually coiled up in a murky, shallow pool or at the river's edge. They wait to ambush their unsuspecting prey when they come down for a drink. Anacondas bite their prey with their sharp teeth, hold on with their powerful jaws and pull them under water. The victim may drown first or it may be squeezed to death in the Anaconda's muscular coils. Anacondas, true to the Boa family, constrict their hapless victims to death. The snake squeezes tighter each time its prey breathes out, so the prey cannot breath in again. Suffocation does not take long. Anacondas swallow their prey whole, starting with the head. This is so the legs fold up and the prey goes down smoothly. The Anaconda can swallow prey much bigger than the size of its mouth since its jaw can unhinge and the jawbones are loosely connected to the skull. while the snake eats, its muscles have wave-like contractions, crushing the prey even further and surging it downward with each bite.

The Anaconda has a very slow-acting digestive system. After a big meal the Anaconda will rest for several days while digestion occurs. Many Anacondas will not eat again for several weeks or even months, depending on the size of the last meal. One captive Anaconda is on record for fasting over two years!

Reproduction
Normally the Anaconda is a solitary creature that stays within its own hunting area. This changes with the onset of the rainy season. Courtship can last for several months with this species. During this time, the female in breeding condition gives off pheromones, a chemical scent, which is tracked by nearby males.

Some scientists believe the females lay down a pheromone trial which the males follow. Others believe that her scent is an air-borne chemical emission.

This latter theory is supported by the fact that the female is not very active during this time and males come to her from all directions. Males have also been observed flicking the air to pick up the chemical presence.

Courtship and copulation usually take place in the water. The male presses his body to the female and rests his head on her neck. His tongue flicks and his spurs become erect.

The spurs rub against the female's vent region which encourages her to copulate. As he presses his cloacal region against hers, his spurs make a scratching sound. Copulation is complete when the female raises her cloacal region to meet the male's. The male holds her against him tightly by wrapping his tail and lower body around her.

The gestation for the Anaconda is approximately 6 months. Anacondas are viviparous, bearing live young. A typical litter may consist of 20-40 babies, but a female can birth up to 100 neonates.

These babies are usually 2 feet long a birth. Many newborn Anacondas refuse food for the first few months of life. Because of their small, newborn stature, many Anaconda babies are prey for other animals.

Within hours after birth, Anaconda neonates can swim, hunt and care for themselves. Baby Anacondas grow rapidly until they reach sexual maturity at the age of 3-4 years. They do continue to grow after this time, but at a slower rate.

Life Span
Anacondas can live into their thirties.

Special Adaptations
The Anaconda has eyes high on its head so that it can stay camouflaged underwater while watching and waiting for its prey. Its nostrils are positioned there as well, so that it can breathe easily while almost completely underwater.

Another form of camouflage is the Anaconda's color pattern of dull green with black spots. This blends in with the dense vegetation of its habitat and also with the murky water that Anacondas love.

CORN SNAKES

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TAKING CARE OF PET SNAKES

Enclosure Size

Reptile bark can be purchased in pet stores, and is attractive and natural-looking. Butcher paper can be acquired in many places such as home depot or art supply stores.

This substrate, while not particularly attractive, allows one to keep the cage very clean by continuously replacing the soiled paper. Paper towels have the same advantages and disadvantages of butcher paper.

Astroturf can be used, but it does tend to rot easily if wetted, so it is best to have several pieces cut to fit the cage so you can rotate dirty and clean pieces.

These heaters can only be used with certain types of cages, so check the directions before purchase. Hot rocks are not recommended for corn snake heating for several reasons.

Hot rocks provide a localized heat source that is often too hot. As a result, the snake will curl itself about the rock in an attempt to raise its body temperature, this can result in serious thermal burns. Think about this from the snake's point of view.

One tiny area of the cage is 100 degrees F, and the rest of the cage is freezing. Without some type of heat, reptiles will get sick, so the animal will use whatever source of heat is provided, even if it is too hot. Some of the new hot rocks that have thermostats are a much better choice if a hot rock must be used.

If not, at least burying the hot rock in some substrate will help to diffuse the heat. It is much better to provide indirect heating, or heating that the animal has no direct access to. This will prevent thermal burns from occurring.

Feeding

KING SNAKES and MILK SNAKES

Kingsnakes and milksnakes are some of the most beautiful snakes in the world and are very popular and easily kept in captivity.

Moderately sized and usually quite docile, these snakes appeal to the beginner as well as to the experienced herpetoculturist. The scientific name for the genus of kingsnakes and milksnakes is Lampropeltis. Lampro is derived from the Greek word for "shiny" and peltis, Greek for "shields." The name is a very accurate descriptor of these snakes with their glossy, smooth, well-defined scales.

Lampropeltis getula (kingsnakes), L. triangulum (milksnakes) and the other six species (comprising forty-five subspecies) can be found throughout most of the United States, the southern parts of Ontario and Quebec, down through Central America and parts of South America.

Kings can be found in arid deserts, swamplands, farmlands, grasslands, pine and deciduous forests, up to 8,500 feet in the Rockies and to 10,000 in the Andes, and in riparian habitats. These constrictors, in the wild they consume a variety of prey, including other snakes, amphibians, lizards, rodents, birds, even rattlesnakes.

One of the most interesting thing about some of the kings and milks, and something which unfortunately works only too well, is their mimicry of the venomous coral snakes.

As most people cannot tell the difference and many believe that all snakes are uniformly dangerous, wild kings and milks are often met with the business end of a shovel rather than the respect they deserve for their efforts in keeping the rodent populations in check.

To set the record straight, Lampropeltis and coral snakes can easily be told apart by the order of the color of their bands. Both snakes have yellow, red and black bands. Kings and milks have black bands touching the red bands; in corals, the yellow touches the red bands.

A simple rhyme makes it easy to remember the order: Red on yellow, kill a fellow. An alternative rhyme, yellow on red, you're dead" is a bit of an overstatement, as the vast majority of people who do get bitten by a coral snake just become very ill, recovering with no residual effects.

Selecting Your Kingsnake or Milksnake
What subspecies you select is a personal decision, but the criteria by which you evaluate the potential purchase remains the same. The snake should have a firm rounded body. Check the sides for any caving, sign of possible broken ribs (which happens primarily to wild-caught snakes).

The eyes should be clear with no sign of secretions, cloudiness (other than routine opaquing before shedding) nor any signs of mites; mites may also be detected by their feces, a grayish-white "dust" speckling the snake's body. There should be no gaping--open mouth breathing or catching of breath--which is indicative of a respiratory or parasitical infection.

The skin should be shiny with no sign of sores, scabs or discolored patches. The ventral surface (the belly side) should look as good as the top surface. The vent (cloaca) should be clean, free or any feces or urates. There should be no swelling either above the vent or towards the tail.

The inside of the mouth should be uniformly pink. Any red spots may be a sign of beginning mouthrot; any yellow, cheesy substance is a sign of advanced mouthrot. There should be no excess mucous, and the tongue sheath should be clean and whole.

Unless a snake has been handled a lot by a number of different people, it will not be particularly tame when you first pick it up or when it is first handed to you.

The snake should move purposefully and persistently; let it move from hand to hand. A wild or highly stressed snake is going to wave the upper half of its body in the air trying to escape as soon as it is free of your hands. When the snake is comfortable with you, it will spend some time wrapped around your hand or arm, actively interested in its surroundings as evidenced by tongue flicking and alert to movement.

When you first hold the snake, feel along its entire length to see if you can feel any bumps, lumps or unusually hard or soft areas. When you put the snake down, check your hands to see if there are any mites. Look at the snake move to see that it is moving smoothly, with no abrupt hitches in gait or tremors.

Enclosure
The enclosure you select must have a tightly fitting, locking, top. Available commercially are a variety of glass enclosures with tops consisting of screen mesh and a hinged glass door which locks into place with a small swing latch. Available now are also locking screen tops which can be put on previously purchased tanks. With either of these enclosures, check the give of the tops before you place your snake inside and walk away. Snakes are, for the lack of a better word, squishy, and can squeeze themselves through impossibly tight spaces. Any gaps due to "give" in the doors or tops can be reduced significantly by fitting aquarium airline tubing all around the opening.

Heat

The Lampropeltis that live in climates that experience extremes in heat and cold alter their daily habits to accommodate such extremes. Hibernating through the cold winters, northern and mountain snakes spend the season dormant. Desert species will hide in cool crevices during the hottest part of the day, becoming crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk). In captivity, the extremes do not need to be provided unless you are trying to breed your snakes.

In general, provide a temperature gradient ranging from 76-86 F, with nighttime drops into the low 70's. If you are providing an enclosure with high enough sides to establish basking and hiding areas at different levels within the enclosure, you will need to make sure that gradient is both horizontal as well as vertical.

Do not try to guess the temperature. You must use thermometers. Ideally, one should be placed in the cool end, the warm end, and at any other area where the snake spends much of its time. The hottest areas should not exceed the maximum stated range by more than a couple of degrees, especially for snakes from temperate areas.

Humidity and Water

Furnishings

Kings and milks are rather secretive snakes, preferring to curl up in a rocky crevice or under a log. Shelters of some sort should be provided in both the cool and in the warm ends of the enclosure.

They can range from commercially available "rocky" caves, half-circles of tree bark, and upside-down flower pots. Less aesthetically pleasing is the "green" approach--recycle facial tissue and other suitably sized boxes into caves. They are easily disposed of and replaced when they get soiled.

Substrate
Until you are certain that your new acquisition has no worms, protozoan infections or mites, start it off on paper towels or butcher paper. Easily changed when soiled, these materials will also enable you to monitor the condition of the feces and to detect the presence of mites.

Once you are sure your snake is parasite-free and healthy, you can continue using these papers, or use one of the following substrates, chosen based on what your type of habitat your king is native to: untinted aspen shavings (cedar and redwood are toxic, and there is some feeling that their relative, the pine, may be toxic as well);

Astroturf or outdoor carpeting; number three aquarium gravel (not silica) and clean playground sand, washed and dried before use; mixture of sterile potting soil and sand and/or orchid bark shreds.

SNAKE VERSUS HUMAN

Handling Your Snake
After giving your snake a couple of days to settle in, begin picking it up and handling it gently. It may move from you and it may anoint you with a smelly musky substance from it's vent. Be gentle but persistent. Daily contact will begin to establish a level of trust and confidence between you and your snake.

When it is comfortable with you, you can begin taking it around the house. Don't get overconfident! Given a chance and close proximity to seat cushions, your snake will make a run (well, a slither) for it, easing down between the cushions and from there, to points possibly unknown.