One of the most beautiful and fascinating animals in the world is the snake. This species plays an important role in the ecosystem, preying upon pests such as rats and mice. The venom of snakes can be used to create medicines that are effective in curing certain diseases or making antivenin for snakebites. Although it is common to believe that snakes are dangerous and attack humans, the truth is that they fear us.
There is only one species of snake that exists on all islands except Antarctica. The suborder Serpentes includes snakes. There are around 3,400 species. Their limbless nature and long tail distinguish them from other reptiles. All types of snakes belong to the same suborder Serpentes. They all have scales, and they lack eyelids or ear openings. They also have limbless bodies with forked tongues. However, this is not a problem as there are many possibilities even if they are different.
The venomous parts of snakes can be quite different. There are many species with neurotoxin venom that will directly attack the central nervous systems of prey. However, some species have hemotoxic venom that damages the animal’s red blood cells. Few snakes are extremely venomous, and can be dangerous for humans. The rest of them are only dangerous to small animals and have a weaker form of venom.
Some snakes lay eggs, while others give birth to young, which is called (oviparous). Some snake species are smaller than pencils, while others are larger than school buses. The green anaconda is a longer snake than the other types. While some snakes are able to thrive in humid tropical environments, others have evolved in harsh desert environments. While most snakes are omnivores of rodents, some of them eat other prey animals, such as snakes.
Major Snake Families
There are approximately 3,400 species of snakes, as we have already mentioned. These species are grouped into over 20 families. The other five families are small and only contain one or two species.
Colubridae
Colubridae, also known as colubrids, is a large family of snakes that includes 249 genera. It is the largest snake family. Colubridae are found on all continents except Antarctica. The majority of snakes in this family don’t have venom and are generally harmless. There are more than 2000 species. Rear fangs are a medically important colubrid, but they are not as well developed as viper fangs or elapid fangs.
Boidae
The Boidae or bond family, also known as the boas, is a non-venomous family of snakes that is mostly found in the Americas, Europe, Asia and parts of Africa. The family includes some of the largest snakes, such as the Green Anaconda from South America, which is the longest and heaviest snake in the world. There are 5 subfamilies, which include 12 genera and 49 species.
Elapidae
Elapidae, also known as elapids, is a family venomous snakes. They are unique in that they have short fangs and can stay erect. These species thrive in tropical and subtropical areas around the globe. While most of these species have neurotoxins in their bites, some can also contain other toxic substances in different amounts. There are approximately 360 species in the family, and 170 subspecies.
Pythonidae
Pythonidae, also known as Pythons, is a family of non-venomous snakes that are most commonly found in Africa, Asia and Australia. This family contains some of the most massive snakes on the planet and has a total number of 9 genera and 40 different species.
Viperidae
Viperidae are a family that includes venomous snakes. They can be found anywhere except Antarctica, Australia and Madagascar. Together, there are four families that are known as viperids.
Here’s a list of all the snakes found in the world, according to the different families.
1.Black Mamba
Black Mamba is a deadly snake that can be found in Africa’s Eastern and Southern regions. It thrives in swamps, forests and wooded areas. The longest snake in the world, they can grow to 14 feet long and weigh in at 3.5 pounds. The species lives up to 11 years in nature and can live as long as 12 in captivity.
2.King Cobra
King Cobra is most commonly found in Southeast Asia, the rainforests of India, southern China, Malaysia and the Philippines. It can grow up to 18 feet (5.5m) in length, and can weigh between 15 and 20 pounds. However, there are species that can exceed 44 pounds.
3.Anaconda
Anaconda is the largest and most massive snake in the world. The Anaconda can reach 30 feet in length and weigh approximately 550lbs, which is the equivalent of 11 children. They can be found in the swamps, tropical rainforests and lakes of South America. Anacondas live a long life in captivity, but can live up to 30 years in the wild.
4.Python
Pythons can grow to as much as 3 feet and 6 feet long. They can be found in tropical regions of Africa and Asia. They thrive in deserts, savannas, and rainforests. They are constrictors that squeeze their prey until they stop breathing. The species will swallow the prey one-by-one after it is dead. Although their lifespan is unknown, they survived 40 years in captivity.
5.Rat Snake
Rat snakes are a non-venomous species of snake that belong to the colubrid family. They can grow to 3 to 6 feet long, but in rare cases, they can reach 8 feet. They are most common in the central and southeast regions of the USA and Canada. In the wild, the average lifespan is between 15 and 20 years.
6.Sea Snake
Sea snakes are part of the same family as the cobras, and are most commonly found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There are currently 60 species of sea serpents that are known. They can vary in size, colour and type of habitat. The sea snake can grow to lengths of 3.9-4.9 feet, and can reach 9.8 feet in height. In the wild, it can live for 10 years. It is one among the most non-venomous snakes on the planet.
7.Rhinoceros viper
Rhinoceros viper, also known as river Jack, is a venomous serpent that belonged to the Viperidae family. It is found in West and Central Africa’s swamps and rainforests. It can grow to 70-90cm in length and is mostly terrestrial. However, it can sometimes be seen on trees. It is a rodent-loving species, but also eats frogs.
8.Tiger Snake
The venomous Tiger Snake is a member of the elapid snake family. It can be found in subtropical and temperate areas of southwestern Australia and southeastern Australia. It can grow to 3-7 feet in length, with males being larger than females. It is a carnivore that loves to eat mammals, birds, fish, and frogs. It is the most dangerous snake species in the world.
9.Grass Snake
The Grass Snake, which is a non-venomous snake, has nine species as of right now. It can be found in Europe, the Middle East, and the northwestern part of Africa. It can grow up to 2 to 3 inches in length, and it weighs around 8 ounces. Females can live 20 inches longer than their male counterparts. The wild Grass snake lives for 15 years.
10.Indian Cobra
Indian Cobra is a highly poisonous snake that is closely related to Indian mythology. It is often seen in snake charmers. It can be found in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as well as Bangladesh and southern Nepal. This species is a carnivore and eat rodents, frogs, or lizards.
11.Cape Cobra
Cape Cobra is a species of snake that can be seen mostly on the ground. However, it can also climb into trees and shrubs to find food. It is a member of the genus Naja. When threatened, it will lift its head from the ground and spread its neck, which is known as its ‘hood’. It can grow to 1.2m in length as an adult snake, and is most common in southern Africa. It can be found in the Western and Northern Cape provinces as well as the Free State, North West Provinces, Botswana, Eastern Cape, Botswana, southern Namibia, and the Western Cape.
12.Green Mamba
The smallest of the four species of mambas, the Green Mamba, can grow to 6 to 7 feet long. However, it can reach 8 to 8 1/2 feet. It can be found southward, from Tanzania to eastern Zimbabwe and the coast of Natal in southern Africa. The snake’s appearance is bright green. It is graceful, agile, alert, and a serpent. The coastal bushland is where the snake species thrives. In the wild, the species can live for 12 to 20 years.
13.Egyptian Cobra
Egyptian Cobra is a venomous snake belonging to the Elapidae family. It is classified under the subgenera Uraeus. The longest specimen recorded is 2.59m (8.5 ft). Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish zoologist, first described the snake species in 1758. It is large and has a distinct neck. The snake species’ body is long and cylindrical with a strong tail. Although the colour of the species can vary greatly, the most common shade is brown. There are also lighter and darker mottling. It can be found in North Africa, north of the Sahara. It is one the most beautiful snakes on the planet.
14.Red Spitting Cowbra
Red Spitting Cobra, a medium-sized snake that can grow to 0.7 and 1.5 meters in length, is an average-sized species. It has a bright salmon-red color with subocular teardrop marks and a black throat band. There are also variations in the colors depending on where they are found. It is most common in East Africa’s regions, such as Djibouti and Eritrea, Somalia and southern Egypt. Although it loves to eat toads or frogs (but not birds), it will also eat rodents, birds[1]and possibly other snakes.
15.Mozambique Spitting Cobra
Mozambique Spitting Cobra, a snake that is highly poisonous and native to Africa’s region, is the Mozambique Spider Cobra. It is found in Angola and Botswana as well as Namibia, Mozambique (South Africa), Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania. Wilhelm Peters, a German naturalist, first described the snake species in 1854. It can be seen with colors such as blue, olive, or tawnyblack above, and some scales with black-edging. The maximum length of the snake is 90 to 105 cm. However, the longest specimen measured 154 cm. It was a predator of amphibians, other snakes and small mammals.
16.Water Moccasin
Water Moccasin, one of the many types of snakes, is a venomous serpent that belonged to the pit vipers group. Three species of Water Moccasin are currently known to be found in the southeast of the USA. It can be found near drainage ditches and near slow-flowing rivers, lakes, and ponds. It can grow up to 2 to 4 feet long, with males being larger than females. It can be olive-green, brown, or black depending on where it is found. Juveniles, however, has a light-coloured body with stripes. In captivity, the species lives for 24 years.
