World Snake Day

On July 16th, World Snake Day, which is celebrated around the world, brings greater recognition of the wide variety of species around the world. With around 3,500 species, finding a snake that fascinates you or that was unknown to you before would not be difficult.

About 600 of the 3,500 species are venomous, with just 600 of them venomous. However, only about 200 of those pose a significant danger to human life, according to the World Health Organization.

The Barbados thread snake is the world's smallest snake. This serpent is smaller than a nightcrawler at about 4 inches. In comparison, the longest snake is the reticulated python, and the heaviest is the green anaconda. With its scaled head, one of fantasy books, the atheris hispida – a bush viper – leaps out of fantasy books. Did the viper inspire fire breathing dragons?

Other snakes are brilliantly colored. The snake world is populated with yellows, yellows, blues, and oranges. It's a rainbow-colored world, with the green tree python whose color ranges from green to red and brown, and the banded sea krait that seems to have originated from the Beetlejuice film.

Snake facts

Only 1/8 of the identified species are venomous
Snakes can eat prey up to three times larger than their head's diameter, with their upper and lower jaws separated
Snakes eat their prey whole
Most snakes are nocturnal
Their tongue is used to detect their air
Snakes are cold-blooded, or ectotherms, and must sun themselves to regulate their body temperatures
Although most snakes lay eggs, some give live birth to some snakes
Snake venom has been used for medical purposes for many years, from anti-tumor treatments to antibacterial properties