September 29, 2011

10 Most Amazing Snakes

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1. Emerald Tree Boa


Most species of boas are colorful like the Corallus caninus, a non-venomous snake found in the rainforests of South America. Adults grow to about 6 feet or 1.8 m in length. They have highly developed front teeth that are likely proportionately larger than those of any other non-venomous snake.


2. Cobra's Hood


The spectacled cobra, named for the eyeglass design on its flared hood (seen here), shares with the Russell's viper the infamy of causing more human deaths than any other snakes. Both are highly venomous and are found in the midst of vast populations of people in Southeast Asia. The spectacled cobra eats rats, poultry, and frogs and is known to enter houses when hunting.   

3. Blind Snake


The genes of a newfound snake family suggest blind snakes lived on the island of Madagascar since, well, before it was an island.

The discovery is helping to decode how these rarely seen—and barely seeing, though not completely blind—snakes came to colonize much of the planet.

Growing to about a foot (30 centimeters) long, blind snakes act a lot like worms, burrowing under the surface of every continent except Antarctica. Unlike worms, though, blind snakes have backbones and tiny scales.


4. Albino Burmese Pythons


The snake pictured above is an albino Burmese python. Burmese pythons are readily available but grow up to be huge snakes. This is one of the snakes that need a healthy dose of caution, so think twice (or more) before getting one as a pet. Though Burmese pythons are generally quite docile, they are incredibly strong, and it just takes a single mistake in handling them (especially at feeding time when they are hungry) to have disastrous results. Sadly, increasing numbers of Burmese pythons are being dumped by owners who can't handle them anymore (in fact, they appear to have become quite established in the Florida Everglades, and are preying on native species).


5. Bright Pink Snake


The snake Liophidium pattoni grows to about 16 inches (40 centimeters) and preys on small rodents and lizards. ‘The bright pink markings on its back make it one of the most colorful snakes in all of Madagascar. It's very unusual,' Ratsifandrihamanana said. L. pattoni was first reported in 2010 in Masoala National Park in northeastern Madagascar.


6. Albino Nelsoni


The brightly colored Nelson's Milksnake is a kind of king snake that is found in Mexico. It grows to a 110 cm long or more. This non-venomous snake has 13 to 18 red rings. It was named in honor of Edward Nelson, former chief of US Biological Survey. Its natural habitats include semi-arid coastal thorn scrub and interior tropical deciduous forests. It feeds on birds, rodents, lizards and amphibians.


7. Blue Coral Snake


Coral snakes are highly venomous members of the Elapidae family that are found in all elevations of rainforest in Southeast Asia. Their venom glands have been reported to extend all the way through the body, even reaching near the tail end in some species. They are distributed widely through Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Borneo but are not often seen due to their nocturnal and semi-fossorial nature. They will burry themselves under leaf litter, or forest debris, venturing out to hunt for prey during the night.


8. Elephant Trunk Snake


Commonly known as the Elephant Trunk Snake, though that name can be used for all members of this family, this species is the best known member of the wart snake family. It is found throughout southeastern Asia, particularly in Indonesia, northern Australia, and New Guinea. It is the largest member of its family. Like other wart snakes, it is totally aquatic, and feeds on fish. It hunts fish mostly at night. Its raised scales help it hold on to slippery fish.


9. Langaha Nasuta


The Langaha snake (also known as the leaf-nosed snake) is adapted to an arboreal lifestyle and feeds mostly on lizards. Its most interesting trait is, of course, the weird “horn” or projection on its snout. Easily is one of the weirdest reptiles in the World.


10. Horned Viper


A nocturnal viper which inhabits the dunes of the north west Negev desert of Israel. The snake was found early in the morning hiding in the sand next to a gerbil hole.

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