The biggest snake. The heaviest snake in South America The fastest snake in the world

In this material, the fastest snake on the planet – the black mamba – will appear before you “in all its glory.” We will tell you about the places where the snake lives, what speed it develops, and what size it has. Also, do not forget that, in addition to its speed skills, the black mamba has a real predator instinct, which helped it adapt to almost any habitat. The black mamba is also one of the most poisonous and deadly snakes, which the inhabitants of Africa fear like fire.

The snake got its terrifying name because of its mouth cavity, which is completely covered in black. The rest of the snake's body is colored yellow-green or metallic gray tones.

Meeting a black mamba is not at all difficult if you are an inhabitant of the southeastern part of Africa. The black mamba is found throughout almost the entire territory of southeast Africa, except Namibia and South Africa. Because of its innate survival instincts, the black mamba has been able to adapt to all kinds of climate conditions. Its favorite habitats are savannas, forests, rocks and even swamps.

Most of the land in Africa is occupied by areas reserved for agriculture, so the black mamba is often found in ordinary fields and is not at all afraid of people. The snake is even able to climb to the very top of the reeds to bask in the sun after a cold night.

Therefore, it is not surprising that most attacks on humans by black mamba occur in rural areas. Frequent cases of attacks are due to the fact that most of even the largest fields in Africa are still processed manually. On average, about 20 thousand people die from the bite of a black mamba in southeast Africa. Moreover, the largest number of victims occurred due to the banal stupidity of people who thought that catching and killing a black mamba would not be difficult.

The black mamba is the fastest snake in the world. capable of reaching speeds of up to 25 km/h(this is approximately 6.5 meters per second). As you may have guessed, to escape from a snake you will have to work hard. But often the black mamba does not use its speed for chasing, because it mainly hunts, sitting deep in ambush and hiding. The snake needs such a high speed of movement in space in order to escape from various threats. After all, somehow only a snake senses even the slightest threat to its life; it immediately retreats several hundred meters.

2.5 meters is the average length of a black mamba. Less commonly, you can find longer specimens, the length of which can reach 4.5 meters.

The most terrible The enemy of the black mamba is considered to be the mongoose. Not only are these cute animals quite agile and love to feast on snakes, but they are also not affected by the venom of the black mamba. Therefore, snakes are a favorite delicacy of mongooses. But, it’s true, mongooses mostly kill young and inexperienced snakes, while they prefer to interact with adult representatives much less often. But wild boars are quite brave and prefer to fry both of them.

The black mamba is aggressive not only during the hunt, but can also attack for no particular reason. When attacking, the mamba rests its entire body on the tip of its tail, thereby the front part of its body to make a lightning-fast throw in the direction of the chosen victim. To dodge such an attack, you must either have the same incredible reaction, or simply be born with a shirt on.

Mamba venom is extremely toxic. It contains neurotoxins, cardiotoxins, dendrotoxins and muscarinic cholinergic receptor blockers. In just one bite, a snake can inject 100 to 150 mg. poison, while the lethal dose for humans is approximately 10 mg. To put it simply, if the antidote is not administered in the first minute after the bite and the victim is not provided with the necessary medical care, then death cannot be avoided.

You can hear a lot of horror stories and legends about the black mamba, but real cases involving this snake in the leading role are much more terrifying. For example, one day a black mamba managed to get through a chimney into a hut in which seven people were calmly resting after a hard day at work. Perhaps the people would have been able to escape if one of them had not stepped on the snake’s tail. Defending itself and fleeing the threat, the snake bit everyone in the hut several times. The irony is that in the dark room the snake was not even visible, and people could not understand who was biting them.

Despite its “cold-bloodedness,” the black mamba still prefers to avoid direct contact with people, and most often attacks to protect itself.

Unfortunately, an antidote for black mamba bites is not yet widely available. Therefore, there are still a lot of deaths from snake bites every year. But at least now the probability of death is not a 100% guarantee, as it was previously before the advent of the vaccine.

The fear of snakes is as old as humanity itself, and “snake stories” were popular in myth and folklore of various nations long before the advent of the Internet. Instinct makes us afraid of them, and it seems for good reason, since many of the most poisonous creatures in the world are snakes. And the smallest of them are the most deadly.

But most of largest snakes in the world are not poisonous and are often kept as pets.

We offer you a description and photo of the largest snakes in the world.

10. Black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) - 3 meters long

In size, one of them is second only to its queen from the 6th line of our rating. It is also one of the most aggressive snakes in the world, as it often attacks for no apparent reason. And it is very difficult to escape from a black mamba. At short distances it reaches speeds of up to 11 km/h.

9. Olive python (Liasis olivaceus) - 4 meters

This non-venomous snake, one of Australia's largest, is sometimes confused with the mulga, a venomous snake from the adder family. The olive python suffers primarily from this similarity, as it is often killed, mistaking it for a dangerous “double.”

Olive pythons are harmless to humans and feed primarily on small mammals, birds and reptiles.

8. Common boa constrictor (Boa constrictor) - 4.5 meters

These chameleons of the snake world can fit into any habitat in which they live. The color of the common boa varies from green and brown to yellow or red.

Boa constrictors can be found in tropical Central and South America. They are excellent swimmers, although they prefer to live on land. They can eat anything - from birds to monkeys. Common boas are non-venomous and have small, hooked teeth that they use to latch onto prey before wrapping their entire body around it and squeezing it to death.

However, from hunters they often turn into prey, because there is a real hunt for the exotic skin of boa constrictors. Therefore, this snake species is listed as endangered.

7. Indian python, also known as light tiger python (Python molurus molurus) - 5 meters

This snake was once the queen of the jungles of India, Sri Lanka and the East Indies. Indian pythons are among the oldest species of snake and have tiny projections on their skin that indicate they may have once had legs. They are not poisonous, but have two rows of very sharp teeth that can cause a very painful bite.

Pythons prefer to eat mammals, and like the world's largest snakes, they kill their prey by strangulation. They are capable of killing a deer and swallowing it whole.

Indian pythons live up to 20 years and are considered very useful creatures for controlling pests such as rats and mice. In areas where people have killed snakes or destroyed their habitat, pests that carry dangerous diseases have become a serious threat to human health.

6. King cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) - 5.6 meters

This is the largest venomous snake in the world. It is considered a very dangerous reptile, since its poison can cause the death of a person in 15 minutes. However, when possible, the king cobra avoids confrontation with people. And when attacking, in order to drive away a two-legged enemy, it can make two or three “idle” bites, saving poison for hunting.

The Latin name Ophiophagus hannah means "snake eater". And it is completely justified, because the diet of the king cobra mainly consists of other snakes, including poisonous ones.

5. Dark tiger python, also known as Burmese python (Python bivittatus) - 5.74 meters

This snake has a beautiful patterned coloring reminiscent of a giraffe's skin and is known for its calm disposition. Burmese pythons are often kept as pets.

In their natural habitat, these snakes can be found in South and Southeast Asia. Their diet consists of small mammals and birds, and, similar to the anaconda, Burmese pythons squeeze their prey until it suffocates. They then swallow the prey whole and may only feed two or three times a year.

Due to deteriorating habitat conditions and the demand for snake skin and flesh, these giant creatures are becoming an endangered species in the wild. However, in captivity their numbers remain high.

4. Hieroglyphic python (Python sebae) - 6 meters

Adult hieroglyph pythons typically reach a length of 4.8 meters. But there is unconfirmed information that in 1958 a seven-meter python was killed, in whose stomach a 1.5-meter Nile crocodile was found. Now it is difficult to say whether this information was true, since there are no photos or videos of one of the largest snakes in the world.

These pythons also attack people. In 2002, a snake swallowed a ten-year-old boy in South Africa.

3. Amethyst python (Morelia amethistina) - 6 meters

This species is found in Indonesia, Australia and Papua New Guinea. The amethyst differs from other pythons in the large and symmetrical scutes that cover the upper part of its head. These snakes have a beautiful yellow-olive or olive-brown coloration with a rainbow tint.

Amethyst pythons feed on small animals (including chickens) and often crawl into the yards of people who keep birds.

2. Giant or green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) - 9 meters

There are many legends and rumors about the size of the anaconda. Briton Percival Fossett describes anacondas measuring over 18 and 24 meters. And in 2015, a photo of a giant anaconda 40 meters long and weighing 2067 kg, which allegedly killed 257 people and 2325 animals, spread across the Internet. It took British commandos in Africa 37 days to track and kill her.

However, this photo turned out to be a fake, and the largest anaconda specimen currently known is in New York, in the terrarium of the Zoological Society. She is about 9 meters tall and weighs 130 kg.

Green anacondas live primarily in the Amazon rainforest and can be found in swamps, rivers and streams. They are very agile in the water and never crawl far from it. Their diet mainly consists of iguanas, birds, turtles and other small to medium sized creatures. These scaly giants kill their prey by wrapping themselves around them and squeezing them in a deadly embrace, preventing them from breathing air. Their extremely elastic mouth allows them to swallow their prey whole, even if it is much larger than the anaconda itself. And it may take months before the snake wants to eat again.

1. Reticulated python (Python reticulatus) - 14.85 meters

The largest snake in the world was found in the jungle on the island of Sumatra. Its length exceeded 14 meters and its weight was 447 kg. Scientists have never seen a snake this size. The monster was given the name Guihua and entered into the Guinness Book of Records. It costs him nothing to swallow a person or even a medium-sized cow. And after such a meal, Guihua may not eat anything for several months.

Regular reticulated pythons reach a length of 5-7 meters and are characterized by aggressive behavior. They can attack people and animals, both domestic and predators. In one of the videos with the largest snakes in the world, a python killed and swallowed a small alligator

These snakes are capable of dislocating their jaws in order to swallow prey close to their own weight and up to 1/4 the length of the body.

Despite the fact that the reticulated python is quite widespread in the wild, its numbers are gradually declining. Poachers actively hunt for snake skin, as well as gall bladder, which is used in Asian folk medicine.

The largest snake ever living on Earth

But even the world's largest reticulated python did not reach the size of Titanoboa. This extinct species of snake - a close relative of the boa constrictor - lived on Earth about 61-58 million years ago. The titanoboa's body length reached 15 meters, and it weighed about a ton.

There lived a giant snake in the humid and hot jungle in what is now Colombia. And if she had lived to this day, then Korney Chukovsky would have urged children not to walk not in Africa, but where this huge monster crawls.

Snakes are amazing creatures that cause mixed reactions in almost all people. These cold-blooded creatures are distinguished by intelligence, a certain mystery and even mysticism. Below is a rating of the 10 longest snakes on the planet.

1st place – reticulated python

Although most individuals reach a length of 4-8 meters, pythons are known to be 10 meters or more in length. The python, caught by a resident of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, weighed 447 kg in 2000 and grew in length to almost 15 m. The snake is considered the largest living today.

Pythons are considered harmless to people, as there are only 2 known cases of this snake attacking a person. They mainly feed on rodents and livestock, so they often “visit” nearby settlements.

2nd place - green anaconda (or giant)

The green anaconda subspecies, belonging to the boa constrictor family, is considered the largest in the world - its size reaches 9-10 meters, with females being larger. However, in the eastern part of Colombia, a completely gigantic individual was caught - an anaconda 11 m and 43 cm long.

This snake lives in the southern part of America and spends most of its life in water. It feeds on livestock that comes to the pond to drink water - these can be goats, sheep, ducks and even dogs. Leads a secluded lifestyle, with the exception of mating seasons, and loves to soak up the sun.

3rd place – Burmese python

This python is also called the dark tiger python. The average length is about 5-8 m, but the world knows a specimen that has grown to 9 m 15 cm. The Burmese python lives in Indonesia, India, China, Java, Thailand and Cambodia. It loves humidity, so it prefers tropical forests and swamps. Swims well, and at a young age also climbs trees. It feeds on rodents, pigeons, and monitor lizards. Large individuals can even feast on a jackal or deer. These pythons are phlegmatic, so they rarely attack people.

4th place – Indian python

Also called the light tiger python and reaches a length of 6 m. It is found in the mountains, on rocky slopes and near water. It leads a nocturnal lifestyle, sleeping during the day and going out hunting at night. This snake feeds on small animals of about 3-5 kg, although, if desired, it is capable of catching larger game.

5th place – king cobra

Among poisonous snakes it is considered the largest - reaches 5 m 60 cm in length. In fact, it does not belong to real cobras, but belongs to the family of asps. It lives in South and Southeast Asia, sometimes swallows monitor lizards, but most often feeds on relatives, including poisonous ones. Unlike other snakes, it can control the dose of venom injected during a bite. The cobra has an excellent memory and is said to be able to distinguish the person who has caught it from other people.

6th place – common boa constrictor

The common boa constrictor belongs to the family Boa constrictors or pseudopods. On average it reaches 4-5 m, although there are individuals up to 6 m. It lives on mountain slopes, in forests, swamps, near rivers and lakes, in caves. It swims well and can stay in the water for a long time. Sometimes city residents replace cats with boa constrictors, as they are good at hunting rodents.

7th place – mamba

The black mamba is considered the most poisonous snake on the African continent. The Guinness Book of Records claims that it is also the fastest snake in the world, as it is distinguished by its extraordinary agility, allowing it to glide along the ground even with its head raised. Hunts during the day for various small game - rodents, mice, etc. When meeting a person, she tries to avoid contact, but if she fails, she immediately attacks.

8th place – bushmaster

The largest species of the viper family grows up to 3-4 m. In South America it is considered the most poisonous snake. Leads a solitary lifestyle and is often found in uninhabited areas, so contact with people is rare. Surukuku - the local name for bushmaster - goes out hunting at night, feeding on rodents and small snakes. Its poison is dangerous to humans, but the mortality rate from it is quite low - up to 12%.

9th place – brown eastern snake

The reticulated brown snake belongs to the adder family. It is found in Australia, New Guinea, and also in Indonesia. It reaches a length of 2 meters, and the largest recorded specimen has grown to 2 m 40 cm. The venom of a snake without medical attention can be fatal.

The eastern snake hunts rodents, mainly house mice; sometimes they eat reptiles, birds and even their own relatives.

10th place – viper

This snake, belonging to the genus of giant vipers, is also poisonous and can reach almost 2 meters. It is found everywhere - in Turkey, Iraq, India, Asia and the territory of the former USSR. Prefers the mountain-steppe zone. Hunts at different times of the day, depending on the time of year. These snakes hibernate alone or in groups of up to 12 individuals. Eats small mammals, birds and snakes.

At various times, travelers claimed to have seen with their own eyes or heard from eyewitnesses about snakes 30-40 meters long living in the Amazon. However, the maximum length considered reliable is the length of the giant anaconda, measured by a Colombian geologist in 1944, who was studying the jungles of Colombia in search of oil deposits. He claimed that the specimen he discovered had a length 11 meters 43 centimeters. This specimen of the snake could not be preserved: according to the researcher, the snake he had stunned after measuring its growth came to its senses and crawled away. Thus, no one else saw her. However, this result is officially recognized and included in the Guinness Book of Records.

Moreover, although the New York Zoological Society back in the 30s of the 20th century announced a prize of $1,000 to anyone who could provide evidence of the existence of an anaconda over 12.2 meters long, the prize remained unclaimed. Later, former US President Theodore Roosevelt increased the award to $6,000, and, on the contrary, reduced the required length of the snake to 9.12 meters. At the moment, the prize is $50,000, and the length sought is 10 meters, and the reward is still waiting for its hero.

The average length of a giant (green) anaconda is 5-6 meters, individual specimens reach 8-9 meters.

Today, the longest snake on Earth is the reticulated python, which lives in Asia.

According to unconfirmed reports, the record python that lived in one of the Japanese zoos in the 80s had a length of 12 meters 20 centimeters. However, officially the longest specimen listed in the Guinness Book of Records is a python caught back in 1912 on the island of Celebes (Sulawesi) in Indonesia. Its length was 9 meters 75 centimeters. The largest reticulated python kept in captivity is the female Samantha, 7 meters 50 centimeters, which was caught on an island in Borneo. She died in 2002 at the Bronx Zoo (New York). After her death, the record holder's laurels passed to the python Fluffy, the pet of herpetologist Bob Clark, who lived at the Columbus Zoo (Ohio, USA). Its length was 7.3 m, and weight is about 135 kg. Fluffy died in 2010 at the age of 18 due to an internal tumor.

The average length of reticulated pythons is 4-8 meters.

Thus, the anaconda and the reticulated python still compete with each other for the right to be called the longest snakes on Earth.

The largest snakes on Earth are non-venomous. They kill their prey by strangulation, wrapping themselves around it in tight rings. Here it is worth mentioning the possible danger of these snakes to humans.

Giant snakes attacking brave travelers in the deep jungle and eating people are a favorite plot of many adventure stories. However, contrary to the imagination of writers, the anaconda is not dangerous for an adult. Cases of attacks by giant snakes on people are rare and are usually caused by the fact that the snake did not calculate its strength or made a mistake in assessing the size of a person, seeing only part of his body under water. No specialist has ever seen a snake that could swallow prey weighing more than 60 kg. However, such snakes can pose a danger to children and adolescents; There have been cases of fatal attacks by reticulated pythons on children. However, despite their gigantic size and aggressiveness, reticulated pythons are often kept in terrariums.

Cases of attacks on humans by anacondas are also rare. Georg Dahl, who explored the jungles of South America, wrote: “People asked me if I would dare to meet a boa constrictor in the forest. To this I can answer quite sincerely that I have met them in the forest more than a dozen times, and they, in my opinion, are no more dangerous than amateur sausage. The boa constrictor and the sausage are approximately equally aggressive. For a boa constrictor to become angry, you need to tease it a lot. He often expresses his dissatisfaction with a loud hiss. And if you continue to bother the boa constrictor after that, it is capable of biting you like an angry dog. And he won’t immediately let you go with his thin, curved back teeth.”(Anaconda belongs to the subfamily of boas; in old literature, anacondas were also called water boas, since they lead an aquatic lifestyle).

It should be recognized that giant snakes suffer much more at the hands of humans than people do from them. Firstly, in many countries they are eaten. Secondly, their leather with beautiful patterns is used to make shoes, as well as handbags and other haberdashery items.

Many zoos around the world keep giant snakes and there they, as a rule, do not show any aggressiveness. Free-living pythons reaching 6 m or more can, of course, be dangerous to humans. However, when they are attacked or want to be grabbed, they defend themselves by trying to bite, and almost never try to throw their rings at the enemy - they only do this with prey that they are going to eat.

The largest venomous snake on Earth is the king cobra (hamadryad), which lives in Southeast Asia and India. The largest specimens of the king cobra reach 5.5 meters. The average size of these snakes is 3-4 meters.

By the way...

Measuring snakes is not an easy task. Of course, the most accurate result will be obtained if the snake is extended to its full length. But for a large snake such a position is unnatural, and such a strong animal will never allow itself to be “bent” for measurement. In a dead snake, the body becomes ossified, so it is even more difficult to take measurements. As for the measurement of the removed skin, while it is fresh, it is possible to increase it by as much as 20%! And since snake skin is sold by the meter, snake hunters usually do not forget to perform this procedure.

To rightfully bear the title “The Largest Snake,” it is necessary to amaze herpetologists with a harmonious combination of two key parameters - solid mass and outstanding length of the slippery body. Let's talk about the gigantic reptiles included in the top 10.

Reticulated python

It is considered the longest snake on the globe, inhabiting mainly South and Southeast Asia. The author of the work “Giant Snakes and Terrible Lizards,” the famous Swedish researcher Ralf Blomberg, describes a specimen just under 10 meters long.

In captivity, the largest representative of the species, a female specimen named Samantha (originally from Borneo), grew to 7.5 m, surprising visitors to the Bronx Zoo in New York with its size. She died there in 2002.

In their natural habitat, reticulated pythons grow to 8 meters or more. In this they are helped by a varied menu consisting of vertebrates such as monkeys, birds, small ungulates, reptiles, rodents and predatory civets.

This is interesting! Sometimes he includes bats in his menu, catching them in flight, for which he clings to the protruding parts of the walls and roof of the cave with his tail.

The pythons also eat unwary domestic animals for lunch: dogs, birds, goats and pigs. The most favorite dish is young goats and piglets weighing 10-15 kg, although a precedent has been recorded for the consumption of pigs weighing more than 60 kg.

This snake (lat. Eunectes murinus) from the subfamily of boas has many names: common anaconda, giant anaconda and green anaconda. But it is often called in the old fashioned way - a water boa, given the passion for the water element. The animal prefers calm rivers, lakes and creeks with weak currents in the Orinoco and Amazon basins.

The anaconda is considered the most impressive snake on the planet, confirming this opinion with a well-known fact: a reptile 5.21 m long (without tail) and weighing 97.5 kg was caught in Venezuela. By the way, it was a female. Male water boas do not claim to be record holders.

Despite the fact that the snake lives in water, fish is not included in the list of its favorite foods. Typically, the boa constrictor preys on waterfowl, caimans, capybaras, iguanas, agoutis, peccaries, and other small/medium-sized mammals and reptiles.

Anaconda does not disdain lizards, turtles and snakes. There is a known case in which a water boa constrictor strangled and swallowed a 2.5-meter-long python.

Snake eater (ophiophagus hannah) is exactly how the name is translated from Latin, which was awarded to the cobra by scientists who noticed its passion for eating other snakes, including extremely poisonous ones.

The largest poisonous reptile has another name - hamadryads. These creatures, which grow throughout their entire life (30 years), infest the tropical forests of India, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines.

The longest snake of the species was captured in 1937 in Malaysia and transported to London Zoo. Here it was measured, recording a documented length of 5.71 m. They say that in nature there are longer specimens crawling, although most adult cobras fit within an interval of 3-4 meters.

To the credit of the king cobra, it should be noted that it is not the most poisonous and is also quite patient: a person needs to be at the level of its eyes, and without making sudden movements, hold its gaze. They say that after a few minutes the cobra calmly leaves the place of the unexpected meeting.

Hieroglyphic python

One of the four largest snakes on the planet, demonstrating in some cases a decent weight (about 100 kg) and good length (over 6 m).

Average individuals do not grow larger than 4 m 80 cm and their weight is also not surprising, gaining from 44 to 55 kg at maturity.

This is interesting! The slenderness of the body is strangely combined with its massiveness, which, however, does not prevent the reptile from climbing trees well at night and swimming well.

Hieroglyphic (rock) pythons live in savannas, tropical and subtropical forests of Africa.

Like all pythons, it can go hungry for a very long time. In captivity, it lives up to 25 years. The reptile is not poisonous, but exhibits outbursts of uncontrollable anger that are dangerous to humans. In 2002, a ten-year-old boy from South Africa became a victim of a python, who was simply swallowed by the snake.

Rock pythons do not hesitate to attack leopards, Nile crocodiles, warthogs and black-footed antelopes. But the main food for snakes are rodents, reptiles and birds.

Dark tiger python

In this non-venomous species, the females are more impressive than the males. The average size reptile does not exceed 3.7 meters, although some individuals stretch up to 5 or more.

The animal's habitat is Eastern India, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Cambodia, southern China from the island. Hainan, Indochina. Thanks to humans, the dark tiger python entered Florida (USA).

A dark python that lived not so long ago in the American Snake Safari Park (Illinois) was a record size. The length of this enclosure resident named Baby was 5.74 m.

The dark tiger python eats birds and mammals. It attacks monkeys, jackals, civets, pigeons, waterfowl, large lizards (Bengal monitor lizards), as well as rodents, including crested porcupines.

The python often has livestock and poultry on its table: large reptiles easily kill and eat small pigs, deer and goats.

Light tiger python

Subspecies of tiger python. It is also called the Indian python, and in Latin - python molurus molurus. It differs from its close relative python molurus bivittatus (dark tiger python) primarily in its dimensions: they are less impressive. Thus, the largest Indian pythons do not grow more than five meters. There are other signs characteristic of this snake:

• light inclusions in the middle of the spots decorating the sides of the body;
• pinkish or reddish tint of light stripes running on the side of the head;
• a blurred (in its front part) diamond-shaped pattern on the head;
• lighter (compared to the dark python) color with a predominance of brown, yellow-brown, red-brown and gray-brown tones.

The light tiger python inhabits the forests of India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bhutan.

Amethyst Python

This representative of the snake kingdom is protected by Australian law. The largest snake on the Australian continent, which includes the amethyst python, reaches almost 8.5 meters in adulthood and eats up to 30 kg.

On average, a snake’s height does not exceed 3 m 50 cm. Among its relatives, pythons, it stands out for its symmetrical and noticeably large scutes located on the upper zone of the head.

A serpentologist will understand that this is an amethyst python by the peculiar coloring of its scales:

• olive-brown or yellow-olive color dominates, complemented by a rainbow tint;
• clearly defined black/brown stripes across the body;
• on the back there is a clear mesh pattern formed by dark lines and light spaces.

This Australian reptile shows a gastronomic interest in small birds, lizards and small mammals. The most arrogant snakes choose their victims among bush kangaroos and marsupial cuscus.

This is interesting! Australians (especially those living in the outskirts) know that the python does not hesitate to attack their pets: from afar, the snake feels the warmth emanating from warm-blooded animals.

To protect their animals from the amethyst python, villagers place them in enclosures. Therefore, in Australia, not only parrots, chickens and rabbits are kept in cages, but also dogs and cats.

Common boa constrictor

It is known to many as Boa constrictor and now has 10 subspecies, differing in color, which is directly related to the habitat. Body color helps the boa constrictor camouflage itself in order to lead an isolated lifestyle, hiding from prying eyes.

In captivity, the length of this non-venomous snake ranges from 2 to 3 meters, in the wild - almost twice as much, up to 5 and a half meters. Average weight - 22-25 kg.

Boa constrictor inhabits Central and South America, as well as the Lesser Antilles, looking for dry areas located near water bodies to settle in.

The food preferences of the boa constrictor are quite simple - birds, small mammals, and less often reptiles. When killing prey, the boa constrictor uses a special technique of influencing the victim’s chest, squeezing it during the exhalation phase.

This is interesting! The boa constrictor easily adapts to captivity, so it is often bred in zoos and home terrariums. A snake bite does not threaten a person.

Bushmaster

Lachesis muta or surukuku is the largest venomous snake in South America from the viper family., living up to 20 years.

Its length usually falls within the range of 2.5-3 m (with a weight of 3-5 kg), and only rare specimens grow up to 4 m. Bushmaster boasts excellent poisonous teeth, growing from 2.5 to 4 cm.

The snake prefers solitude and is quite rare, as it chooses uninhabited areas of the island of Trinidad, as well as the tropics of South and Central America.

Important! People should be afraid of the bushmaster, despite the modest mortality rates from its poison - 10-12%.

Surukuku is characterized by nocturnal activity - it waits for animals, lying motionless on the ground among the foliage. Inaction does not bother him: he is able to wait for weeks for a potential victim - a bird, lizard, rodent or... another snake.

Dendroaspis polylepis is a venomous African reptile found in the woodlands/savannas of the east, south and center of the continent. Spends most of its leisure time on the ground, occasionally crawling (to warm itself) into trees and bushes.

Compared to its relatives from the asp family, the black mamba stands out for having the longest poisonous teeth (22-23 mm). These teeth help her effectively inject poison that kills elephant leapers, bats, hyraxes, rodents, galagos, as well as other snakes, lizards, birds and termites.

This is interesting! The most toxic snake on the planet loves to hunt during daylight hours, biting into its prey several times until it finally freezes. It takes more than a day to digest.