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1. There are only 4 major groupings of poisonous snakes in the U.S.: copperheads, rattlesnakes, water moccasins, and coral snakes.
2. A snake has no eyelids. Instead, its eyes are covered in clear scales. A snake never closes its eyes![color]
[color=#808080]3. A snake's olfactory organ is in its mouth. It flicks its tongue constantly in order to bring scent particles ot that organ.
4. There are about 2,700 species of snake in the world.
5. There are no native snakes in New Zealand or Ireland.
6. Approximately 375 species of snake are venomous.
7. Aquatic snakes tend to have a flatter body than their land slithering cousins.
8. Venomous snakes tend to be colorful, in order to warn off their enemies, versus non-venomous snakes, who tend to be camoflaged, in order to blend in with their environments.
9. The smallest breed of snake is the Brahiminy Blind Snake, which grows to a full length of about 2 inches!
10. The largest snake is the infamous anaconda, which may grow to be 40 feet long!
11. Some snakes have been known to live as long as 50 years.
12. Snakes have teeth that point inwards, trapping their prey in their mouths.
13. Anacondas and pythons may go a year without requiring any food.
14. Snakes shed their skin 3 to 6 times a year.
15. Many snakes have vestigal hind legs - small bumps where evolution cheated them out of appendages!
16. The first snakes came to be around 95 million years ago, in the early Cretaceous Period.
17. If a snake's prey is to large for it to swallow, it will dislocate its jaw to accommodate its kill.
18. Snakes are an important part of the ecosystem, and a major source of natural rodent control.
19. Snakes are mostly solitary creatures, and do not have any formal social structures.
20. Snakes mate in the spring, just after a long winter hibernation.
21. Few breeds of snake demonstrate any sort of protective instinct over either their young or their eggs. There is hardly any parenting that occurs.
22. Contrary to popular belief, there is not easy to recognize characteristic that would show that a snake is poisonous. The only foolproof physical attribute is a pair of hollow, venom-injecting fangs . . . and to try to inspect a snake for such a characteristic is highly impractical!
23. The best defense against snakebites is avoidance! Stay away from them, watch where you step while hiking, and don't try to uproot leaves and rocks along the trailside. Avoid camping in places with rodents, as snakes love to eat them. And because snakes, especially rattlers are nocturnal, if you must go out into the woods at night, look around carefully with a flashlight before you step!
24. If you are trying to attract beneficial snakes to your garden, provide a habitat with lots of loose rocks, brush, and leaves for the snake to hide in.
25. Rattlesnakes cannot hear the sound of their rattles!
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