Snakes are creatures that from ancient times were considered representatives of otherworldly forces, light or darkness. Despite the fact that people treat them differently, it must be admitted that these reptiles are insanely beautiful. So, in this article, you will find out which snakes are considered the most attractive in the reptile world.
Are snakes dangerous or not?
To be honest, snakes are predatory reptiles that attack other animals, while being prey for larger and fearless representatives of the fauna. In order to scare away unexpected guests, snakes are either disguised or, on the contrary, painted in bright colors, because the screaming skin frightens almost all predators.
Most can be both harmless and deadly. The tops of the beauty lists are occupied by those cold-blooded ones, which differ not only in a pleasant-looking color, but also in rather large sizes. Before looking for a meeting with a particular snake, in order to examine the iridescent scales closer, it is important to study its habits and behavior in order to be prepared for a cold reception in case of anything.
Beautiful snakes of South America
The most beautiful snakes live in all corners of the world. They can be found on every continent, in every part of the globe except Antarctica. Perhaps the largest number of these reptiles live in South America.
Among the inhabitants of this continent, the emerald one stands out, it is also a dog-headed boa. This reptile has a bright green color with white spots. Most the most beautiful snake in the world leads life in the trees, twisting into several rings and laying its head on them.
The boa's neighbor, the Brazilian rainbow python, is distinguished by its bright color: on the main brown or orange scales, there are other, multi-colored scales that resemble a rainbow.
Beautiful snake of Central America
Found in Central America, the Honduran milk snake is rightfully considered one of the finest reptiles. This representative of asps is attractive with a bright red-black striped color, which does not at all fit the description "milky".
However, the most beautiful snakes on the planet got their names for a reason. The Honduran snake gained such an epithet for being addicted to the milk of American cows, which are kept on local farms.
The most beautiful snakes in North America
Rubber snakes, relatives of the deadly anacondas, do not grow to the same size as the latter. Their length is usually about sixty centimeters. These reptiles are known for their rubbery skin. It is either gray or black.
Rubber snakes are the most beautiful snakes that are used to rid people of herpetophobia, and these reptiles do an excellent job: they can spend an hour in the hands of a person without even trying to bite him. These snakes do not believe that attack is the best defense, and in case of danger, they secrete a liquid that smells bad and scares away predators.
Another inhabitant of America - the royal snake - has a majestic color, consisting of three shades: red, black stripes and thin rings of yellow or white separating them. This snake is often the subject of photography. The most beautiful snakes are dangerous. So, the poison of the king snake can be fatal.
The white Texas snake is not found in the natural habitat of other snakes. This snow-white reptile with large light blue eyes was bred by American scientists.
The pinpoint collar snake is easily recognizable by its bright yellow rim separating the head from the olive body. She possesses her tail is red, and the middle of the body is yellow, while the colors change smoothly, without dividing into clear areas. When in danger, this reptile raises its red tail and thereby frightens opponents, but it rarely attacks large animals itself.
Beautiful snakes of Australia
live in Australia. For example, a black snake, named for its dark color with a scarlet-pink belly, is not only able to stay under water for an hour, but also bites a person. The poison of a two-meter black echidna does not bring instant death, but unpleasant sensations after its attack are provided.
A relative of the black echidna, the tiger snake, occupies an area similar to it. It is known for its coloration similar to that of a tiger's fur. Moreover, it is highly poisonous. It's better not to date her.
Beautiful snakes of Africa
It got its name deservedly. Small horns made of scales are located above the eyes, which make this reptile unusual and attractive. The snake also has a light brown, almost creamy color, so it is very difficult to see it against the backdrop of the African sands.
Reptiles, united by the name "mambas", are without doubt the most beautiful snakes. They can be of different colors. For example, the narrow-headed mamba, emerald green along its entire length, can easily blend in with the trees of the tropical forests of South Africa.
Another mamba, black, is the most dangerous snake on the planet. Its poison is fatal to humans. It is impossible to prepare for the attack of this inhabitant of Africa - she attacks anyone who disturbed her peace with lightning speed. Hearing the name of this snake, people imagine a long blue-black reptile, but this is not entirely true. She bears this name not for the color of the body, which, however, is beige, but for the color of the mouth. Opening it, she exposes a dark throat and long fangs.
Beautiful snakes of Russia
The yellow pot-bellied snake, or two-colored bonito, lives in the Far East. She almost never gets out on land and spends most of her life in sea water. The color of the snake's body consists of two colors: yellow and black. They divide her body into two halves: upper and lower. In addition, it has a series of triangles on its tail, which helps distinguish it from other reptiles with a similar coloration.
The most beautiful snakes in the world, with names given to them for their external features or unusual behavior, also live in Russia. The Amur snake, which reaches two meters in length, is black in color with yellow rings. He is rightfully considered the most beautiful reptile that can be found on the territory of our country. He feeds, gracefully squeezing the body with rings and raising his head. In those moments when he is awake, he looks like a Chinese philosopher - this snake behaves so calmly and with concentration.
It is important to remember that the beauty of snakes is deceiving, and even the most harmless-looking reptile can be harmful if disturbed. Therefore, you should avoid meeting them and admire the most beautiful apses from TV screens and computers. Meetings with these predators are harmless only for trained people.
Snakes cause conflicting emotions in different people. Some are panicky and freeze from fear at the sight of any snake, others admire their grace and perfection and strive to take a closer look. What to expect if a yellow snake suddenly crosses your path? Are they poisonous and aggressive? To answer these questions will help acquaintance with information about the most common types of yellow snakes.
Popular and harmless
If on your way met a yellow snake, or rather, a reptile with characteristic marks of this color on its head, then, most likely, in front of you Snakes of this species are the most common, they can be found in any corner of our planet. Variations in their color and size may differ slightly, but in general it is easy to determine the snake, knowing its main external characteristics:
- Snakes have a uniform back color. from dark green to greenish gray.
- The head is not too wide; it merges smoothly from the body, without noticeable expansion.
- Already - this is a snake with yellow spots on the head, which are located on the sides. Less commonly, they can be white or beige.
- The size of common snakes varies from 50 to 80 centimeters in length, the diameter does not exceed 5 centimeters.
The named reptile chooses a humid climate with lots of rocks, stumps, or twigs to hide. Therefore, the greatest probability of meeting these snakes is on the banks of water bodies, forest lakes. Also, these snakes swim well, so if you come across a snake while swimming in a pond, you should not panic, most likely it is. He is not aggressive, he can bite a person only for the purpose of self-defense, and his bite is absolutely harmless and shallow.
Yellow belly and slender body
Going to travel to the steppe area with a dry climate, as well as to the mountains, you need to know the features of such a snake as These snakes reach very large sizes, on average 2 meters in length. Moreover, the diameter of their body is small, no more than 7 centimeters, thanks to this effect, the snake always remains a "slender" snake.
The snake is a yellow snake with a very aggressive disposition. If she senses danger at the sight of a person, then she can deliver a warning blow and attack first. She moves extremely quickly, sharply and actively. In a fit of attack, it can even jump to a fairly large height to bite the victim in an unprotected place.
It is not difficult to distinguish the snake: in addition to its characteristically slender body, it is distinguished by the color that is the reason for the name. The back of the snake can be gray-green or dark olive in color, but the belly is always in yellow shades.
Having met a yellow-bellied snake on your way, you need not to make sudden movements and gradually move away from the snake so as not to provoke an attack of its aggression.
Conditionally poisonous beauty
Now the majority of our compatriots prefer to spend their holidays in warm tropical regions. On the territory of such popular countries for holidaymakers as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines, there is a snake with a yellow head - mangrove.
Snakes of this species belong to the family of narrow-shaped snakes, but they have a number of significant differences from the harmless snakes familiar to us.
The mangrove snake is quite large: it can reach two and a half meters in length and 6 - 8 centimeters in diameter. Her head, like that of a snake, does not stand out too much against the background of the body. The back color is dark green, almost black, but the lower part of the head is colored bright yellow. Yellow stripes run all over the belly, gradually decreasing towards the tail.
The mangrove snake is considered conventionally poisonous. This means that her bite can have a toxic effect on a person, expressed by fever, swelling, painful sensations, but it does not pose a mortal danger. This type of snake is not aggressive, but it is quite capable of biting for the purpose of protection. In the daytime, mangrove snakes rest on tree branches, where they crawl with ease. Therefore, when traveling through tropical forests, you need to be extremely careful.
Yellow and black danger
The most dangerous to humans is a yellow snake called krait. She lives in India, Thailand, in the south of Asia. You can distinguish the krait snake by the following features:
- small size - on average one and a half meters in length;
- bright color from yellow and;
- a laterally compressed body, resembling a triangle in cross-section;
- a distinctly prominent head, which is slightly wider than the body.
Leads a nocturnal lifestyle - at this time she is very active and quite aggressive. During the day, the snake rests and does not show signs of hostility, even if the person approaches a short distance.
The bite of such a beauty is almost always fatal; even a serum administered on time does not greatly increase the chances of survival. Despite the calm behavior of this snake in the daytime, having met it, you should not risk it and try to look closer. It is best to step back without making any sudden movements. And in the evening, you should be extremely careful and carefully inspect the place of walking and lodging for snakes.
Snakes can evoke different emotions: they can be loved, or they can be afraid. But in any case, you need to know the main signs of poisonous and dangerous reptiles in order to behave correctly in case of a chance meeting.
A snake is an animal of the chordate type, of the reptile class, of the squamous order, the suborder of the snake (lat. Serpentes). Like all reptiles, they are cold-blooded animals, so their existence depends on the temperature of the surrounding air.
Snake - description, characteristics, structure. What does a snake look like?
The body of the snake is elongated and can reach a length of 10 centimeters to 9 meters, and the weight of the snake ranges from 10 grams to over 100 kilograms. Males are smaller than females, but have a longer tail. The body shape of these reptiles is varied: it can be short and thick, long and thin, and sea snakes have a flattened body that resembles a ribbon. Therefore, the internal organs of these scaly ones also have an elongated structure.
The internal organs are supported by over 300 pairs of ribs, which are movably connected to the skeleton. The triangular head of the snake has jaws with elastic ligaments, which makes it possible to swallow large food.
Many snakes are venomous and use venom as a way of hunting and as a means of self-defense. Since snakes are deaf, for orientation in space they, in addition to sight, use the ability to capture vibrational waves and heat radiation. The main information sensor is the forked tongue of the snake, which allows using special receptors inside the sky to "collect information" about the environment. Snake eyelids are fused transparent films, scales that cover the eyes, therefore snakes don't blink and even sleep with their eyes open.
The skin of snakes is covered with scales, the number and shape of which depends on the type of reptile. Once every six months, the snake sheds its old skin - this process is called molting. By the way, the color of the snake is both monochromatic in species that live in the temperate zone, and variegated in representatives of the tropics. The pattern can be longitudinal, cross-annular or spotted.
Types of snakes, names and photos.
Today, scientists know more than 3460 species of snakes living on the planet, among which the most famous are asps, sea snakes (not dangerous to humans), pit-headed snakes, false-legged snakes that have both lungs, as well as rudimentary remains of the pelvic bones and hind limbs.
Consider several representatives of the snake suborder:
King cobra (hamadryad) (lat.Ophiophagus hannah)
The most gigantic venomous snake on earth. Some representatives grow up to 5.5 m, although the average size of adults usually does not exceed 3-4 m. King cobra venom is a deadly neurotoxin that is fatal in 15 minutes. The scientific name of the king cobra literally means "snake eater", because this is the only species whose representatives feed on their own kind of snakes. Females have an exceptional maternal instinct, constantly guarding the clutch of eggs and completely doing without food for up to 3 months. The king cobra lives in the rainforests of India, the Philippines and the islands of Indonesia. Life expectancy is over 30 years.
Black mamba (Latin Dendroaspis polylepis)
The African poisonous snake, which grows up to 3 m, is one of the fastest snakes, capable of moving at a speed of 11 km / h. The highly toxic snake venom leads to death in a matter of minutes, although the black mamba is not aggressive and attacks a person only in self-defense. Representatives of the black mamba species got their name due to the black color of the oral cavity. The skin of a snake is usually olive, green or brown with a metallic sheen. Eats small rodents, birds and bats for food.
Fierce snake (desert taipan) (Latin Oxyuranus microlepidotus)
The most poisonous of the land snakes, the poison of which is 180 times stronger than that of a cobra. This type of snake is common in the deserts and dry plains of Australia. Representatives of the species reach a length of 2.5 m. The color of the skin changes depending on the season: in extreme heat - straw, with a cold snap turns dark brown.
Gabonese viper (cassava) (lat.Bitis gabonica)
A venomous snake that lives in the African savannas is one of the largest and thickest vipers up to 2 m long and a body girth of almost 0.5 m.All individuals belonging to this species have a characteristic triangular head with small horns located between the nostrils ... The Gabonese viper has a calm character, rarely attacking people. Belongs to the type of viviparous snakes, breeds every 2-3 years, bringing from 24 to 60 offspring.
Anaconda (lat.Eunectes murinus)
Giant (ordinary, green) belongs to the subfamily of boas, in former times the snake was called so - water boa. A massive body with a length of 5 to 11 m can weigh over 100 kg. The non-venomous reptile is found in low-flowing rivers, lakes and backwaters of the tropical part of South America, from Venezuela to the island of Trinidad. It feeds on iguanas, caimans, waterfowl and fish.
Python (Latin Pythonidae)
The representative of the family of non-venomous snakes is distinguished by gigantic dimensions from 1 to 7.5 m in length, and the females are much larger and more powerful than the males. The range spreads throughout the eastern hemisphere: rainforests, swamps and savannahs of the African continent, Australia and Asia. The diet of pythons consists of small to medium sized mammals. Adults completely swallow leopards, jackals and porcupines, and then digest for a long time. Females of pythons lay eggs and incubate clutch, increasing the temperature in the nest by 15 -17 degrees by contraction of muscles.
African egg snakes (egg-eaters) (lat.Dasypeltis scabra)
Representatives of the family of snakes, feeding exclusively on birds' eggs. They live in savannas and woodlands of the equatorial part of the African continent. Individuals of both sexes grow no more than 1 meter in length. The movable bones of the snake's skull make it possible to open the mouth wide and swallow very large eggs. In this case, the elongated cervical vertebrae pass through the esophagus and, like a can opener, rip open the eggshell, after which the contents flow into the stomach, and the shell is coughed up.
Radiant snake (lat.Xenopeltis unicolor)
Non-venomous snakes, the length of which in rare cases reaches 1 m. The reptile got its name for the iridescent tint of the scales, which have a dark brown color. Burrowing snakes inhabit the loose soils of forests, cultivated fields and gardens in Indonesia, Borneo, the Philippines, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and China. Small rodents and lizards are used as food items.
Worm-like blind snake (lat.Typhlops vermicularis)
Small snakes, up to 38 cm long, outwardly resemble earthworms. Absolutely harmless representatives can be found under stones, melons and watermelons, as well as in bushes and on dry rocky slopes. They feed on beetles, caterpillars, and their larvae. The distribution zone extends from the Balkan Peninsula to the Caucasus, Central Asia and Afghanistan. Russian representatives of this species of snakes live in Dagestan.
Where do snakes live?
The range of distribution of snakes does not include only Antarctica, New Zealand and the islands of Ireland. Many of them live in tropical latitudes. In nature, snakes live in forests, steppes, swamps, sultry deserts and even in the ocean. Reptiles lead an active lifestyle both during the day and at night. Species living in temperate latitudes hibernate in winter.
Snakes, scientifically speaking, are a suborder of the class of reptiles of the squadron scaly. Snakes can be found on all continents of the Earth, except for cold Antarctica.
There are venomous species among snakes, but most snakes are not venomous. Poisonous snakes use their venom for hunting primarily, and for self-defense, they use it only when absolutely necessary.
Many non-venomous snakes first strangle their prey (snake and boa constrictor, for example), and only swallow the prey whole.
Anacondas
The largest snake in nature is the anaconda.
Again, scientifically speaking, anacondas are a genus of snakes consisting of several species. And the largest species of snakes is the giant anaconda, the photo of which you see above.
The largest giant anaconda caught weighed 97.5 kg and was 5.2 meters long. This snake was caught in Venezuela in the wild jungle. Residents of remote villages claim to have seen larger anacondas, but there is no evidence of the existence of larger specimens.
Like the other three types of anacondas, which we will talk about below, the giant anaconda spends most of its time in the water. Anacondas prefer bodies of water without or with a weak current. They are found in lakes, oxbows, quiet rivers of the Amazon and Orinoco basins.
The anaconda does not move far from the water. Basically, anacondas crawl ashore to bask in the sun.
As we wrote earlier, anacondas belong to the subfamily of boas. Now let's talk about boas.
Boa
Boas are mostly large ovoviviparous snakes. The subfamily of boas is mainly known for the genus of common boas. The most typical representative of this genus is the "common boa constrictor" species of the same name. Individuals of this species reach 5.5 meters in length.
The boas strangle their prey, twisting rings around it.
Boas of this species can have an unusual color, given that they are very unpretentious in keeping, they are often kept in terrariums.
But in terrariums it is popular to keep another species of boas - dog-headed boas.
Dog-headed boas are beautiful red-orange coloration in youth and bright green coloration in adulthood. The length of this species of boas does not exceed three meters.
Another representative of boas with a bright color is the rainbow boa
This type of boa constrictor is also popular with those who like to keep snakes at home.
Cobras
Some of the most famous snakes are cobras. Science identifies 16 species of cobras, many of which are quite large.
Cobra has an amazing skill, she can lift her body to an upright position. If the cobra is large, then in this position it can be on a par with a person.
Cobras are venomous snakes. Their bite can be very dangerous to humans.
Cobras are thermophilic snakes and never live in countries where snow falls in winter.
Vipers
Vipers are inhabitants of our latitudes. Vipers are poisonous snakes, the mention of which causes fear in people.
Vipers can have a wide variety of colors. Each subspecies can look very different from other subspecies, while on the back of all subspecies of vipers there is a characteristic zigzag.
Vipers are active during the day, they love the sun and spend a lot of time basking in the sun.
If the viper senses a person, it prefers to retire. These are absolutely not conflicting snakes and if you do not touch them
Already
One of the most peaceful snakes of our nature - this one. This snake is easily recognizable by the yellow spots on its head.
Oh. 
They are no longer poisonous and there is no reason to be afraid of them. Snakes live on the shores of calm bodies of water, such as lakes and swamps, backwaters and oxbows.
Oh. 
It is worth noting that there is a subspecies of snakes that inhabit far from water bodies.
Coppers
Copperheads are small snakes that live on the edges of forests. Copperheads feed mainly on lizards, sometimes insects.
Copperhead. 
Although copperheads have poisonous teeth, their size is too small and their mouth is not able to grab a person. Perhaps a finger. But even in this case, their bite does not pose a serious danger.
Outwardly, the copperhead looks like a small viper. The diamonds and zigzag patterns on the back of the copperheads are very similar to those of the viper.
Runners
Snakes are a generalized name for several types of snakes.
In our area, the Caspian snake is known - it is a rather large snake, it is not poisonous, but very aggressive.
Caspian snake. 
It is because of the aggressiveness that snakes are not liked. Although they do not pose a danger to life, and when meeting with them, you can simply continue to go your own way.
On the islands of Japan, you can find island snakes, which are distinguished by an unusual color. This species is an inhabitant of the sea coast.
We will end our story with a description of one of the largest snakes on the planet - the python.
The python can reach a length of four meters, which is about a meter less than the anaconda, but also impressive.
Despite their large size, pythons are very dexterous and quick-witted predators. Outwardly, they could be attributed to boas, but pythons are a separate genus of snakes.
Pythons live in Asia and Australia, they can also be found in some regions of Africa. Pythons always settle not far from water bodies, although their life may not be associated with water. There are species of pythons that spend most of their time in tree crowns.
Cat snakes
Feline snakes are a genus of small snakes that are distantly related to snakes. The genus consists of 12 species that are common in Africa, southern Europe and southwestern Asia.
One species lives in Russia - the Caucasian cat snake. These snakes in Russia can be found only in Dagestan.
To be afraid of a snake - do not go to the jungle. Mowgli.
A selection of beautiful photographs of snakes - venomous and not so - from all over the world.
Keel grassy too. The snake is non-venomous, and in the photo the snake yawns after a hearty dinner in order to put its jaw in place and restore its breathing.
Jameson's mamba, a graceful green snake two meters long, whose venom is nerve-paralyzing. The muscles of the respiratory system give up and the victim slowly but surely suffocates. Then the snake eats it. Lives in Africa. There is also a black mamba, its length is 4 meters, which is as poisonous as the green one, but they are more afraid of it. There is a belief that if a black mamba crawled across the path, wait for death. Or she will crawl up and bite, or you will simply die from an accident. It is believed that the mamba bite is fatal, but this is not the case. If you take the serum within an hour after the bite, then survival is guaranteed. It is almost impossible to run away from the snake, the mamba moves at a speed of 11 km / h.
Jason's mamba. Photo by Matthias Klum for National Geographic
The rainbow boa is found in South America, especially in the Amazon region. It feeds on small animals, the largest animal that can be strangled is a large rat. If they feel danger, they can bite, but they are not poisonous.
Non-venomous Mexican king snake from the family of already-shaped. Lives in Mexico, sometimes she is met in Texas.
A grape-headed (sharp-headed) snake, lives in Venezuela. Because it is very beautiful and non-venomous, it is often kept in terrariums. A snake bite is toxic but not fatal. The main thing is to take action in time.
The weevil lives in North and South America. It is completely safe for humans. Timid and shy, at the slightest danger they release a stinking liquid and crawl away. In general, these are such reptiles "skunks".
Yellow bellied snake. Its official name is two-color bonito, it lives in salty sea water in the water areas. Very poisonous, lives in the Far East. This is the only representative of its kind, it absorbs air with the whole body, rarely gets out. It hides in algae, from where it emerges, bites the victim, stuns it with its tail, and then strangles and eats. In general, this is three in one, a kind of sea cobra-boa constrictor, and even a dangerous fighter.
Rainbow shieldtail. A very rare snake in South America. In total, three specimens were caught, very little is known about snakes of this species, it is not even clear whether they are poisonous or not, but in general the shield tails are mostly non-poisonous. In the sun, the skin of the rainbow shieldtail shimmers like a precious sapphire.
Texas snake or white rat snake. As the name implies, it lives in Texas, as well as in Mexico. Not dangerous, not poisonous, nobly handsome. Ideal for keeping in a home terrarium.
Snake (rat snake) Baird. Very beautiful chameleon snake. On pebbles and sand it has a reddish-rusty color, and on the ground it becomes steel in color, the scales are cast with polished metal. Very rare color.
Red tide
Changes color
Metallic ebb
Coral albino, a snake found in Texas, a rare subspecies of coral snakes. Poisonous. The color is as if Russian patterns are embroidered on the skin.
Coral snake that lives on the Indian subcontinent. A rare case of mimicry, when the color of the coral snake is longitudinal rather than transverse.
Red-headed is an extremely beautiful and venomous snake that inhabits Vietnam, the islands of Malaysia and Indonesia. Very poisonous, may eat other snakes. It is similar in color to a two-striped glandular snake, in which the upper strip is not blue, but dark blue, almost black. Also poisonous, and also very dangerous. And also eats a snake.
Carpet python. A snake in the Beeline style, not otherwise. And why the company didn't choose such a logo would be fun. Lives in Australia and Indonesia. Not poisonous, but can easily strangle.
The Mellendorf snake, a non-venomous snake common in Southeast Asia.
The rainbow snake lives in the southeastern United States and feeds on marine life and small amphibians. It is not aggressive, but if it senses danger, it can bite. Not poisonous.
The royal collar snake is found in the United States and Mexico. Typically, these snakes are gray with dark or cream-colored spots on the underside that turn bright red and orange at the tail.
The common garter snake possesses the rudiments of true viviparity. The California subspecies of this snake is endangered.
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