Extraordinary Snakes

The black mamba, Dendroaspis polylepis, has been clocked at speeds of 14 miles per hour for short distances, and is considered the fastest-moving land snake. The name for this aggressive, venomous snake actually comes from the purplish-black color inside its mouth.

The western or inland taipan snake, Oxyuranus microlepidotus, found in a remote area of Queensland, Australia, produces the most poisonous venom, drop for drop, of any land snake in the world. This snake is not very aggressive. But its venom is 50 times as powerful as the king cobra's, and one big bite could release enough venom to kill more than 100 people or 250,000 mice.

The venomous gaboon viper, Bitis gabonica, has the longest fangs of any snake species. Found in sub-Saharan Africa, it is the largest viper on the continent and has 2-inch-long fangs. The head is typically 5 inches long, and the fangs fold back against the roof of the mouth. The gaboon can swallow animals as big as rabbits. It uses its fangs to grip and poison its prey, then swallows it whole.

The king cobra, Ophiophagus hannah, is the world's longest venomous snake: it can grow up to 18 feet long. The average length is 13 feet. Found in eastern India, southern China, and throughout Southeast Asia, these snakes carry up to 0.2 ounces of venom, enough to kill an Asian elephant.

The Namaqua dwarf adder, Bitis schneideri, is the world's shortest venomous snake. Found in southern Africa, this sidewinder grows to an average length of 8 inches. Typically, the Namaqua lives in desert habitats. Although its venom is poisonous, the Namaqua rarely bites humans and has never been reported as the cause of a person's death.

The green anaconda, Eunectes murinus, also known as the water boa, is the heaviest species of snakes. Found in the Amazon and Orinoco River basins of South America, the green anaconda is a water snake. It usually weighs over 200 pounds, and some green anacondas have been estimated to weigh up to 500 pounds.

The World Health Organization estimates that 125,000 people each year die from snakebites. In Europe and North America more people die from bee and wasp stings. But in Asia, the annual number of snakebite deaths is estimated at 100,000, 80% of the world's total.

It has been estimated that 17 to 20% of snakebites are fatal. But in most cases, deaths could have been prevented if the patient had better access to medical treatment. In India, fewer than 40% of snakebite victims visit a hospital.

A dead rattlesnake can still attack for up to an hour after death. Studies have shown that the muscle reflex to strike an object that touches it is so hard-wired into a snake's body that the signal bypasses processing in the brain.

In Dec. 2003, the Curugsewu Park in Kendal, Java, Indonesia, displayed what it claimed was the world's longest snake, a nearly 49-foot-long reticulated python. The park's snake handler, Imam Darmanto, told reporters that the snake, called Fragrant Flower, had been found on Sumatra in 2002.

News of the massive snake was met with skepticism. The previous record-holder was a reticulated python shot in 1912 that measured 32 feet, 9 inches.

A British journalist traveled to Java in Jan. 2004 to examine the claim. His measurement came up short of the record: Fragrant Flower was a mere 22 feet long. When questioned about the apparent discrepancy, Darmanto told the reporter, "Look, you must understand that a python's length is not constant."