SNAKES: AN INTRODUCTION

Snakes are found in almost every country in the world. There are a few isolated islands and of course the far north and Antarctica that don't have snakes.

What is a snake? While this is not a simple question its good to think of a snake as a lizard without legs. They are cold-blooded creatures, meaning that their body temperatures are determined by their surroundings. Ok so that's the simple answer. For more information on the taxonomy of snakes and how they fit into the Reptile kingdom see: Snake Taxonomy.

What is the deadliest snake in the world? A lot of nature shows like to tell you what the deadliest snake in the world is. But why does each show feature a different snake? The idea is that the deadliest snake in the world is the one that kills the most people. However, most snake bites and deaths go unrecorded and it is hard to determine which snake is responsible. We decided to make a short snake video about this concept.

What happens if I get bitten by a venomous snake? If you get bitten by a venomous snake you should seek medical attention immediately. While not all bites from venomous snakes actually inject venom, it is important to see a doctor because you may not know if the venom injected cleanly. Some elapid snakes from Australia who have mostly neurotoxic venom are painless bites. It is not until later that a victim realizes he/she is in trouble. For more details here is a short VIDEO of an interview with a doctor on how to treat SNAKE BITES.

Which snake is the largest? This is a tricky question. Does largest mean longest or heaviest? Each continent has its giants. There is a category for the largest venomous snake, the longest snake, the longest non-venomous snake and more. Read about it in our pages on GIANT SNAKES.

Information by ROB NELSON