The rarest snake is the Antiguan racer (Alsophis antiguae) of which fewer than 150 are now believed to exist, including those in captivity.
Colubrids (Family Colubridae)
The huge family Colubridae contains some 1,750 species, making up almost two-thirds of the world's snakes. For all their diversity, they get less attention than other snake families because they are neither especially large nor especially dangerous.
Their most remarkable type of prey, however, is other snakes! California Kingsnakes are “kings” because they hunt and devour various snake species, including other kingsnakes and even rattlesnakes – they are immune to rattlesnake venom!
The Largest Snakes in the World
The reticulated python, anaconda, and Burmese python are the three largest snakes on planet Earth, and ours call Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo home. Check out the sections below to learn just how big these guys are!
What kind of snake should I choose? In Australia, you can only own a native snake. The following Australian pet snake species, all from northern parts of Australia, are commonly found for sale. Spotted python: Has a generally placid temperament and can grow to around 120 cm long.
What is the longest snake in the world? The reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) is the longest snake in the world, regularly reaching over 6.25 metres in length.
The Oenpelli python or Oenpelli rock python (Simalia oenpelliensis or Nyctophilopython oenpelliensis) is a species of large snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is endemic to the sandstone massif area of the western Arnhem Land region in the Northern Territory of Australia.
The Southern Florida Rainbow Snake is one of the rarest snakes in the United States. Only three specimens have ever been found, all between 1949 and 1952.
Black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis)
This snake, found in sub-Saharan Africa, is one of the most feared of all. Unlike the relatively docile inland taipan, the black mamba is known to be particularly aggressive. Although it does not seek out humans, when cornered or threatened it will rear up and strike repeatedly.
Titanoboa, (Titanoboa cerrejonensis), extinct snake that lived during the Paleocene Epoch (66 million to 56 million years ago), considered to be the largest known member of the suborder Serpentes.
Titanoboa, discovered by Museum scientists, was the largest snake that ever lived. Estimated up to 50 feet long and 3 feet wide, this snake was the top predator in the world's first tropical rainforest.
The Titanoboa is so much longer and thicker than the anaconda, making it a much more dangerous creature. Although we have fossil records of this animal, many questions exist such as this creature's preferred environment, whether it could lift a section of its body off the ground to strike, and what it ate.
Puff adders are often labled as "lazy" snakes, but are they really?
Boas and pythons kill their prey by constriction (they coil their muscular bodies around their prey and tighten their muscles to crush and kill).
In contrast, the oldest living snake in captivity is an anaconda named Annie, which has already celebrated her 37 years in captivity just recently. The oldest ball python in the world is 62!
Milk snakes are an exotic species from North America and are illegal to keep in Victoria as they can spread potentially devastating diseases to wildlife.
Olive sea snake
This relatively large species has an olive-grey body in eastern Australia, but is bright orange to salmon pink in the west. It is one of the sea snakes most commonly seen by tourists. It is seemingly curious and social, often swimming towards and interacting with snorkellers.
Some native snakes, lizards, geckos, dragons and turtles can be kept as pets as long as you have a licence.
Though most fatal bites are attributed to rattlesnakes, the copperhead accounts for more snakebite incidents than any other venomous North American species. Rattlesnake bites, by comparison, are approximately four times as likely to result in a death or major effects as a copperhead bite.
The king cobra is the largest venomous snake in the world. Whether slithering on land, climbing trees, or swimming, it's an effective predator. When threatened or on attack, the king cobra rears its head and creates a hood by spreading its neck ribs. Its sharp fangs are used to bite and inject venom into prey.
The Titanoboa lived in the Palaeogene Period and it is called the Titanoboa because of its size and it is short for titanic boa. The huge snake was a carnivore (which means that it would eat meat and kept leaves, stems and crops out of its diet).
Titanoboa died out around 58 to 60 million years ago, so its dominance was fairly brief in geological terms. Scientists aren't quite sure, but they believe that climate change had something to do with it. The climate started to cool, and the enormous snake and other large reptiles couldn't maintain their metabolism.