Snakes

Find out everything there is to know about snakes and stay updated on the latest snake news with the comprehensive articles, interactive features and snake pictures at LiveScience.com. Learn more about these fascinating creatures as scientists continue to make amazing discoveries about snakes.
Latest about Snakes

Snake choking on invasive fish the size of its head saved by scientist
By Ethan Freedman published
A snake in France had a lucky escape after attempting to eat a fish with a spiny dorsal fin that had gotten lodged into the reptile's esophagus.

Move over, python — this tiny snake holds the record for swallowing the largest prey whole relative to body size
By Jennifer Nalewicki published
The Gans' egg-eater, an African snake, can swallow eggs whole despite its small size.

10 of the most venomous snakes on the planet
By Jeanna Bryner last updated
An encounter with one of these venomous snakes could cost you your life.

How do rattlesnakes rattle?
By Cameron Duke published
The rattlesnake's rattle is nothing like a maraca.

Long-held myth says Hurricane Andrew sparked Florida's Burmese python problem. Is it true?
By Ethan Freedman published
The 1992 storm destroyed a python breeding facility, potentially setting hundreds of pythons free. But it's likely the invasive species had gained a foothold in the Everglades long before the hurricane hit.

Enormous Burmese python killed in Florida Everglades was about to lay 60 eggs
By Hannah Osborne published
Invasive pythons across the state are about to start laying their eggs after spring's mating season, with the 16-foot (5 meter) female caught being no exception.

Watch 2 giant, highly venomous black mambas fighting in someone's backyard
By Jacklin Kwan published
The 2 male black mambas, both over 8 feet (2.4 meters) long, were wrapped around each other and wrestling over a female during mating season.

1st gene-edited snakes use mysterious 'Turing patterns' to achieve near-perfect hexagonal scales
By Jennifer Nalewicki published
Scientists used CRISPR editing to make the world's 1st genetically modified snakes, giving new insight into how the reptiles develop their patterned scales
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