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

a king cobra with fangs showing, an artist impression of a titanoboa and a close up of an anaconda

The biggest snake in the world (and 9 other giant serpents)

By Emma Bryce published

From Titanoboa, a prehistoric snake as long as a Tyrannosaurus rex, to modern-day pythons and boa constrictors that can swallow humans whole, these are the biggest, heaviest and longest snakes to have ever lived on Earth.

DiCaprio's snail-eating snake (Sibon irmelindicaprioae). This snake has an alternating striped cream and dark brown underbelly and alternating stripes of tan and dark brown on top. It also has a set of large orange eyes.

'Leonardo DiCaprio' snake with bright orange eyes discovered in Panama jungle

By Joshua A. Krisch published

Five species of previously unknown snakes with stunning eyes were discovered in jungle trees, and one was named after Leonardo DiCaprio. But mining threatens them all.

A photo of a cottonmouth (water moccasin) looking up from the grass.

Cottonmouth snakes: Facts about water moccasins

By Jessie Szalay, Patrick Pester last updated

Discover where cottonmouth snakes live, how to identify them, and whether they are venomous and aggressive.

A man measures the mouth of a snake.

7 strange snake stories from 2022

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

It's no surprise that snakes have always been creepy.

Rough-scaled bush viper preparing to strike. It is coiled around some green foliage.

Scientists finally discovered the snake clitoris, and they're 'very excited'

By Joanna Thompson published

For the first time, clitorises have been documented in nine different species of snakes from four families.

The alligator corpse shortly after being pulled out from the python's stomach.

Gruesome video reveals the moment a 5-foot alligator corpse was cut from the gut of a dead python

By Harry Baker published

In a viral Instagram video, pathologists remove a dead 5-foot alligator from the body of an 18-foot Burmese python.

A venomous cobra was recently killed in India after it was bitten twice by a panicked 8-year-old boy.

Cobra bites boy, boy bites it back (the boy was fine, the snake wasn’t)

By Harry Baker published

An 8-year-old boy recently killed a venomous cobra in India after recieving a venom-free "dry bite" from the snake and then biting back in retaliation.

A close-up of a saw-scaled viper, one of the world's deadliest snakes.

10 of the deadliest snakes

By Ailsa Harvey, Jeanna Bryner last updated

An encounter with one of these venomous snakes could cost you your life.

A reticulated python (Python reticulatus), like the one pictured here, is likely the python species that killed and swallowed a woman in Indonesia.

Missing woman’s body discovered in the stomach of 22-foot-long python in Indonesia

By Joanna Thompson last updated

A 54-year-old woman in Indonesia was killed and eaten by a massive python

viper, poison

Snakes on Planes? Serpents Accelerate Faster Than Fighter Pilots

By Charles Q. Choi last updated

Harmless rat snakes can strike their prey as fast as can venomous vipers, and both snakes reach accelerations that would make humans black out.

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