When we think of snakes, we often envision an elongated animal with a scaly body, a large jaw with the ability to unhinge, and large, sharp fangs that spit out the venom. However, many snakes are non-venomous and not all venomous ones can significantly harm a human.
Snakes, or ophidians, are classified into more than 3,400 species in about 450 genera. Only 15% of them are venomous, and within this group, only 20% of them pose a threat to humans.
Most snakes are non-venomous
There are many types of non-venomous snakes and these are distributed among different groups of snakes. Venom is an effective method for immobilizing or killing captured prey but it isn’t the only one in the world of predators.
For example, boas strangulate their prey. In fact, they wrap their strong body around their usually large victims and smother them with their powerful muscles before feasting on them.
There’s no single method to distinguish venomous snakes from non-venomous ones but there are certain generalities that allow us to estimate the danger of an ophidian:
Dentition. The maxillary teeth are the only ones that contain venom glands. Snakes with hollow fangs in the anterior part of the jaw are usually venomous. The harmless ones don’t usually have fangs in this position and lack toxic glands.
The shape of the head. Venomous snakes have a wide head -almost triangular- and a thin neck. The heads of the harmless ones are usually more rounded.
Pupils. Most non-venomous species have rounded pupils, compared to the vertical shape of the venomous ones. This is sort of due to their habits, as daytime snakes have rounded pupils and tend to produce toxins.
Thermoreceptor pits. Snakes detect their prey by the heat they emit through these organs. The pits can be identified as a kind of hole between the eyes and nose of the snake. Most non-venomous specimens lack them although there are some exceptions.
Keep in mind that these aren’t general rules so don’t rely on these characteristics. Detailed knowledge of the different species is what will allow you to differentiate a venomous snake from one that isn’t.
Types of non-venomous snakes
It’s common to designate non-venomous snakes as Colubridae; however, the term refers to a specific family of snakes. Thus, it isn’t a completely valid way to differentiate these animals.
Here are some of the more recognizable non-venomous types of snakes, but not the only ones.
Boas and pythons
Boas are a family of constricting snakes. They kill their prey by coiling their muscular body around them. These animals inhabit tropical areas of South and Central America and are excellent swimmers. They prefer dry land though, hollow logs, or abandoned burrows in particular.
One of these snakes can measure up to 13 feet and weigh more than 100 pounds. Depending on the habitat in which they’re camouflaged, their body may be brown, green, red, or yellow, with cryptic patterns formed by irregular lines, ovals, diamonds, and circles.
Pythons also have a constricting nature and look very much like boas. There are important differences between both groups, however, such as the way they reproduce. For instance, pythons are oviparous (lay eggs), while boas are ovoviviparous (keep the egg inside and give birth to their young alive). They also live in different parts of the world.
Colubridae
This family of animals includes approximately 1800 different species with a worldwide distribution. Most species are non-venomous but some of them are, and could be dangerous to humans who want to touch them.
Generally, snakes are diurnal and their pupils are round like their head. They have large scales. There are exceptions among them, such as the natricine water snake (Natrix maura), which imitates the physique and behavior of venomous snakes.
False coral snake (Lampropeltis triangulum)
Many species in the animal world take advantage of the appearance of venomous animals to confuse their prey and predators. This evolutionary phenomenon is known as Batesian mimicry.
The false coral snake is a great example of this but it isn’t venomous. However, such is the degree of imitation, that one must know what the specific patterns of their skin are, in order to differentiate them.
As you can see, venom isn’t the only form of protection and hunting method in Ophidia. Many snakes fend for themselves without the help of toxic agents that range from a rather powerful musculature to perfect mimicry.
Of the 3,000 globally, only about 600 are poisonous, and only about 200 can significantly harm a human. It's important to be able to identify the dangerous ones from the harmless ones, but that can be tricky considering just how many there are.
Black racers, coachwhips, milk snakes, indigo snakes and mussuranas are all capable of turning a rattlesnake into dinner. But the non-venomous snake that practically specializes in eating poisonous snakes is the aptly named Kingsnake. They eat copperheads and rattlesnakes.
The largest living snakes in the world, measured either by length or by weight, are various members of the Boidae and Pythonidae families. They include anacondas, pythons and boa constrictors, which are all non-venomous constrictors.
Royal (ball) pythons and corn snakes are the most popular beginner pet snakes, both are extremely docile and both have the same minimum enclosure size (4x2x2 feet enclosure), however the royal python needs higher humidity and will often enjoy branches in their enclosure, corn snakes will often do with just room ...
It generally refers to the snake itself, which is also one of the Chinese Zodiac. It also describes mercilessness. “🐍” meaning: snake, green snake Emoji.
The saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) may be the deadliest of all snakes, since scientists believe it to be responsible for more human deaths than all other snake species combined.
Like nearly all colubrids, rat snakes pose no threat to humans. Rat snakes were long believed to be completely nonvenomous, but recent studies have shown that some Old World species do possess small amounts of venom, though the amount is negligible relative to humans.
Copperheads have many predators and are most vulnerable when young. Multiple snake taxa, including kingsnakes, racers, and cottonmouths prey on copperheads. They can also be preyed upon by bullfrogs, alligators, American crows, hawks, owls, opposums, coyotes, and feral cats.
Rattlesnakes are preyed upon by hawks, weasels, kingsnakes, and a variety of other species. Rattlesnakes are heavily preyed upon as neonates, while they are still weak and immature. Large numbers of rattlesnakes are killed by humans.
AKA: Scary snake is really the only other description for this deadly snake. Venom Detail: Being rather shy, black mambas will typically escape confrontation. However, if cornered, a black mamba will raise a third of its body off the ground and attack repeatedly.
There is no known species of snake that reaches a length of 100 feet (approximately 30 meters) in reality. The largest species of snake in the world is the reticulated python (Python reticulatus), which can grow to impressive lengths of around 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 meters).
Ball Python – Ball Pythons are the most popular snake pets to own. They are small, docile, and easy to care for. Ball Pythons come in a variety of colors and patterns, and they are great for beginners. Corn Snake – Corn Snakes are known for their docile nature and friendly temperament.
If you get a young snake from a breeder it should already be socialized, it just needs to get used to you as a handler. Good breeds for pet snakes are the corn snake, the rubber boa, and the rosy boa, especially the rosy. I've found that king snakes seem to enjoy handling also, once they get to know you.
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.
Less than one-third of the 2,700 species of snakes are classified as poisonous and fewer than 300 species of snakes may be fatal to humans. In fact, more than twice as many people in the United States are killed annually by bees, wasps, and scorpions than by snakes.
Overview. One way to determine if a snake is venomous is to look at its underbelly. If there is a single row of scales leading to the anal plate, the snake is venomous.
Introduction: My name is Jonah Leffler, I am a determined, faithful, outstanding, inexpensive, cheerful, determined, smiling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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