Curious questions for the Year of the Snake! Explore the most "snake"

Review expert: Wang Lei, National Park and Nature Reserve Researcher, PhD in Ecology

2025 is the Year of the Snake in the lunar calendar. In the mysterious and diverse animal kingdom, snakes occupy a place with their unique forms, habits and survival strategies. Let's explore the amazing "snake best" in the snake world!

Largest snake: Amazon anaconda

The Amazon anaconda is considered to be the largest snake in the world today. An adult Amazon anaconda can be over 6 meters long and weigh over 200 kilograms, like a giant monster lurking in the Amazon River Basin and surrounding swamps in South America. It mainly preys on capybaras, water birds, turtles, and caimans, and is at the top of the food chain in South American rivers.

This giant snake has a sturdy body and can easily strangle large prey. It usually lurks in the water, using the buoyancy of the water to support its huge body, quietly waiting for prey to approach. Once it attacks, it will wrap the prey tightly with lightning speed until the prey suffocates to death.

Longest snake: Reticulated python

In terms of body length, the reticulated python is the leader among snakes. In the wild, female reticulated pythons can grow to about 10 meters, while males are smaller than females. It is mainly distributed in Southeast Asia. Its body is slender and covered with net-like patterns, which is also the origin of its name. Compared with the Amazon anaconda, the reticulated python is better at climbing and often appears in trees. With its keen senses and flexible body, it catches prey such as birds and rodents.

The size of a reticulated python is related to the size of the space it lives in and the number of prey it eats. At the same time, a reticulated python grows throughout its life, so older reticulated pythons are often larger than younger ones.

Smallest snake: Blind snake

The blind snake is recognized by scientists as the smallest snake in the world. It is extremely small and can be said to be a "mini family" among snakes. This snake is found on the Caribbean island of Barbados. Its average length is only 10 cm and its thickness is equivalent to that of a piece of spaghetti.

The blind snake has almost no vision and usually lives in burrows. It can only crawl out of the ground on rainy days. Its main food is ants and termites and their eggs and larvae. Although the blind snake is almost blind, it does not affect its survival in the dark underground world. It senses the surrounding environment with its keen sense of smell and touch. Its small and flexible body can easily shuttle through the cracks in the soil.

The most venomous snake: Taipan

The fine-scaled taipan, also known as the inland taipan and the fierce taipan, is the most venomous snake in the world. It is found in the arid plains and grasslands of central Australia. Compared to the common taipan, the fine-scaled taipan is smaller, with an adult snake only about 2 meters long. It has a flat, slightly pointed head, relatively large eyes, and gray or yellow-brown scales, which are sometimes trimmed with thin black edges.

The venom of the slender-scaled taipan contains neurotoxins and coagulants. Once injected into the body of the prey, it will quickly destroy the nervous system and coagulation function, causing the prey to die in a short period of time. The venom produced by a bite from it can kill prey weighing about 20 tons within 24 hours.

Fortunately, the slender-scaled taipan generally does not actively attack humans, and its habitat is relatively remote, so it has fewer opportunities for contact with humans.

Fastest snake: Black mamba

Among many snakes, the black mamba is considered to be the fastest crawling snake, mainly distributed in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Its body is slender, which helps it crawl quickly.

The living environment of the black mamba is complex and changeable. In order to survive in such an environment, it has gradually acquired excellent crawling speed during the long process of evolution.

The black mamba is not only fast, but also aggressive. When it feels threatened, it will quickly raise the front of its body and hiss to warn the enemy. If the threat is not resolved, the black mamba will attack without hesitation and can attack repeatedly. Once the deadly neurotoxin is injected into the prey, it will take effect quickly, causing the prey to have difficulty breathing within half an hour, which will eventually endanger its life.

Whether it is their huge size, deadly venom, or amazing speed, they are all the result of snakes adapting to the environment during evolution. Although snakes are often feared, they play an important role in the ecosystem and are a key link in maintaining ecological balance.