
Snake | Description, Facts, & Types | Britannica
Mar 18, 2025 · Snake, any of more than 3,400 species of reptiles distinguished by their limbless condition and greatly elongated body and tail. They are classified with lizards in the order Squamata and represent a lizard that, over the course of evolution, has undergone structural reduction, simplification, and loss as well as specialization.
snake - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
A snake is a reptile with a long, slender body but no arms or legs. Snakes are closely related to lizards. There are about 2,900 species, or kinds, of snake. The best-known…
snake - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
Snakes, which are also called serpents, are characterized by their long, limbless bodies. They are among the best-known animals of the world. Because some snakes can be dangerous and vicious, people often treat all snakes with fear and loathing. However, most kinds of snakes are harmless. Snakes belong to the class Reptilia, which includes all ...
Python | Snake, Characteristics, Habitats, & Facts | Britannica
Python, any of about 40 species of snakes, all but one of which are found in the Old World tropics and subtropics. Most are large, with the reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) of Asia being among the largest snakes in the world, attaining a maximum recorded length of …
Sea snake | Types, Habitat, & Facts | Britannica
Sea snake, any of more than 60 species of highly venomous marine snakes of the cobra family (Elapidae). There are two groups: the true sea snakes (subfamily Hydrophiinae) and the sea kraits (subfamily Laticaudinae). Although their venom is the most potent of …
Tiger snake | venomous, Australian, dangerous | Britannica
tiger snake, (genus Notechis), Australian member of the cobra family, Elapidae. The snake’s venom, which contains a blood-clotting agent as well as a nerve paralyzer, is potentially fatal to humans. Before striking, the tiger snake flattens its head and neck, cobra fashion.
Coral snake | Diet, Size, Rhyme, & Facts | Britannica
Coral snake, any of more than 100 species of small, secretive, and brightly patterned venomous snakes of the cobra family (Elapidae). Most species are tricolored (rarely bicolored), with various combinations of red, black, and yellow or white rings. All have thin smooth scales and a short tail.
Hognose snake | Behavior, Size, & Facts | Britannica
Hognose snake, any of up to five species of North American nonvenomous snakes belonging to the family Colubridae. Named for its upturned snout, which it uses for digging, the hognose snake strikes at perceived threats with a loud hiss but rarely bites.
Black mamba | Description, Behaviour, Venom, & Facts | Britannica
Feb 8, 2025 · black mamba, (Dendroaspis polylepis), species of mamba snake known for its large size, quickness, and extremely potent venom. It lives in sub-Saharan Africa and is one of the continent’s most dangerous snakes.
Garter snake | Habitat, Diet, & Facts | Britannica
Feb 27, 2025 · Garter snake, any of about 35 species of nonvenomous snakes having a striped pattern suggesting a garter: typically, one or three longitudinal yellow to red stripes, between which are checkered blotches. Forms in which the stripes are …