Snakes: Venomous or Constrictor? Quiz

Answer: Venomous

The king cobra is the longest venomous snake in the world and can reach up to just over six metres long. The venom is so toxic that it could kill an elephant. To make themselves look bigger, they have the ability to make their necks into the shape of a hood. They live in South and Southeast Asia and can be found in dense or open forests, streams and close to agricultural areas.

The king cobra's diet consists of Asian rat snakes and small pythons; they will even eat venomous Indian cobras and small king cobras. The cobra prefers cold-blooded animals, but will eat rats and lizards occasionally.

If the cobra comes under attack, it can raise itself up and display its hood, reaching a third of its length, although cobras do not have many predators. The only real threats come from man and the loss of its habitat.

Answer: Constrictor

This beast of a snake lives in South and Southeast Asia. It is the third-heaviest snake on the planet. Although the snake is not venomous, it can inflict a nasty bite with its razor-sharp teeth that protrude backwards to stop prey from escaping. The reticulated python is also the longest snake in the world.

There are conflicting reports of the length of this snake; the largest officially measured living snake is Medusa, at 7.67 m (25 ft 2 in); however, one caught in Celebes, Indonesia, in 1902 was measured at 32.75 feet.

Some scientists are sceptical about the report.

Answer: Venomous

The Inland taipan is also known as the fierce snake. It has the title of the world's most venomous snake. To put it into perspective, one bite is enough to kill 100 men. The taipan lives in Central and Eastern Australia and likes dry, open plains. This species of snake grows up to a length of 2.7 meters. While it is the most venomous snake, it's not the most dangerous, as it keeps away from humans and lives away from people. If you were unlucky enough to get bitten, there is an anti-venom that was developed in 1955. Since the anti-venom was developed, there have been no recorded deaths.

This snake is very quick when it does bite; it can bite eight times in one attack alone, injecting venom into the wound. The venom from the taipan is called presynaptic neurotoxins and postsynaptic neurotoxins. The latter is not as potent but acts more rapidly. The results are paralysis or muscle weakness, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal pain.

Answer: Constrictor

By weight, the anaconda is the largest snake in the world. It has been known to reach a length of nine meters. The anaconda kills by squeezing its prey until they can no longer breathe. It then swallows the prey head-first. The jaws of an anaconda are hinged, so they can open their mouths very wide and swallow small deer, jaguars, and even caiman, a kind of crocodile.

Green anacondas live in South America and are native to the northern parts of the continent. They are seen throughout Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Guyana, Paraguay, French Guiana, and Trinidad.

Answer: Venomous

Although this snake is called a black mamba, it's actually dark brown or grey with a light underbelly. The black refers to the colour inside the mouth. The average length of the mamba is around 2.5 metres, although they can grow up to 4.3 metres. The black mamba is one of the fastest snakes in the world and can travel more than 12 mph. This snake lives in sub-Saharan Africa; it can be found in Kruger Park, rocky savannas, and lowland forests.

The venom from a mamba is very toxic, and just two drops from a bite can kill a person without urgent medical attention. The venom contains both neurotoxins and cardio toxins, which affect the nervous system and the heart. It is possible to survive a bite from the snake, even without medical attention, but this would depend on where you were bitten and how much venom was injected. If attacked, the black mamba will bite its victim repeatedly and can regulate how much venom is injected.

Answer: Constrictor

The Mexican burrowing snake is also known as the Mexican python and Mexican burrowing python. Home for this snake is in Mexico and Central America. Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica are all habitats of this species.

This snake is quite small, with an average length of 91 cm, although an adult can grow up to a maximum of 62 inches in length. This little chap eats mainly rodents and lizards, but he also eats underground insects and centipedes. When food has been in short supply, they have been seen to eat iguana and turtle eggs, even hatchlings.

Answer: Venomous

The eastern brown snake lives in the eastern half of Australia and can also be seen in Papua New Guinea. On average, this chap grows to around 1.5 metres long, but it has been known to grow up to 2.4 meters. They are part of the cobra family. Colour-wise, they can range from a very light brown to almost black, which makes this snake difficult to identify.

A bite from the eastern brown is very dangerous; more people are killed in Australia by this snake than any other. The venom from the eastern brown is rated as the second most potent venom in the world. The makeup of the venom consists of presynaptic neurotoxins, procoagulants, cardiotoxins, and nephrotoxins. If bitten, it causes paralysis and uncontrollable bleeding. Medical attention is needed very quickly.

Food-wise, the eastern brown eats other snakes, skinks, geckoes, and frogs-in fact, any small animal.

Answer: Constrictor

The emerald tree boa is found in northern parts of South America, including Suriname, Bolivia, and Brazil. This particular snake is nocturnal, meaning it's most active at night or when it's dark. It feeds mainly on squirrels, small monkeys, bats, rodents, and birds. It lives most of its life in the treetops, and because of its colour, it blends in very well with its environment.

The emerald tree boa gives birth to live snakes and does not lay eggs like most snakes do. This snake can grow up to about two metres long and has a large, heart-shaped head. It also has very sharp, curved teeth that it uses to latch on to any prey it has caught.

Answer: Venomous

This beautiful-looking snake lives in Africa, in Mozambique, Namibia, and Swaziland; it is also found in a few other countries. It mainly lives among the trees, but occasionally it does come down to the ground. It is quite a long, slender snake with big eyes, and its head is like the shape of an egg, making it quite easy to identify. The male's snake colour can be different from the female's; they can be bright green to a rusty red with black outlines on their scales, while the female can be brown, grey, or a dull olive. The colours are extremely variable and tend to blend in with the trees.

The boomslang eats birds, lizards, frogs, and sometimes small mammals. When the boomslang bites, its venom attacks the circulatory system, with the effect that the body loses the ability to clot. The result is that you can bleed to death, both internally and externally.

Answer: Constrictor

The eastern kingsnake can be found in the southern United States and Mexico. The eastern can grow up to seven feet long, but the average is three feet, five inches. Colour-wise, this snake is black on top with yellow or white markings that look like a chain. The underbelly has yellow or white patches on a black background. The colour can vary depending on the location and environment.

The eastern kingsnake is very strong for its size and can kill and eat a variety of animals. Its diet consists of a mixture of rodents, lizards, small turtles, and frogs. It will also eat venomous snakes like the rattlesnake, cottonmouths, and copperheads. To protect themselves from rattlesnake and copperhead bites, kingsnakes have a built-in immune system.