Extreme Snakes Trivia Quiz

Answer: giant anaconda

The giant anaconda (Eunectes murinus), also called the giant or green anaconda, belongs to the boa family (Boinae) of constrictors. You'll find this massive, but non-venomous, creature in the marshes and jungles of South America. The Guinness Book of World Records reports that this snake is subject to some of the most size exaggerations of any species, but recorded weights have ranged from 30 to 70 kg (66 to 154 lbs).

At lengths of up to 5.21 meters (17.1 ft), the anaconda is the world's second-longest snake. Brazilians may call it sucuriubad.

Answer: reticulated python

The reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) belongs to the Pythonidae family of constrictors and ranges throughout South and Southeast Asia, as well as the Malay Archipelago (Indonesia and the Philippines). "Reticulated" means that the dorsal scales resemble a network of squares arranged on the diagonal, somewhat like netting.

Reticulated pythons rarely measured above 6 meters (19.7) long, although one of the largest recorded specimens was from Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, at 6.95 m (22.8 ft) long and 59 kg (130 lb).

Constrictors, of course, are so called because they they kill by wrapping around their prey's body and tightening until the victim suffocates. Neither pythons nor anacondas can chase or catch fast-moving prey; instead, they lie in wait.

Answer: black mamba

The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) is a highly venomous African snake, which many dread because of its quickness and readiness to bite. Black mambas inhabit the savannas, woodlands, forests, and rocky hills of sub-Saharan Africa. Not quite black, they are dark brown, gray, or olive with a lighter underbelly.

The insides of their mouths, however, are an inky blue-black and appear quite terrifying when they display their rage with open mouths, accompanied by a spreading neck-flap and intimidating hisses.

They not only move quickly over the ground at 10-12 mph (11-9 km/h), they also strike amazingly fast, and their venom is among the fastest acting, able to kill an adult in as little as 20 minutes.

Answer: king cobra

The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), distinguised by 11 large scales that crown its head, typically grows to 3.6 meters (12 ft) in length, though the greatest recorded stretched to 5.6 meters (18 ft). Although not aggressive to humans, unless startled during breeding season, it can be quite dangerous once it attacks as it releases an extraordinary quantity of venom. Even elephants have died in a few hours from a king cobra bite to the toe. Also called the hamadryad (literally "wood nymph"), the king cobra preys day and night exclusively on other snakes. An efficient predator, the king cobra has the best vision of all the snakes.

Answer: Gaboon viper

All vipers (members of family Viperidae) have long fangs, and the Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica) has the longest of all. A single adult male typically has enough cytotoxic venom to inject lethal doses into 30 men. Gaboon vipers not only produce more venom, they inject more of it at a time with their enormous glands, and they inject it more deeply with their protracted fangs -- upwards of 2 inches (50 mm). Vipers are more sluggish and less aggressive than other kinds of snakes, although when motivated they can streak in short bursts.

As its name suggest, the Gaboon viper inhabits the savannas and rainforests of sub-Saharan Africa. It is Africa's heaviest venomous snake, stout in girth and patterned with bold brown, purple, and buff triangles and rectangles that appear almost like velvet.

Answer: Barbados threadsnake

The Barbados threadsnake (Tetracheilostoma carlae) grows to a scant four inches (10 cm) in length and is "about as wide as a spaghetti noodle" in the words of herpetologist S. Blair Hedges. As it was not discovered until 2008, very little is known about this tiny species, other than it inhabits Barbados in the West Indies of the Caribbean Sea (and perhaps the neighboring islands of Antigua and Barbuda as well). Biologists believe that if any smaller, the snake would not be able to find food, so it is predicted to be the smallest possible species on Earth. As Barbados has no original forest left, the survival of this threadsnake in the wild is, alas, dubious.

Before the discovery of the Barbados threadsnake, the smallest snake was believed to be the slender blind snake (Indotyphlops Braminus) of Africa. It is only seen when it comes out of the soil after rain, and it may be mistaken for an earthworm.

Answer: inland taipan

The deadly Oxyuranus microlepidotus is the western or inland taipan, also known as the Dandarabilla by aboriginal Australians. With venom more toxic than that even of sea snakes, it delivers venom with enough toxicity to kill 100 human beings, and it strikes each victim multiple times. In fact, the taipan's venom is specialized especially to work on homeothermic (warm-blooded) animals. It inhabits the black soil plains of the semi-arid regions of central east Australia, in South Australia and Queensland, though it once inhabited the states of NSW and Victoria as well. In the winter the inland taipan appears dark brown but takes on an olive coloring in the summer.

The coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) is nearly as toxic as its inland relative, and it is the largest relative of the cobra in Australia.

Answer: puff adder

Variously called the common or African puff adder, Bitis arietans is a viper, characterized by long, hinged fangs that inject venom deeply into prey. Because of its wide distribution, the puff adder has killed more people in Africa than any other snake.

It tends to bask in the sun, unseen and unheard along footpaths, where it is then easily disturbed and lashes out. There exists antivenom, however, so most human deaths are actually from failure to seek medical treatment, lack of medical facilities, or poor clinical management, as it is not the most toxic venom as measured by median lethal dose.

The puff adder's strike is so fast and powerful, however, that smaller animals may die from sheer impact before the venom can even take effect. The color patterns vary widely according to geographic region to camouflage the puff adder.

Answer: tiger rattlesnake

All of the various rattlesnake species in North America are venomous and dangerous, but the tiger rattlesnake has the most toxic venom as measured by median lethal dose (MLD), even surpassing that of the dreaded Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus). It yields one of the smallest quantities of venom, however, has the smallest head among the rattlesnakes, and it confines itself to a tiny area along the Arizona-Mexico border.

The red-black-and-yellow Eastern coral snake (Micrurus fulvius) was once considered the deadliest in North America, but, in reality, fatalities from its bite have proven rare, for the amount of venom injected varies widely and the snake has no control over this.

Answer: rainbow snake

Deep in the cypress swamps, slow-moving creeks, and blackwater streams of the southeastern USA lurk two subsecies of Farancia erytrogramma, also known as the rainbow snake, and sometimes as the eel moccasin or even the striped wampum. The species name comes from the Greek words "erythros" ("red") and "grammi" (stripe).

The coloration on the ventral (bottom) side is much more colorful--lots of reds, yellows, greens, browns, and blues--than the dorsal (top) side--mostly blues and blacks. Non-aggressive and rarely seen despite their beauty, rainbow snakes prefer to hide among aquatic vegetation, or perhaps under fallen trees or inside rotting stumps and logs.