With the exception of Antarctica, snakes are everywhere on the globe in warm and temperate geographical areas. Snakes vary in size from a few centimeters to more than nine meters in the case of the anacondas or the pythons. Poisonous snakes are a minority in this incredibly large reptile family, but venom they inject in prey is so powerful that it could cause the death of a human being within a few minutes. Chronological research indicates that, the history and origins of snakes are lost in the Cretaceous period, some 150 million years ago, when it appears that snakes evolved from a lizard and changed their living environment.
Some modern species still carry primitive distinctive marks, this is the case with pythons and boas that still have hind limbs remains, which only make us think of a past when snakes were more lizard-like than they are today. Snakes or serpents making the subject of symbolic creations and being widely represented in artistic form. Worshiped or hunted down as evil creatures, snakes surely have a fascination on human mind; yet, modern attitudes are partly different towards snakes under the pressure of ecologist organization that stress out the importance of these creatures for the environment of the planet. And many factors confirm such opinions.
Fascinating details in the lives of snakes indicate that there are more things to learn about the many existing species. Thus, it is interesting to study how the patterns on the body of snakes differentiate between individuals even within the same species. Then, snakes’ response to vibrations, the superior sense of smell and even the reception of low frequency sounds indicate the fact that snakes are fascinating. The same amount of scientific respect is due in terms of anatomical programing by the presence of the infrared sensitive receptors that allow pit vipers for instance to detect the warmth of the prey’s body.
Snakes share their habitat with us, and people from areas with a higher density of snake groups and sub-groups develop skills to distinguish between the hazardous or harmless varieties, and thus avoid them accordingly. Non-venomous snakes are not that friendly when sensing danger, therefore, a healthy attitude towards such animals will save you a lot of trouble. Do not try to kill, catch or hunt snakes: they only feed and defend themselves as they cannot hold grudge and follow you just for the sake of biting.