Interesting Information about Snakes Which You Don’t Know

South Asia is the part of the world with the most snakes and the most snake species, by far. The largest country in South Asia, India, is the individual country with the largest number of snakes. About 280 species of snakes occur in India, out of about 2900 known snake species.

Brazil is the country with the largest number of species of snakes in the world. But do you know that there is a country in the world where there are no snakes?

Ireland is one country completely devoid of snakes.

Why snakes are not found anywhere in Ireland? According to ancient Irish myths, a saint named St. Patrick surrounded the snakes and threw them out of the island and into the sea. He accomplished this feat by staying hungry for 40 days.

It is also believed that earlier snakes were found in the woods or rivers and creeks, but they became extinct due to the extreme cold conditions. Since then it has been assumed that snakes are not found due to the cold.

The many-banded krait is among the most venomous land snakes in the world. The Taiwan National Poison Control Centre reports that the chief cause of deaths from snakebites during the decade (2002-2012) was respiratory failure, 80% of which was caused by bites from the many-banded krait.

Most snake envenoming and fatalities occur in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, with India reporting the most snakebite deaths of any country. Most snakebites are caused by non-venomous snakes. Of the roughly 3,000 known species of snake found worldwide, only 15% are considered dangerous to humans.

Snake venom is a highly modified saliva containing zootoxins that facilitate the immobilization and digestion of prey, and defense against threats. It is injected by unique fangs after a bite, and some species are also able to spit their venom.

The Indian gray mongoose and others are well known for their ability to fight and kill venomous snakes, particularly cobras. They are adept at such tasks due to their agility, thick coats, and specialized acetylcholine receptors that render them resistant or immune to snake venom.

The favorite food of the king cobra is other snakes. Black mambas eat small mammals like rodents and squirrels. Sometimes they eat birds. They bite once or twice and then wait for their prey to become paralyzed and die. Then they eat them.