Guides
Sourced answers to the questions people ask most about snakes.
Tell look-alikes apart
Dangerous snakes and the harmless ones mistaken for them, side by side.
- Coral snake vs kingsnakeThe scarlet kingsnake is the eastern coral snake's closest mimic, a harmless copy that fools predators and people. The order of the rings and the colour of the snout tell them apart; decades of research explain why they look so alike.
- Corn snake vs rat snakeThe corn snake is itself a rat snake, and the young of both species are grey with dark blotches. Colour, the mark between the eyes and the underside of the tail separate them. Neither is venomous.
- Milk snake vs coral snakeRed, black and yellow bands warn of the eastern coral snake, whose venom can stop a person's breathing. The harmless milk snake wears the same colours in a different order. Here is how to tell them apart, and why the rhyme is not enough.
First aid by country
Who to call and what national guidance says.
- Snakebite first aid in AustraliaIn Australia every snake bite is treated as an emergency. Call 000, keep the person still and apply a firm pressure immobilisation bandage and splint, which slows the venom's spread until antivenom can be given in hospital.
- Snakebite first aid in BangladeshBangladesh's national snakebite guideline asks people at the scene to reassure the bitten person, keep the bitten limb still and get them to hospital quickly. Ligatures, cuts and time spent with traditional healers do more harm than good.
- Snakebite first aid in IndiaIndia's national snakebite guideline asks people at the scene to reassure the bitten person, keep the bitten limb still and get them quickly to a hospital that has anti-snake venom. Tourniquets, cutting the bite and traditional remedies do harm.
- Snakebite first aid in the United StatesThe venomous snakes of the United States are rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths and coral snakes. After a bite, get emergency care fast, keep still and skip the old remedies: tourniquets, cutting, suction and ice do not help.
Lists
Rankings built from measured, sourced records.
- The biggest snakes in the worldThe reticulated python is the longest snake and the green anaconda the heaviest, but the giants of legend, 10 m pythons and 11 m anacondas, have never been measured by anyone who could prove it. Here are the records that stand up.
- The most venomous snakes in the worldVenom toxicity is measured by the LD50 test in mice, and by that measure the inland taipan comes first. But toxicity is not danger: the snakes that kill the most people are vipers, cobras and kraits that live where people farm and sleep.
Pet care
For snakes commonly kept as pets.
- Ball python careBall pythons, also called royal pythons, are calm snakes that can live for more than 20 years. They need room to stretch and explore, a warm-to-cool gradient, steady humidity and thawed prey.
- Boa constrictor careBoa constrictors grow to 2–3 m and live for 20–30 years, so owning one is a long commitment. They need a large, secure enclosure, a warm-to-cool gradient, plenty of humidity and careful feeding.
- California kingsnake careCalifornia kingsnakes are hardy, active snakes that can live for more than 20 years. They must live alone, because they eat other snakes, and need space, a warm-to-cool gradient and thawed prey.
- Corn snake careCorn snakes are placid, climbing snakes from the United States that can live for up to 20 years. They do best with space to stretch out and climb, a warm-to-cool gradient and thawed mice.
- Western hognose snake careWestern hognose snakes are small, stout diggers from the North American plains that can live for up to about 20 years. They need floor space and deep substrate, a warm basking spot, low humidity and careful feeding.
How to
Drawing snakes, and how our games are made.
- How we built a Snake game with verified challenge links and no serverOur Snake game has daily challenges, 20 mazes, friend challenges and ghost races, and no backend. Here is how a seed, a turn log and a pure rules engine make that work.
- How to draw a snakeSix easy steps, from one wavy line to a finished snake with scales and a forked tongue.