| 1 | King cobra |
The king cobra is misnamed, as it doesn’t actually belong to the true cobra genus at all. That genus is Naja, which contains 38 species, including not-so-beloved favourites like the Indian cobra and red spitting cobra. Instead, king cobras are the sole member of the Ophiophagous snake genus, named after the word ophiophagous, which simply means a tendency to eat snakes (which king cobras definitely have).
King cobras were discovered by science in 1836, and scientists toyed with placing them in Naja for many decades, due to them having the signature neck flare. But a bulkier head, and a jumbo length of 4 metres revealed them to be independent, and they finally received their modern title of Ophiopahgous hannah in 1945.
In 2016, scientists released one of the most detailed evolutionary trees of snakes yet. It transpired that king cobras were much more closely related to black mambas and green mambas than any member of the true cobra genus. The cape coral snake (Aspidelaps lubricus) of South Africa was more closely related to true cobras than the king cobra, as was the rinkhals and Egyptian black desert snake (Walterinnesia aegyptia).
The king cobra stands alone on the serpent evolutionary tree. What’s more, they feel no obligation to their supposed relatives, as Indian cobras are one of their confirmed meals. The king cobra is the longest venomous snake worldwide, reaching a wild record of 5.85 metres.
| 2 | Mexican burrowing python |
A central American species found in Guatemala, southern Mexico, Honduras, etc, along the Pacific coast. Though dubbed a python, this species has far shinier scales, and a far narrower head than the bulky, snarling heads of most pythons. This head is designed for digging in soft sands, on the beaches and dry forests where it lives, making it the strongest burrowing “python” of any still alive.
Mexican burrowing pythons reach a maximum length of 157cm. Their Latin title is Loxocemus bicolor, and this time, scientists got it right from the outset. There was no fumbling, as they immediately placed the species in the unique genus of Loxoceumus in 1861, where it has remained ever since. DNA analysis reveals that Mexican burrowing pythons are most closely related to the sunbeam snake of Thailand, another shy burrower.
Being so isolated, Mexican burrowing pythons have some weird quirks for a snake. They’re an egg-eating snake, with one of their favourites being eggs of the Olive Ridley sea turtle. Their strategy is to apply 2 or 3 coils to a whole unbroken egg, squeeze the shell hard, burst it using pressure, and swallow the yolk within.
Because of this diet, Mexican burrowing pythons are one of the world’s most frequent beach snakes. They also secrete a strange waxy substance through their scales, which may be designed to ward off insect pests (though nobody is quite sure).
| 3 | Chinese garter snake |
This Korean species spent many years masquerading as a ratsnake, yet for years, local nature enthusiasts sensed that something was up. For one thing, the snake laid live young, whereas all other ratsnakes in the Elaphe genus laid eggs.
Chinese garter snakes were also far more aquatic than other ratsnakes. They spent their time in lagoons and lakes, hanging out in thickets along the edge, and rarely straying more than 10 metres from water. The Chinese garter snake was dubbed Elaphe rufodorsata for decades, but in 2001, it was finally declared to be the only member of the new Oocatochus genus.
Oocatochus rufodorsatus ranges from China to far eastern Russia, and is particularly abundant in South Korea. This is a weird species, as its acts more similarly to a US garter snake, despite sharing no close relation. It only strays from its home lake or pond during winter, when it can suddenly travel over 300 metres to find a dark hillside hole to hibernate in.
Chinese garter snakes are no threat to human beings, and only appear in the countryside, never cities. This species averages at 60-70cm, occasionally reaching 90cm. They’re still relatively plentiful, but their numbers are believed to be decreasing, partly due to pesticide runoff.
| 4 | Lined snake |
The lined snake (Tropidoclonion lineatum) is a weird offshoot of the garter snake family, which lives in grasslands of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklokoma and more. There’s already at least 35 garter snake members across North America, but this species accidentally diverged too far, plummeted off the family tree, and landed in its own genus altogether.
Lined snakes are a shy species measuring 20-30cm, with a record of 57.2cm. They’re particularly difficult to find, due to their love of knee-high prairie grasses. The garter snakes (Thamnophis) are their closest relatives, but this species is far smaller, and has unique half-moon shaped markings on its belly. They’re also a dramatically superior burrower to any true garter snake. Their diet consists of earthworms and slugs, which they find by enlarging existing soil tunnels and threading their way through.
Lined snakes were first discovered in 1856. The debate rumbled on for a while, but by 1936, they were placed in the Tropidoclonion genus, and have been there ever since, as the sole member.
Despite this long estrangement, the lined snake and its cousins will sometimes have a reunion. In 2017, scientists stumbled across a partially overturned cow patty in grazed pasture land in Nebraska. They upturned it and found 3 dead common garter snakes, and 6 dead lined snakes, all frozen solid. Though they met a grisly fate, the snakes had clearly been hibernating together.
| 5 | Mole snake |
A non-venomous African snake, which can still turn nasty if repeatedly provoked. This 2 metre species lives in the southernmost nations of Africa, including Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Mole snakes like to hide in abandoned mammal burrows, and are usually found in more open habitats, such as grassland, scrubland, semi-desert and hilly slopes.
Originally, mole snakes were given the generic name of “Coluber”, as nobody had a clue what type of snake they were. Then they were named Duberria cana, after the Duberria slug-eating genus. Professor Cope reached the modern concusion in 1864 with Pseudaspis cana, before more wrangling and debate until 1893, when Pseudaspis cana was finally agreed upon once and for all.
Since then, 130 years have passed. Hundreds of new snake species have been discovered, yet mole snakes still stand tall as the sole member of the Pseudaspis genus. Their black shiny scales closely resemble other African snakes such as black thread snakes and lethal stiletto snakes, yet at a maximum of 2.1 metres, mole snakes are significantly longer than both.
The mole snake eats a varied diet. They were originally named for their love of golden moles, but they also prey on rodents, Harlaub’s gulls, clicking stream frogs and the eggs of African penguins.
| 6 | Amazon pipe snake |
A humble jungle snake which poses no threat whatsoever to humans. The Amazon pipe snake lives in dense rainforests in Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and western Brazil. They’re a medium-sized snake at approximately 70cm (record 118.4cm), and have tiny black eyes which blend completely with a dark stripe on their face. Anilius scytale is the only member of the Anilius genus, and even physically, they’re a complete anomaly.
On the surface, this rogue snake looks sleek and advanced like a coral snake, but they’re actually one of the most primitive surviving snake species. They still possess a pelvic girdle with vestigial spurs, representing shrunken former limbs from its ancient life as a regular reptile. Similarly, its jaws don’t fully unhinge, which is closer to the transitional snakes which existed around the end of the dinosaur era 66 million years ago.
Despite this weakness, Anilius scytale has managed to survive in the depths of the Amazon rainforest, while every other member of its genus has died out, if they ever existed in the first place. Their diet includes beetles, caecilians (legless amphibians resembling snakes), Bahia slow worms, and other snakes like the black-headed snake. If this sketch is accurate, then they’re one of several snakes to be hunted by the spectacle caiman, a cunning Amazonian crocodilian.
| 7 | Kerala mud snake |
A friendly-looking snake which is found exclusively in Kerala state in southwest India. The Kerala mud snake loves to wallow in shoreline mud, but sometimes suffers from being scooped up by fishing nets.
This species is a Homalopsid watersnake, a distant relative of the dog-faced watersnakes, but is actually part of its own genus: Dieurostus. They’re a weird offshoot, living in just one narrow corner of the world. Its closest relatives worldwide live nowhere near it. These are the obscure Richardson’s mangrove snake of Indonesia, and MacLeay’s water snake of Australia.
Dieurostus dussumieri can appear in freshwater marshes, flooded rice paddy fields, and coastal plains like. They love lakes and swamps, and are more common on land after heavy rains. They measure up to 83.5cm, and pose no threat to humans.
Being part of a unique genus, Kerala mud snakes have a unique feature: salt tolerance. In 2014, scientists found Dieurostus dussumieri on a sandy beach for the first time, just 2-3 metres from the ocean. The species isn’t a sea snake, so the team was very surprised. A couple of years earlier, they were proven to cope well with salinity, whereas most other southeast Asian watersnakes die rapidly in salt water. 110 snakes worldwide possess salt tolerance, but eliminate the actual sea snakes and it becomes far rarer.
| 8 | Rough-scaled snake |
A venomous Australian snake which causes far fewer bites than the eastern brown snake, but still should never be taken lightly. Rough-scaled snakes reach a maximum of 100cm, and are the sole member of the Tropidechis genus. They were discovered in 1863, and originally placed in the Hoplocephalus genus containing the broad-headed snake, a shy Australian rock lover. But later that year, they were reassigned to the Tropidechis genus, where they remain today.
Rough scaled snakes (Tropidechis carinatus) are attracted to moistness, and are commonly found in high altitude forests and grassy meadows. They’re found on Australia’s populous central east coast, particularly along the Gold Coast and near Brisbane. Then there’s a huge gap before they reappear, in a separate population in northeast Queensland. Rough-scaled snakes have a purplish tongue, and one of their confirmed prey is the striped marsh frog.
A 2016 study revealed their closest relative: the tiger snake (Notechis scutatus), despite the two having wildly difference appearances. Their next closest relative is the rare Lake Cronin snake, AKA Paroplocephalus atriceps, found in southwest Australia.
| 9 | Brazilian burrowing snake |
One of many weird snakes stuffed away in remote corners of South Africa. Brazilian burrowing snakes (Gomesophis brasiliensis) are found exclusively in southern and southeast Brazil. They’re mainly found on the borders of marshes and swamps, where soft soils allow them to dig for their main prey: earthworms. Moist grassy fields are also a good place to find them.
Brazilian burrowing snakes are the sole member of the Gomesophis genus. They were first discovered in 1918, and originally assigned to the venomous slender snake genus of Tachymenis. In 1959, the all new genus of Gomesophis was created, and the Brazilian burrowing snake became its only member, a situation which hasn’t changed since.
This snake hardly ever moves by night. A study in Minas Gerais state, Brazil, found that 96.4% of its movements were during daylight, particularly between 9:30 and 17:00. Brazilian burrowing snakes are harmless, but have defensive techniques such as striking, gaping their mouths wide in order to intimidate, burrowing into mud, and hiding their head in a nest of coils. One cornered snake launched itself into a small stream, never to be seen again. The Brazilian burrowing snake reaches a maximum of 61.5cm.
| 10 | Cape reed snake |
This mildly venomous species lives in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Cape reed snakes (Amplorhinus multimaculatus) reach a maximum of just 63cm, and are a slow-moving species with a wide colour variation. Their name comes from their habitats, as they love to lurk in thick reed beds and riverine vegetation.
Cape reed snakes gravitate towards moister areas in general, and are the sole member of the Amplorhinus genus worldwide. They were discovered in 1847, and given the modern name straight away. Then they were switched to the large skaapsteker (Psammophylax) genus, before being moved back to Amplurhonius in 1896. Ever since then, they’ve been the only member of this genus. Its closest relatives are actually the harmless Duberria slug-eating snakes, which are all native to Africa.
Cape reed snakes are venomous, but barely a threat to humans. In this 1960 report, a guy thrust his hand into a bag of collected snakes, withdrew it, and noticed a reed snake fastened onto his finger, chewing vigorously. He removed the snake after a few seconds, and quickly felt a burning pain. His finger became inflamed, which lasted for 24 hours, but there were no symptoms other than local.