| 1 | Tiger snake |
Maximum length: 1.8 metres (mainland), 2.4 metres (islands).
The tiger snake (Notechis scutatus) is a feared venomous snake of Australia, which is most abundant in the southern state of Victoria, plus the east coast up to Sydney and Brisbane. They average at 120cm, and their venom primarily unleashes blood clotting mayhem, by artificially accelerating the production of clotting factors like fibrin, leaving no supplies left.
Except for desolate outback, the tiger snake can occupy whatever habitats it pleases. As long as there’s sufficient moisture, they can appear in woodland meadows, hiking trails, and cosy farmland all the same. Nor are urban streets and pavements off limits.
Tiger snakes control southern Australia just as much as the local humans. In fact, they’ve been there for far longer. They’re so flexible that they can survive on offshore islands like Chappell Island by feasting on bird colonies that only land and breed once per year, spending the remaining 10 months starving, and doing absolutely nothing.
Tiger snakes are flexible in their diet as well as their habitats, preying on frogs, mammals and birds alike. The only consistent characteristic is that they rarely eat reptiles.
Neighbouring snakes: the inland taipan has Australia’s most powerful venom of all, but this species lives nowhere near humanity. Instead of grassy fields, they inhabit deep clay clacks in the heart of the barren outback.
| 2 | Central American coral snake |
Maximum length: 115cm.
The American coral snakes (Micrurus genus) are usually fairly strict about their habitats, sticking to leafy forest floors with a thick layer of mulch they can hide in. However, a chosen few are hardier, one of which is the Central American coral snake (Micrurus nigrocinctus).
This species has the classic yellow-black-yellow bands, followed by long red spaces. Their venom has strong paralysis potential, and they’re definitely a snake to walk past very carefully, and never, ever pick up.
As well as dense forests, Central American coral snakes appear in cultivated fields, meadows and sparser woodlands. They even appear in backgardens, rummaging around for fellow snakes to eat. This species appears in all 7 Central American countries (Costa Rica, Honduras, etc), as well western Colombia and southern Mexico.
Micrurus nigrocinctus is never a fast, hyperactive species. They prefer to lurk on the ground, occasionally climbing bushes, and won’t bother you if you don’t bother them. But they undoubtedly make entering Central America a more cautious affair than it needn’t be. Their flexibility has allowed them to take over, pushing neighbours like Allen’s coral snake into narrower slices of land.
Neighbouring snakes: the ringed tree boa of Costa Rica is found only in dark, dense forests, on tree branches 5 to 40 metres high.
| 3 | Boa constrictor |
Maximum length: just over 4 metres.
The boa constrictor dominates South America, appearing in every country except Chile, and one of the main reasons is their flexible habitats. They can do almost anything: climb trees, swim across rivers, dangle from branches. They can go almost anywhere: forests, meadows, rugged rocky hillsides, and agricultural fields.
Boa constrictors don’t shy away from coffee plantations and villages, or metal fences and railings. Hardiness and toughness is embedded in their DNA. They enjoy the open horizons of grasslands just as much as the cosy comfort of a forest.
It helps their confidence that they’re the most powerful constrictor on the face of the Earth. Boa constrictors achieve a pounds per square inch (PSI) squeeze force of 25, versus the larger Burmese python at just 6.23.
Boa constrictors almost never attack humans. Coiling around your neck and squeezing has no logical reward for them. But they loathe the smell of alcohol, so in case you get in trouble, carry your hip flask everywhere (if you need an excuse), and hold it under a boa constrictor’s nostrils if necessary.
Neighbouring snakes: the Amazon tree boa isn’t completely inflexible, but must have trees to cling to, whether it’s a fully fledged rainforest or a remnant patch of village woodland.
| 4 | Jararaca |
Maximum length: 160cm.
While the boa constrictor coexists peacefully with humanity, the jararaca (Bothrops jararaca) has other ideas. This 1-1.5 metre venomous snake inhabits southeast Brazil, and causes the highest number of snakebites near Sao Paulo.
The reason is simple: flexible habitats. Jararacas don’t confine themselves to a forbidding forest by a highway, which you nervously chuckle about as you drive past (like the jararacussu). Instead, they inhabit forests, fields, agricultural land, towns, woods and virtually anything barring deserts. The one caveat is that they mainly emerge during the wet season.
Jararacas lack neurotoxins, and specialise in necrosis, swelling and coagulopathy, the depletion of blood clotting elements. Their strike is highly accurate, and their diet consists of 71.1% mammals, and 17.8% frogs and toads. Luckily, jararacas are one of 5 species used to manufacture Brazil’s main antivenom. At 50%, they easily contribute the largest share of the antivenom mixture.
Most venomous snakes aren’t villains really. Most would rather live their lives peacefully and avoid humans, but the jararaca – that’s one we’re not sure about.
Neighbouring species: the similarly named jararacussu inhabits dark Atlantic forests only, particularly thick, thorny ones. They shun open ground like cerrado, preferring to live in the shadows.
| 5 | Taiwan stink snake |
Maximum length: 240cm.
Probably the most likely snake for an average citizen to bump into in Taiwan. This species is infamous for the intolerable stench it produces when cornered, and has a vicious temperament, staying aggressive even after months in captivity. In Taiwanese snake restaurants (yes, those are a thing), it’s the most frequent species served on menus, though they probably don’t use the western name for it.
Taiwan stink snakes (Elaphe carinata) are also known as king ratsnakes, and occupy endless habitats. They don’t hide away fearfully in woods, or cling to high branches all day and admire the views. They can do both of those things, but they also appear in meadows, farmlands, river shores and parks frequented by humans.
Old farmyards are a particular favourite, due to the abundance of rodents living there. They even find a snug home in dark wooden barns, without asking the owners’ permission. This is an egg-laying species, in batches of 8-14, measuring 3-5cm each. Don’t be surprised to unlock a barn door and find an egg clutch hidden behind a pile of old hay bales.
Taiwanese stink snakes also eat fellow snakes, lizards and birds. Like a black racer, they don’t have a particular ecological niche, so instead, they’re a vagabond snake which roams Taiwan eternally, eating whatever and going wherever.
Neighbouring snakes: the square-headed catsnake of Taiwan is a branch-clinger which requires trees to survive, and avoids open spaces.
| 6 | Black racer |
Maximum length: 190.5cm.
The black racer can’t be ignored when it comes to snakes that go absolutely anywhere. While Florida hosts over 40 snake species, this is the one most commonly encountered by ordinary people, due to its complete comfort in streets, alleyways, back gardens and schoolyards.
In the wild, black racers are equally flexible, inhabiting woods, fields, forests and hillsides, although they might skip the everglades where alligators are firmly in control. Black racers are abundant all over the mainland USA, only skipping Arizona.
One reason black racers appear everywhere is their boundless energy and restlessness. The mud snake might find a cosy swamp to settle in and call home forever, but the black racer is a transient species which is always exploring somewhere.
A confident personality means that they’re not dependent on shelter, although this confidence isn’t necessarily justified. Black racers lack venom, and are popular prey for red shouldered hawks, and even common house spiders (as juveniles). But the benefits of exploring many habitats (like more food choice) clearly outweigh the dangers of being overexposed.
Neighbouring snakes: eastern coral snakes appear only on forest floors, including wireglass flatwoods, oak hammocks, and pine forests.
| 7 | Javan spitting cobra |
Maximum length: 185cm.
One of the most poorly researched cobras, but it’s obvious to anyone visiting Indonesia that the Javan spitting cobra (Naja sputatrix) appears virtually anywhere.
This species is infamous for occupying the Indonesian University in Jakarta, terrifying students on concrete stairwells. They love sparse woods, dry meadows and drainage ditches near agricultural fields, where they hunt fellow snakes like the painted bronzeback. They can climb trees and cross rivers equally successfully, while mainly sticking to the ground.
Javan spitting cobras can pop their heads out of concrete walls, fall from midair, or wait patiently on a bridge over a river, blocking people’s paths. In fact, the only thing they’re poor at is staying still. If they have a slight habitat preference, it’s avoiding the thickest, most jungled forests.
This species is found on virtually all of Java, as well as Bali and the Nusa Tenggara islands. The venom globules they spit can blind people for 2-3 days, and they always aim for the eyes. This species has no tolerance for the influx of humans into land they’ve occupied for millions of years. They arrogantly assume that they’re still in control, and with a brain-frazzling neurotoxic venom, it’s hard to argue.
Neighbouring species: the king cobra is also common on Java, but much stricter about its habitats, generally appearing in pristine forests.
| 8 | Salmon-bellied racer |
Maximum length: 150cm.
The salmon bellied racer is a non-venomous constrictor, which inhabits all 7 countries of Central America, as well as most of southern Mexico. They measure 1.5 metres on average, and forage actively for their prey rather than waiting in ambush.
Salmon-bellied racers (Mastigodryas melanolomus) are a species which survives through sheer focus and determination. They never let an opportunity go to waste, and this quest takes them through forest, field, farm, woods and deforested hillside alike. They’re on a constant grand tour of Central America, and regularly pass through villages, to the amusement and sometimes fright of locals.
Salmon-bellied racers mainly ignore humans, coexisting peacefully as long as you don’t harass them. This snake isn’t overconfident either, as they battle with a fury when their life is at stake.
For example, when a bird swoops in for a meal, the salmon-bellied racer will bite and snap back aggressively, convincing them to give up. If the bird refuses, then instead of fleeing, Mastigodryas melanolomus will grab hold of the fleeing bird. They’ll latch on with an unbreakable grip, and constrict them to death. Their goal is to make birds fear going anywhere near this species, to make every hunting attempt a risk that they must calculate.
Neighbouring species: the orange-bellied glasstail lives only in deep forests, mainly in Costa Rica, occasionally in sheltered cacao plantations.
| 9 | Greater sea snake |
Maximum length: 156cm.
Technically, the greater sea snake (Hydrophis major) isn’t flexible in its habitats at all. If you scooped one up and placed it on land, it would have no idea what to do. But within the sea, studies reveal it to be one of the most flexible.
Along Australian coastlines, greater sea snakes can switch between coral reefs, seagrass beds and sandy flats at will. A 2021 study observed New Caledonia’s populous Baie des Citrons, a paradise of underwater serpents. The turtle-headed sea snakes stuck exclusively to coral reefs, while Dubios’ sea snakes only inhabited shallow waters. Greater sea snakes inhabited both deep and shallow waters, and all habitat types.
Greater sea snakes primarily prey on catfish, and are highly attuned to them. Even if this brings them to a giant eel’s lair, or the cursed remains of a sunken pirate ship, they’ll probably keep exploring. However, they’re not reckless lunatics. During tiger shark season, when the oceans are warmer, they shift position to the sheltered inner seagrass beds instead. This intelligence might explain why they’re the “greater” sea snake, and so wide ranging.
Neighbours: turtle-headed sea snakes eat fish eggs exclusively, and stick to coral reefs where these are hidden.
| 10 | Madagascan hognose snake |
Maximum length: 180cm.
Madagascar lacks any dangerously venomous snakes, but it’s still a total snakepit. There’s the slender smooth snake hiding in pristine forest floors, and then there’s the Madagascan hognose snake (Leioheterodon madagascariensis), which is much more visible to tourists and villagers alike. This snake may exceed 1.8 metres, and is comfortable in dry fields, woodlands, villages and even city outskirts.
Over the last thousand years, towns have sprung up and forests have been replaced with cocoa plantations, but the Madagascan hognose snake hasn’t changed at all. It’s still there, patiently roaming the countryside for reptiles, not attacking innocent people, but not hesitating to defend itself if a fight arrives either.
Madagascan hognose snakes are good at blocking rural roads, resting alertly on their dusty surfaces in order to ambush lizards (as the image above shows). The precise characteristics that make them flexible are unknown, but L. madagascariensis has no qualms about being visible to farmers, villagers or tourists. This species has no relation to US hognose snakes.
Neighbouring snakes: Dumeril’s boa, the resident giant constrictor of Madagascar, is found in dry leafy woodlands, where its excellent camouflage can properly take effect.