There are more than 3,000 species of snakes on the planet. About 600 species are venomous, but only about 200 are able to kill a human being.

The three biggest countries without snakes are Ireland, Iceland, and New Zealand. Of course, there are also some states/places that don't have snakes, such as Alaska and Siberia.

Snakes smell using the tip of their tongue, and a forked tongue allows them to sense from which direction a smell is coming.

The death adder can attack, inject venom, and go back to striking position in less than 0.15 seconds.

There are more than 3,000 different species of snakes, and not one of them has evolved to eat plants.

The bite of the inland taipan delivers a veritable witch's brew of neurotoxins, procoagulants, and myotoxins that paralyze muscles, inhibit breathing, cause hemorraging in blood vessels and tissues, and damage muscles. It is estimated that one bite delivers enough venom to kill at least 100 fully grown men.

This highly-specialized diet renders the North American Queen Snake particularly vulnerable to water pollution.

A snake's digestive system can dissolve everything but a prey's hair, feathers, and claws.

All individuals of this species are female and reproduce unisexually. Up to eight offspring are produced--all female and all genetically identical.

A member of the boa family, South America's green anaconda is, pound for pound, the largest snake in the world. Its cousin, the reticulated python, can reach slightly greater lengths, but the enormous girth of the anaconda makes it almost twice as heavy.