No other animal fills us with as much loathing as snakes. Other predators of the jungle such as lions, tigers, jaguars, cheetahs and crocodiles may fill us with fear but seldom loathing. In fact, we usually respect and sometimes even admire these animals but never the snake. Our intense dislike of the snake may be due to the way the snake built, the sinuous way it moves and its use of the poison to fight its enemies or to kill its prey.

In most languages, to be referred to as snake is derogatory. It implies that the person who called a snake is not trustworthy. To trust such person is to put oneself in a dangerous situation. Such a person is also treacherous. Such a person will even turn against those who are closest to him. On other hand, the lion never credited with lowly or despicable qualities. If a person is called a lion it means that he brave and noble. To be a called tiger is also no bad. A person called a tiger possesses fighting prowess. He is feared but is not despised unlike a person who is called a snake.

People give a wide berth to snake because they think that all snakes are poisonous. The truth is there are more harmless snakes than poisonous ones. Scientist have found out that the tendency to fear snakes is embedded in our genes. That means we are programmed genetically to learn to fear snakes. This genetic tendency to develop a fear of snakes may have been programmed into humans to improve their chances of survival.

The size of snakes may range from three inches to over thirty feet long. There are snake as small as earthworms. The anaconda, the biggest snake in the world, has been measured at over thirty feet long. Its dried skin hangs from a tall tree somewhere in the Amazon forest. The bigger snakes kill by constricting their victims. They coil themselves around their victims. Then they tighten their grip until their victim’s bones, lungs and other organs are crushed and the victim dies of its injuries or suffocation. Then they swallow their victims whole starting with the head. The smaller snakes usually kill by injecting poison into the victims nervous system stopping the function the various organs such as heart or the lung. Among the better known poisonous snakes are cobras, rattlesnakes, viper and so on. While most land snake are non-venomous, all sea snakes are poisonous.

While many cultures regard the snake as something harmful that better avoided, some religions worship snakes, especially the cobra. They are not allowed to kill highly poisonous snake although hundreds are killed by its bites every year.

Some snakes lay eggs and some give birth to live babies. Snake are not very good mother and usually leave their babies to fend for themselves. To be able to look after themselves, the babies are fully developed miniatures of the parents. They even have poison fangs and teeth and able to hunt form the moment of their birth.

Though there are more bad stories than good one about the snake, the snake plays a very important part I eco-system. They get rid of pest such as rats and birds that destroy our crops. As for being bitten by snakes, they usually attack only when they feel that their lives are threatened. So let us resting or sleeping snake lie. If you do that, neither you nor the snake will be hurt.