From a total of 2,700 snake species and subspecies, 80% are non-venomous. Types of snake varieties live everywhere in the world in temperate and warm climates with the exception of several isolated islands, Ireland and New Zealand. Similarly to the way species differentiate from each other, the same thing becomes apparent for the types of snake bites, with the mention that the most dangerous and actually lethal bites come from very venomous varieties. The anacondas, the pythons and the boas with the constrictor variety represent the most popular nonvenomous types of snake species as they are also the biggest and most impressive by size.
Pit vipers are rated as having the most dangerous types of snake bites, and they include those of the water moccasin, the rattlesnake, the bushmaster or the copperhead. The real vipers are the ones to share the most venomous reputation in the Old World, with the cobras and the black mambas being in top. Yet, let’s not forget about the sea snakes that also rely on very powerful venom to get food, as the toxins they leave in the body of the prey must paralyze it within seconds. Snakes are also a source of food. Lots of snake dishes are found in Asian restaurants, while in other parts of the globe, snakes are valued for their skin.
The snake is also a symbol not just an animal people feel afraid of. The representations of snakes in our arts and cultures draw their roots from the ancient mythical times. On the one hand, serpents are part of ecosystems, with a major role in the evolution of certain species, and secondly they are figurative spokesmen of profound meanings. Their hunting mice and rats keeps pest under control and prevents the over-breeding of these rodents. Yet, in the ancient traditions, types of snake worshiping were part of religious rites, with the serpent symbolizing deities, or the immutable cycle of life and death or wisdom.
Many types of snake-related myths have been identified everywhere in the world: for the old Greeks the snake was the symbol of fertility; Mesopotamians and Semites attributed immortal features to this creature because it shed its skin and it rejuvenated its appearance periodically; Indians, Siamese and Burmese believe the snake to be a demon figure that is not entirely bad. For these South Asian cultures the cobra is the king of all serpents, but the Chinese on the other hand raised the snake at the dragon level, worshiping it as a manifestation of a powerful and protective deity.
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