These 16 Snake Facts Will Give You a Whole New Perspective

Posted by Calvin on January 27, 2025

You may not see them often, but snakes are ultra-fascinating animals. 🐍 They have all kinds of unexpected abilities and powers, and we pose a much bigger threat to them than they do to us. Since we’re ushering in the Year of the Snake for next week’s Lunar New Year, there’s no better time to learn about these sensitive beings—here are 16 snake facts that’ll give you a whole new perspective:  

16 Snake Facts

1. They Have a Huge Fam

There are 3,000+ snake species worldwide, divided into 30 families and several subfamilies. That makes them the second-largest group of reptiles after lizards.

2. They’re “Solar Powered”

Like other reptiles, snakes need external sources (the sun) to give them energy. Their love for stretching out on sunny roads and rocks suddenly makes perf sense.

3. They Smell With Their Tongues

Snakes have nostrils, but don’t use them to smell. Instead, they use their tongues and can tell which direction a smell is coming from.

4. They’re Almost Everywhere

From mountains to jungles, snakes inhabit almost every ecosystem on Earth—even oceans. You can help snakes around the world enjoy their lives by wearing only fake snake products instead of slaughtered snakes’ skin. 

5. They Can (Surprisingly) Hear

Breaking yet another norm, snakes don’t have ears, yet they respond to sound. How is this possible? 🤔 We straight-up don’t know yet.

6. They Come in All Sizes

Snakes vary widely in size. Barbados thread snakes weigh less than a paperclip, while green anacondas can weigh over 200 lbs.

7. They Have Super-Stretchy Jaws

Here’s one of the most jaw-dropping snake facts: Since they can’t chew, snakes use their flexible jaws to eat animals who are 75-100% larger than their head.

8. They Evolved Over 100 Million Years Ago

Snakes have been around for a hot minute—scientists think they’re anywhere from 100 to 167 million years old. Humans are evolutionary babies at less than one million years old. 👶

9. They’re Essential to Their Ecosystems

Snakes keep the populations of animals like rodents, birds, amphibians, and insects under control. Without snakes, the food chain would collapse.

10. They’re Shy

Snakes give major introvert vibes. They’re shy and secretive and only strike to eat or defend themselves.

11. They’re Mostly Solitary

Besides mating season, when snakes look for reproductive partners, these reptiles prefer to live by themselves. Imagine how miserable they must be when they’re confined by the thousands at shady facilities, bashed over the head with a hammer, and impaled with metal hooks. 😰

12. They’re Bony

It’s hard to imagine when looking at snakes, but they have more bones than humans. We have 206 bones, while snakes have up to 1,200.

13. Some Have Girl Power

The Brahminy blind snake species is made up entirely of females—they reproduce asexually on their own. 

14. They Don’t All Lay Eggs

Non-mammals lay eggs…right? While about 70% of snakes lay eggs—and many, like king cobras, are parenting pros—some snake species give birth. 🤯

15. Some Can “Fly”

Paradise tree snakes can glide through the air by jumping from trees and stretching their bodies into a flattening strip. 

16. It’s Incredibly Rare to be Killed by a Snake

If you live in the U.S., you’re nine times more likely to be killed by lightning than a venomous snake. Humans, on the other hand, abuse and slaughter countless snakes every year for their skins.

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There’s another reptile that needs your help—crocodiles are being electrocuted, stabbed, and skinned alive for clothing that could easily be vegan. Rock these mock croc items to decrease the demand for their suffering.