About This Quiz
With over 3,000 species of snakes on the planet, there are about 600 venomous species scattered around the world. If you live in an area that is home to venomous snakes, you probably know the telltale signs of venomous snakes. For example, most venomous snakes have triangular heads or arrowhead faces. They also have heat-sensing pits. All of these attributes can help you identify whether or not you should run if you see one, but they don't necessarily tell you what kind of snake you're dealing with, whether it will chase you or where that snake came from. While many Americans don't live in areas with indigenous venomous snakes, snakes have been relocated and showing up in America without warning. Whether they stowed away on shipping containers or they were brought here illegally through trade, more and more snakes from around the world are showing up in people's backyards. For those who can't identify venomous snakes, this can be very dangerous.
However, if you've always had a fascination with snakes, you may be able to identify different species by sight. But do you know where they come from? Take this quiz to see if you can tell us where to find these venomous snakes.
The tiger snake, or Notechis scutatus, has venom made of neurotoxins, myotoxins, hemolysins and coagulants. They can be various sizes, depending on the size of the prey where they live (and what they eat the most).
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The Japanese pit viper goes by many names and is related to the copperheads and cottonmouths that are found in the United States. However, pit vipers are usually found in China, Japan, and Korea.
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The banded krait is one of the largest kraits. It can grow over six feet long. While it might not look like much from far away, banded kraits have incredibly toxic venom, but the snakes usually only bite at night (because they are the things nightmares are made of).
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The eastern brown snake is also known as a common brown snake. It is extremely venomous, though it looks rather harmless ... until it stands up (which only happens right before it strikes).
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Ceraste ceraste is easy to spot with two horns above its eyes ... well actually, it blends in pretty well with the sand, so it's not easy to spot. It has two names because it doesn't have any subspecies yet.
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You might recognize this guy as the tropical or common rattlesnake. The Crotalus durissus is another form of pit viper. As a matter of fact, it is the pit viper that is distributed most widely around the world.
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Black mambas can grow up to nine feet long. They are considered one of the most venomous snakes on the planet, and they're fast too. However, scientists have theorized that their venom can actually create pain killers.
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The eyelash viper can be identified by its horns and the scales above its eyes. While they come in a wide variety of colors, they usually blend in with their surroundings. Don't you want to buy this one some mascara?
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Echis carinatus is another form of viper. They are a part of the Chordata phylum. While they are mostly found in the Indian subcontinent, they can also be found in various parts of the Middle East as well.
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Atheris squamigera is an incredibly colorful snake, but don't get too close. Even though they have very dangerous venom, people still like to keep them as pets ... maybe because their scales almost look like feathers?
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The golden lancehead can be found off the coast of Sao Paulo. Just looking at the creature can tell you where it received its name. These snakes are gold with an arrow-shaped head commonly found in vipers of its kind.
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Also known as the yellow cobra, the cape cobra is found in the southern arid regions of Africa. Its venom can affect your respiratory system. While you might think this guy is easy to spot in the wild, it actually blends in pretty well in the South African deserts.
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There is something so terrifying about a snake with a striped pattern — probably because nearly all of them are venomous. The eastern coral snake is also known as the American cobra. Its bite seems like it does nothing, but it is highly venomous.
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The yellow-bellied sea snake likes tropical waters, and it is found in every ocean except the Atlantic ocean. It has a flattened tail to help it swim. There are few things more terrifying than a venomous snake that is found in the water!
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Atheris hispida is another form of viper. It has large scales that give it a spiky appearance, almost like a dragon. This is another venomous snake that is often kept as a pet (by people who like to live dangerously, we suppose).
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This crazy creature is identified by its black and white stripes and a yellow nose. Some groups of yellow-lipped sea kraits don't have breeding schedules, which can make them difficult to track.
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In case you haven't guessed by their names, these snakes only grow to be about two feet long, but that doesn't make them any less toxic. Their scales are rough, so they look dull instead of slimy.
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This guy goes by many names, including east African green mamba or white-mouthed mamba. They are almost always found in trees and have an extremely painful and venomous bite that can paralyze its victims.
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This mean looking creature is one of Australia's most commonly encountered snakes, which is terrifying because of how venomous they really are. They usually mate during the spring months.
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No, these snakes are not related to Mr. Peanut. They are described as monocled because of the spot on their back that looks like an eye. The monocled cobra is a pretty common cobra in South and Southeast Asia.
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The Egyptian cobra is the second largest cobra species in Africa as they can reach up to nearly ten feet long when they are fully grown. The species is so old that they were featured on the crowns of pharaohs.
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These masters of disguise have no subspecies, and you can find them nesting on jungle and forest floors (if you can see them). They are usually found in northern parts of South America, east of the Andes Mountains.
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The sidewinder is also called the horned rattlesnake. It gets its name from the way it moves across desert landscapes: sideways, leaving interesting tracks in the sand that cannot be mistaken for anything else.
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Bothrops alternatus is another pit viper species. They come in various colors, but also have unique patterns on their backs to blend in. They are usually found in the tropical areas of northern South America.
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Copperheads are great at camouflaging themselves. This often leads to unexpected encounters with humans as they are found in the Eastern United States, including very densely populated areas.
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Inland taipans, which also go by the name of the western taipans, have small scales that make them look shiny or slimy. However, they are usually found in the semi-arid habitats of Australia.
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These vipers have fangs that are nearly two inches long, and, if that wasn't scary enough, the gaboon viper is the snake that can hold the most venom at a single time. That's more deaths for them and more frightening for us!
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Copperheads are generally found in the Southeastern United States. If they feel threatened, they will coil their bodies and show off their fangs. If you see a copperhead in this position, run, because it may strike.
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The coastal taipan can be found in the coastal regions of Australia and New Guinea. They eat small, warm-blooded animals. These snakes are large, which means that they produce a lot of venom and can inject quite a bit into their victims.
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While this picture might not depict it, the Macrovipera lebetina can be found in a variety of colors. They are some of the most venomous vipers on the planet and blend right in to their surroundings.
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The western diamondback is generally found in the arid regions of Texas and Mexico as well as the desert regions of Arizona. They are responsible for most snakebite-related deaths in these regions.
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At first look, you might think this snake is something out of Beetlejuice because the many-banded krait has a small head and black and white stripes. However, this snake is real and real poisonous.
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The timber rattlesnake is also known as a canebrake rattlesnake or a banded rattlesnake. It can grow up to five feet long and is yet another species of pit viper that is found in the United States.
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While you might think that its name makes it sounds like a dinosaur species, these bright green snakes are actually vipers. They prefer to live in trees, as they can blend in well with the colors.
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Crotalus durissus is considered very dangerous throughout South America. Their appearance might fool you into thinking they aren't venomous, but they are actually yet another form of pit viper.
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Lachesis muta is considered extremely dangerous in South America, where it lives. It looks almost like burnt leaves, which helps it blend in with its surroundings like a professional.
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What could possibly be more frightening than a snake? How about a cannibal snake? The death adder actually hunts other snakes. They look like vipers and have one of the most dangerous bites in the world.
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These snakes rarely strike humans to kill. However, if they do, their venom is so potent it can kill a thousand people with just a couple of milligrams ... talk about overkill, don't you think?
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