Are all snakes poisonous?

Are all snakes poisonous? #

So, are all snakes poisonous? Technically, no snakes are poisonous, but, out of the 3500 species recognised today, there are more than 600 venomous snakes. Venoms and poisons are very different things. Venomous animals deliver toxins through bites and stings, whereas poisonous animals administer toxic secretions passively, usually through their skin. Some species of snake fit into the former category as venomous as they have specifically designed teeth to inject venom straight into the muscles or the bloodstream of prey or potential predators. Certain species of frog (Dendrobates family) and toads (Bufo family) can secrete toxins from glands in their skin.

Venomous snakes are (in most cases) uninclined to bite as venom production is biologically very expensive, they will often warn potential predators that they are “armed” and prepared to use it!! The rattlesnake and its infamous rattle, cobras and their extended hoods and startling patterns and puff adders loud puff and hiss are all warnings designed to deter predators. If this deterrent fails, then a bite will be the last line of defense for the animal. The remaining 2900 species of snake kill their prey by constriction or simply eat their prey alive!! Many species of non-venomous snakes have adopted defensive displays that mimic venomous species to aid in repelling predators. This practice is called Batesian mimicry and is displayed by many different species of non-venomous snake. Batesian mimicry is a very effective method of defense and is essentially an animal “dressing up” to make itself look more dangerous than it is. Milk snakes are an excellent example of this. Milk snakes bare an uncanny resemblance to the highly venomous coral snake and have evolved to mimic the aposematic signal to deter predators.

Aposematic signals are displayed by a great many species in the natural world, dart frogs with their startling colours, some species of snake, wasps and bees, skunks and some species of newts and salamanders to name but a few. Bright colours and startling patterns are used by these species to show they are toxic or noxious and would not be an easy target for any potential predators. The majority of snakes kept in captivity are not venomous, they can make wonderful pets, and they are definitely not poisonous.

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