Snakesssss

Black mambas are fast, lethally venomous and, when threatened, highly aggressive. Stories of their deadliness abound, and they have been aggrandized in African myth.

Anacondas squeeze until the animal dies of asphyxiation. Stretchy ligaments in their jaw allow them to swallow their prey whole.

What tidings will the Year of the Snake bring? The New Year's season is implacably festive, but given the destructive power of the snake sign, many worry that this year will bite.

Kingsnakes use constriction to kill their prey and tend to be opportunistic when it comes to their diet; they will devour other snakes, including poisonous ones.

Even with a whole venomous snake in the bottle, snake wine is no longer poisonous. Denatured by the ethanol, the venom dissolves in the liquor and is thought to have medicinal benefits.

Kingsnakes use constriction to kill their prey and tend to be opportunistic when it comes to their diet; they will devour other snakes, including poisonous ones.

Among the most venomous of snakes, the king cobra can deliver enough neurotoxin in a single bite to kill 20 people, or even an elephant!

The Gaboon viper is found in the rainforests and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. The world's heaviest viper snake, it lies in waiting, ready to sink all 2.2 inches (5.6 cm) of its fangs into its prey.

Two men were about to enter the departure area at Jakarta airport when X-rays showed their bags were filled with sedated pythons.

Black mambas are fast, slithering at speeds of up to 12.5 mph (20 k/ph), and lethally venomous.

The snakes flatten their bodies in the air and undulate from side to side at high speed creating an aerodynamic effect that allows them to 'fly' hundreds of feet from tops of trees.