#colubrids

A European grass snake (Natrix natrix) swims in a pond in Arne Nature Reserve, England

Open wide! The boomslang snake has one of the biggest mouths of any snake, capable of opening its jaws up to 170°! This is because boomslangs are opisthoglyphous, meaning that the fangs which deliver venom are farther back in their mouths- so to ensure their venom is properly delivered, they have to have a very big bite.

Trying to hold a blue tongue skink with one hand is truly the most awkward thing to attempt 😬 But here’s Casper all fat and happy!

Northern Western Ghats Vine Snake (Ahaetulla borealis)

Of course!

Hey, I’m back! And today’s creature is beyond special:

This is Balkan whipsnake (Dolichophis caspius). This is a fully grown adult. These colubrids are big, some grow over 2 meters in length. They have that wonderful copper colored head, shiny grey body and bright yellow belly. But they also have Black Air Force energy.

I’ve worked with these snakes a lot during my herpetology courses and oh my god, they are mean! They are called “whipsnakes” because they can actually hit you with their tail and because their scales are so tough, it hurts like a bitch. They love to bite. And they don’t have the “bite pose”. Most snakes coil up to prepare themselves to strike, but these do not. They are incredibly unpredictable and they can fucking jump. And on top of that, they have so much energy. Most snakes tire out in a very short period of time, but these do not. I don’t know how do they do it, but they can keep striking, swiggling and jumping for over an hour. And they do it while in the bag where we put snakes to calm down as well. They are unreal. A true menace to society.

But they eat rodents and venomous snakes so you want to have them around. And they are cute. Even though they bit me, I still love them. Here’s a cute juvenile as a bonus: