To many people, every snake is scary.
Even the tiniest of garter snakes can send an otherwise-brave soul running for the hills.
"Snakes?
Why did it have to be snakes?"
But not all snakes are created equal.
While some are perfectly harmless, and even kind of cute, others are just plain freaky
and scary, even for the biggest snake lover you know.
Here's a look at the most terrifying snakes in the world.
The Cuban boa
Snakes are bad enough when they hunt alone, but now, according to CNN, scientists have
discovered a species of snake that prefers to hunt in packs.
Scientists from the University of Tennessee observed several specimens belonging to the
Cuban boa species of snake gathering at caves and working as a group to catch fruit bats.
They strategically place themselves at the entrance, essentially forming a wall of snakes,
and some even hung upside down from the cave's mouth to catch bats as they tried to fly out.
Yikes!
Flying snakes
The very idea of a flying snake sounds too terrible to be true.
But nope, they're real, because not even the skies are safe from those that slither.
Found mostly in Southeast Asia, the five known species of flying snakes don't truly fly,
per se, but they can climb trees, most likely to escape predators.
They use the wind to glide from there, and if a particularly large gust of wind gets
them, they basically fly, and anyone who sees it has to get a change of pants.
Oh, and they are mildly venomous, so, you know… keep your head up.
Iranian spider-tailed viper
A spider-snake hybrid would probably cause more heart attacks than cholesterol, so it's
a relief such a thing doesn't exist.
Except, it actually does.
Say hello to the rarely-seen Iranian spider-tailed viper, which is exactly what it sounds like:
a snake with a tail that looks like a spider.
It uses this fake spider tail as a lure to get hungry birds to come close.
But when a bird swoops in to snack on that tasty spider, bam!
The viper turns the table and eats the bird.
So, just to recap, it's a bird-eating snake that looks like a spider.
Hope you weren't planning to sleep tonight!
Speaking of which...
Common Krait
It may not look or sound very threatening, but the Common Krait has some uncommon traits
that make it super scary.
See, it hunts at night, meaning you'll be asleep if it bites you.
And its bites are so small and painless you probably won't even feel a thing.
That sounds okay, except its venom can cause cramping and even muscle paralysis if untreated.
And since you probably won't wake up when it bites you, it's possible you may never
wake up at all, as the most common cause of death from Krait bites is due to suffocation
caused by respiratory paralysis.
Not cool, Krait!
Black Mamba
First, black mambas aren't even black, they're usually somewhere in a grey to a sort-of olive
shade.
However, the inside of their mouths are black, as are their souls.
See, black mambas are not only huge, growing up to 14 feet long, they can also raise themselves
up in the air, meaning they'll be facing you eye to eye when they kill you.
And they can kill you, as their incredibly deadly venom can be fatal within 20 minutes
if untreated.
But don't bother trying to run away, because they can also slither at over 12 miles per
hour, so unless you're Usain Bolt, your best bet is just to avoid black mambas entirely.
Good luck!
The Golden Lancehead
Very few parts of the world are still unexplored by now, but Ilha de Queimada Grande island,
about 90 miles away from Sao Paolo, Brazil, is one of them.
That's because it's covered with thousands of deadly snakes called Golden Lanceheads,
which can only be found on Ilha de Queimada.
Trapped on the island for thousands of years, the Golden Lanceheads evolved all sorts of
fun survival techniques, including the ability to climb trees so they can eat birds, as well
as a deadly venom that can kill a human in under an hour.
Unsurprisingly, you can't just go visit Snake Island during your next vacation.
The Brazilian government bans all leisure travel, and any business or research travel
there must be officially sanctioned, and the workers accompanied by a doctor.
Spitting cobra
Everyone's heard of the spitting cobra, which sprays a terrible toxin at its victims.
But did you know spitting cobras intentionally target your eyes?
And are incredibly accurate?
Yes, it's horrifyingly true.
According to National Geographic, in 2005, a German research student did a crazy experiment
where she had spitting cobras attack her.
She learned that not only can they spit venom directly at your eyes from up to six feet
away, they are between 80 and 100% accurate depending on which subspecies is hawking the
loogie.
So if you come across one, and aren't wearing goggles, don't hang your hopes on the snake
being clumsy and missing your eyeballs.
Your only hope is to run.
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