I have just finished a new seminar presentation entitled, "The Serpent!" Snakes and spiders are universally despised! And that is pretty understandable. Nobody likes the idea of being bitten, let alone injected with a potentially lethal venom! Even though spider bites that are actually
dangerous are extremely rare, that is not the case with venomous snakes. Many are deadly!
But, they’re also fascinating. After all, since they are created by God, they also will exhibit unique traits that indicate amazing design. If we can lay aside our fears and revulsion for just a bit, we can take a quick peak into some amazing facts about these creatures.
First, there are more than 3,400 species of snakes in the world. Most of them are not dangerous to humans, like the common garter snake. But, there are up to 600 venomous snakes. However, even among these, most are not harmful to humans. It’s the ones that are dangerous that we worry about!
Snakes can be categorized in many different ways, and it can get confusing. There are venomous, non-venomous, constrictors, snakes with fixed fangs, snakes with folding fangs, snakes with heat sensors, egg-laying, non egg-laying, etc.…. the list goes on and on. Most people simply want to know – Can it hurt me? So, in that sense, there would only be two categories – ones that can and ones that
can’t.
Here are some interesting snake facts:
* They range in size from just a few inches up to over 30 feet.
* Snakes shed their skin quite often. As they grow, their
skin doesn’t, so young snakes can shed every two weeks or so.
* Many snakes are uniquely camouflaged. Some are green and match the leaves around them in the trees, while others who live on the forest floor have skin that looks just like dried leaves.
