Discover the world of snakes

Quick facts

• Snakes have no eyelids; a clear scale called the spectacle (brille) protects each eye.
• They smell with their forked tongue and the Jacobson's (vomeronasal) organ in the roof of the mouth.
• Most snakes are harmless to people; only a minority of species have medically significant venom.
• Snakes shed their whole skin, often in one piece, as they grow.

New: Venomous or not?

Compare dangerous snakes with harmless lookalikes in your region with our snake identification guide.