In deserts, jungles and swamps around the world, snakes are waging a biochemical war against their prey. When a snake displays its fangs, it’s showing off one of evolution’s greatest weapons. This is ...

Let's face it. Snakes are not most people's favorite animals. They slink and slither without making much noise, have a forked tongue with unblinking eyes, and fangs that bite or coils that wrap. Some ...

There are approximately 600 species of venomous snakes on Earth, and to the untrained eye, most of their strikes appear similar -- a flash of movement as the snake lunges forward. But in reality, ...

Venom is one of nature’s most effective (and fascinating) survival tools. Across the world, a wide range of animals have ...

How does evolution invent entirely new things, like limbs, wings, and venom? Evolutionary biologist Sean B. Carroll joins us to reveal the hidden rules behind nature’s creativity and the genetic ...

Four million years ago, the landscape of Northern Greece was the territory of a huge snake, a true biological titan.

From rubber tappers in Liberia to sugar cane farmers in South Africa, bites from venomous snakes are a constant worry. 1 In sub-Saharan Africa—which is home to green and black mambas, spitting cobras, ...

Off the coast of Brazil lies an island where snakes dominate every level of the ecosystem. Isolated for thousands of years, evolution pushed them into roles normally shared by many species. Their ...