The odd proportions of the Blunthead Tree Snake (imantodes cenchoa) make it seem almost cartoonish! They reach a maximum length of a little over 4-feet, and seem impossibly slender, but there’s nothing tiny about that head & eyes! Those enormous eyes take up more than a quarter of their skull, and while most snakes have relatively poor eyesight, the blunthead has excellent vision, with elongated vertical pupils that allow the snake to look down without moving it’s head. As their name implies, they’re arboreal, feeding primarily on small lizards & amphibians in the forests of Central America. They’re another rear-fanged colubrid, with a mild venom that’s harmless to humans. Their colour and patterning is as beautiful as any snakes’, but that big head and huge eyes makes them an adorable addition to this list of bizarre snakes.

While it’s unusual snout is presumed to serve as camouflage as it waits to ambush tree-frogs, geckos and small birds, we still aren’t certain if there might be a sensory purpose as well. These snakes are incredibly slender, and virtually invisible among the tree branches. They’re equipped with a mild venom delivered by grooved rear-fangs, and like most rear-fanged snakes, they don’t pose any serious danger to humans. So at home in the trees, the leaf-nosed snake even lays it’s eggs there, which emerge coated with an adhesive so they will stick to the branches. They may look unusual, but that’s what makes them so special!

An entirely aquatic freshwater species from Southeast Asia, the conspicuous tentacles on their snout are used to detect water pressure/motion, which they use in a unique hunting strategy. They form a J-shape with their body in the water, and wait for a fish to swim past. Detecting the fish’s presence with their tentacles, they perform a “rippling” motion with their neck-muscles. This triggers an instinctual flight-response in the fish, and they always try to swim off in the same direction… directly into the snake’s mouth. They’re a mildly-venomous, rear-fanged snake, but pose no danger to humans. With their hunting-strategy being the subject of research papers, and their unique sensory gifts, they’re a unique and fascinating species!

There are a number of snake species that use their tails as lures, but none so extravagantly as the Spider-Tailed Horned Viper (pseudocerastes urarachnoides). Their scales and patterning give them superb camouflage in the rocky habitat of their native Iran, but their most notable feature is that bizarre tail comprised of specialized scales, which vaguely resembles a camel-spider. While other species will use their tails to lure rodents, amphibians & fish, this viper’s lure is large & visible enough to attract birds, who swoop down for a snack and are quickly dispatched with the viper’s cytotoxic/hemotoxic venom (video: https://youtu.be/7CjtQOc9euU). They may not be as traditionally “pretty” as some other species, but they’re a magnificent example of predator adaptation and well-deserving of admiration!

Native to tropical Asia and Australia, file snakes are entirely aquatic. They generally reside in running water, such as rivers & streams, where they lie in wait, ambushing fish as they swim past. They have extremely rough scales (hence the “file” moniker), and loose-fitting skin which allows them to hold and constrict slippery prey. They lack the gripping belly scales of terrestrial snakes, making them almost helpless on land, and feature an extremely long fork in their tongue, which helps them to home-in on scents in the water. They may not be considered the prettiest snake in the world, but they’re an amazing example of the incredible adaptability of snakes!

First up, Canada’s only native boa species, the Rubber Boa (charina bottae). Usually brown to greenish-grey, it’s a shy, harmless constrictor that features a tail that’s almost indistinguishable from it’s head. When threatened, they ball-up with their tail poking out to deceive attackers. Like many vulnerable ambush predators, they’re nocturnal, feeding primarily on small mammals & amphibians in the forests of southern British Columbia. Most of all, they’re adorably derpy!