Where Do They Live?
The slowest snakes in the world live in different environments across the globe. Some of them dwell in desert environments where a lot of movement would require too much energy expenditure. Some live with access to water, like the Burmese python, that allows them to move much quicker. Finally, several live in locations where they can hide easily under rocks and can burrow. Here are the 7 slowest snakes in the world:
1. Rosy Boa
The rosy boa is repeatedly referred to as one of the slowest snakes. These snakes are popular pets so people have a lot of experience with them. They are known to be friendly, docile snakes that also move quite slow. In the wild they live in the Mojave Desert and spend most of their time hidden behind or beneath rocks. They are capable of snatching prey, like a desert mouse, quickly with fangs and then wrapping their bodies around them as a constrictor snake to kill their prey. Instead of quickly scurrying away, to keep safe from predators they will tuck their head in and curl up in a ball with just their tail sticking out. They are one of the smallest boas and only get to be around 3 feet long. There are only 2 species of Boa’s in the United States, the rosy boa and the rubber boa.
2. Rubber Boa
Rubber boa’s are a non-patterned snake that is all brown or tan on their back with a cream colored belly. They live in the western US from southern California up the coast to British Columbia. They only get to be around 2 feet long ranging from 21-26 inches and are not a thick-bodied snake. The northern rubber boas have adapted to the cooler weather in the northern US by being able to keep the temperature around their head (safeguarding their brains) at a higher temp than their body. Similar to rosy boas, instead of “running” away they will curl up in a ball and protect their head with just their tail sticking out. No need to be fast – what’s the rush?
3. Brahminy Blindsnake
If you are a blind snake you probably don’t want to go too fast. You will probably rely on your other senses to keep you safe and to find prey. That is exactly what brahminy blindsnakes do. These snakes are tiny. They’re sometimes mistaken for earthworms, they are that small. They range in size from 4-6 inches… inches not feet! They are universal in color, and it is hard to tell their front from their back. These snakes are not segmented like an earth worm, and if you zoom in on their head you will see two tiny black eyes and maybe catch a glimpse of their tiny tongue sticking out. They are burrowers and spend much of their time underground or under rocks and leaf piles. If they are threatened, instead of running away, they release a foul smell, so they don’t need to be fast!
4. Threadsnake
The Threadsnake is another blind snake that doesn’t need to be fast. These slowest snakes in the world are so small they can curl up on the face of a quarter! They are very skinny – skinnier than an earthworm and only get to be 4 inches long. They are slow because they don’t need to be fast. Threadsnakes are a burrowing snake that spends much of its time underground. They “hunt” for the eggs of termites and ants, so they don’t have to chase after live prey. These tiny snakes can be found in North and South America as well as Africa and Asia.
5. Burmese Python
The burmese python is the opposite of the threadsnake and is one of the largest snakes in the world. They can get to be 23 feet long and weigh over 200 pounds! Like the green anaconda these snakes are actually good swimmers and spend a lot of time in the jungles and marshy waters of Southeast Asia. They have also been introduced to the marshes in the Everglades in Florida where they are an invasive species. For forty years they have been wrecking the ecosystem there killing off many of the raccoons, opossum, rabbits and bobcats. On land they are pretty slow and only slither about 1 mile per hour.
6. Kenyan Sand Boa
The Kenyan sand boa is similar to the rosy boa in that it is a smaller burrowing boa constrictor. They live in northeastern Africa and are not native to the US but are sometimes kept as pets in the US. The Kenyan sand boa is an orange snake with dark brown splotches. Pit vipers have triangle heads, but Kenyan boas don’t seem to have much of a head at all with their body and head all being the same size. They get to be 15-20 inches long and are not a thick-bodied snake. As a burrowing snake, they wait for prey in their burrows, so they don’t need to be fast to chase or hunt. They can quickly snatch a passing mouse, but they ambush their prey by hiding in their burrows.
7. Eastern Hognose (Slowest to Run Away)
The Eastern hognose snake gets the “slowest snake in the world to run away” award due to its elaborate ritual it performs before finally running away. If an Eastern hognose snake is threatened it will initially puff its head out to make it look bigger, raise up its body to look like a cobra, hiss and strike, but it won’t bite. If that doesn’t scare the predator (or person) away it will then thrash around like it is hurt, trying to scare the predator away. Lastly, if that doesn’t work it plays dead! It will lie on its back and freeze and it will even let its tongue hang out the side of its mouth. Very dramatic. By that time most snakes could be a mile away. Eastern hognoses have a turned up nose they use for digging burrows so they are also a burrowing snake.
Up Next…
Don’t stop reading now! We have plenty more great articles about snakes and other reptiles.
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