In the rainforest, snake habitats are on the ground, under the ground, in the water and in the trees. Snakes can thrive in all of these places because they can find prey and water throughout the rainforest. Rainforest snakes are not out to harm humans, but they will attack people if they are scared or feel threatened.
Boas are found in great number in the rainforest. Boas can be any where from 10 to 14 feet long. Boas are constrictors, so they wrap themselves around their prey and squeeze until the prey dies. They can also strike with their tongue to injure their prey, but they are not venomous. Boas usually eat prey such as mice, but they can unhinge their jaws to eat larger animals such as small deer. Boas can take up to two weeks to digest their food. Also, they have poor eyesight, so they rely on sensing heat around them to locate their prey. Some popular types of boas in the rainforest are pythons, Amazon tree boa, Dumerils ground boa, Cuban boa and the famous anaconda.
Although anacondas are a type of boa, they deserve some special recognition as being the biggest snake in the world. Anacondas can grow up to 30 feet long. Like all boas, anacondas are constrictors, but they can give their prey a harmful bite. Anacondas prefer the water and the land close to the water. They swim very well and they can also drown their prey. Anacondas can kill and eat larger prey, such as jaguars, and they are capable of going up to two years between meals. Anacondas do most of their hunting at night.
The cobra is one of the world's most recognizable snakes, due to the hood over its head when it is mad. There are 12 different species of cobra living in rainforests. Cobras are highly poisonous. Other venomous snakes of the rainforest include brown tree snakes, coral snakes, vipers and fer-de-lance. There are 12 different species of vipers living in rainforests around the world.
