<p>Two bright green Rowley’s palm pit vipers (<i>Bothriechis rowleyi</i>) intertwine at the Saint Louis Zoo.</p>

Seeing Double

Two bright green Rowley’s palm pit vipers (Bothriechis rowleyi) intertwine at the Saint Louis Zoo.

Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo Ark
Saint Louis Zoo

Celebrate World Snake Day With These Stunning Snaps of Serpents

On July 16, take some time to celebrate these slithery creatures.

Saturday is World Snake Day, and National Geographic is celebrating by showing off some of Joel Sartore’s artful portraits of these slithery creatures.

Today, serpent enthusiasts throughout the world are sharing their appreciation for snakes. Roughly 3,000 species of these creatures inhabit the globe, from the icy climate of northern Canada to steamy rain forests and a majority of the world’s oceans. Ranging in size from a few inches to more than 30 feet (nine meters) long, about 375 snake species are venomous, but only a small portion are dangerous to human beings.

The following pictures are part of the National Geographic Photo Ark, in which Sartore sets out to capture every captive species on camera, with the goal of spreading

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