Mangrove swamps are hot, humid habitats that provide homes for many creatures. Patrolling these swamps is the mangrove snake It has bright coloring, similar to a wasp's, but the "sting" of this snake's fangs can kill. At home climbing through tangles of mangrove trees, the snake also swims in murky swamp water. The mangrove snake can kill its prey with a venomous bite, or can wrap its muscular body around its victims. The snake also defends its territory against all intruders.
What Big Eyes You Have: The mangrove snake's eyes are large and let it take in all the available moonlight as it hunts at night. During the day, while it rests, the snake blocks out light by squeezing its vertical pupils into tiny slits.
Hidden Danger: Just because you can't easily see this snake's fangs when it opens its mouth doesn't mean they're not dangerous. The fangs sit in the back of the snake's jaws, right in front of venom glands that pump toxins into prey.
Scaling the Swamp[]
By day, this snake likes to take it easy and rest among the mangrove leaves.
Living in mangrove swamps, where seawater covers the ground during high tide, the mangrove snake specializes in scaling trees. It can climb to heights of 100 feet in just a few seconds, gripping limbs with its wide belly scales. At night, the serpent slithers through branches in search of prey, which includes rodents, birds and even other snakes. During the day, the snake sits motionless-unless disturbed. At the slightest hint of an intruder, the mangrove snake coils up to two-thirds of its body, ready to strike at anything that dares enter its territory.
Squeeze Play: Venom-primed fangs aren't this snake's only weapons. The predator's body is rippled with so much muscle that it can wrap coils around victims and squeeze them until they suffocate, just like a python.
Low Road: When it comes down from the trees, the mangrove snake is just as agile on the ground as it is among the branches. The snake sometimes hunts on the ground, and can even swim after prey in its swampy home.
Warning: Falling Snakes[]
- A resting mangrove snake snaps awake at the sound of an approaching boat, and keeps a sharp eye on a fisherman and his son, who are nearing its perch.
- Unaware of the snake, the young fisherman stands up and grabs a branch to steady the boat. Unfortunately, he grabs a branch near the nervous snake.
- The mangrove snake strikes without hesitation. The boy grabs the snake by the tail and tries to fling it into the water, but the snake's fangs are already embedded in his arm.
Trivia[]
- The mini section on the front, "What Big Eyes You Have", is a reference to the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood.
- The mangrove snake is featured in Where In The World? on Monster Mania 70.
- The mangrove snake is the only snake in the Toxic Terrors to not have a Trading Card.
- Mangrove Snakes are mildly venomous. And a bite from one isn't lethal to humans, it only causes painful swelling and discoloration on the skin.