Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. More than 4,200 species of snakes exist on the planet and ...

Though widely bred in captivity in the U.S. and Europe, tens of thousands are exported from West Africa each year, with little understanding of what that means for their conservation or well-being.

In my opinion, snakes have gotten a bum rap. Despite the unfortunate creepy reputation these lanky reptiles have earned, many species of snakes can make beautiful, docile, and hardy house pets! Of ...

The Ball python (Python regius) is a nonvenomous constrictor snake native to sub-Saharan Africa. Known for its docile temperament and manageable size, it has become one of the most popular pet ...

A house filled with snakes and spiders might be straight out of many people's nightmares, but to longtime exotic pet keeper ...