There are more than 3,000 different species of snakes in the world. As members of the wilderness, they play a crucial role in ecosystems by keeping food webs in check and contributing to them. Snakes are natural predators that control pest populations like insects and small rodents but are also food for raptors and mammals.
While many snakes have menacing features or are venomous, some are harmless, look goofy, make excellent pets, or become the subject of memes on the internet. Here are seven snakes that are not only cute but are essential to their ecosystems.
1. Arabian Sand Boa
(Credit: Rufus Darden)
Around social media pages like Reddit and on X, the Arabian Sand Boa has been called 'derpy' and 'dumb-looking' and even compared to a young child's drawing for its unique appearance.
