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What Is Venom?
Some snakes are VENOMOUS — they have special glands in their heads that produce venom (a toxic liquid). Venomous snakes inject venom through hollow fangs when they bite. Venom helps snakes catch prey by paralyzing or killing it. Only about 600 out of 3,500 snake species are venomous, and most are not dangerous to humans. Venomous snakes include cobras (which spread a hood), rattlesnakes (which rattle their tails as a warning), and coral snakes (with bright red, yellow, and black bands).