2013: The Year of the Snake – Traditions, Traits, and Fortune

Photo via ukhomeoffice This weekend is the mark of the Chinese New Year. 2013 celebrates the year of the snake. According to the ancient Chinese, having a snake in the house is a good thing and means that your family will not starve. If you are a snake in the Chinese zodiac, then you are characterized by being intelligent, private, vain, vicious, and putting value on material possessions. If you were born during one of the following years, you are considered to be a snake by the Chinese zodiac.

• 1929
• 1941
• 1953
• 1965
• 1977
• 1989
• 2001
• 2013

In honor of the Year of the Snake, here are some interesting snake facts.

• Some snakes deter predators by flipping around on their back when they are in danger and releasing a stinky substance from their anal glands. Yep, snakes have anal glands!
• Snakes can have over 300 pairs of ribs.
• Snakes smell with their tongue. A snake's tongue is forked to allow them to decide which side the smell is stronger on. This helps them to locate their prey better. 
• Although snakes have teeth and fangs, they do not chew their food. Instead, they swallow it whole. They use their fangs to hold their prey still when consuming it. 
• Some snakes lay eggs. Others keep their fertilized eggs inside of them until they hatch, giving birth to live babies. 

Photo via Matt Cunnelly Some people keep snakes as pets. Some of the most popular types of snakes kept as pets are the corn snake, ball python, California king snake, milk snake, and boa constrictor. For anyone who is considering taking on keeping a pet as a snake, be forewarned that they are very high maintenance!
I have mostly worked with ball pythons, corn snakes, and king snakes. Only once did I ever have a poor experience with a snake, in which it bit me. However, the circumstances were perfect for the occasion and I can hardly blame it on the snake. You can read my snake bite experience here. 
So are any of you considered snakes in the Chinese zodiac? Not me... I'm a rat! Who would have thought? Hehe :)