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 ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Reticulated pythons are the longest snakes in the world, capable of reaching 20 feet or more and weighing well over 200 pounds.

Inside this interactive zoo, you can hold a Burmese python, cuddle with a sloth, hold a small alligator or lizard, feed and pet a bearcat, see big alligators, spiders, geckos, as well as pet capybaras ...

Though cats and dogs may dominate the pet sphere worldwide, lizards, snakes and other reptiles still remain among the most popular types of exotic pets. Though they might not have the same broad ...