Snake shuts down Oklahoma City power supply

OKLAHOMA CITY: A snake that crawled into an electrical substation knocked out power to nearly 14,000 homes on the northwest side of Oklahoma's state capital, utility officials said.

The power failure occurred at about 2 a.m. when the snake touched a component that caused a switch to trip, Oklahoma Gas and Electric spokeswoman Karen Kurtz said, adding that the snake was evidently seeking shelter after heavy rains.

At the scene of the crime, no one could determine exactly what kind of serpent caused all the trouble.

"Usually in those situations there's not a lot left," Kurtz explained.

Of the snake, that is. The electrical substation is purring along fine now. (Reuters)

Blind Snake

The genes of a newfound snake family suggest blind snakes lived on the island of Madagascar since, well, before it was an island.

The discovery is helping to decode how these rarely seen—and barely seeing, though not completely blind—snakes came to colonize much of the planet.

Growing to about a foot (30 centimeters) long, blind snakes act a lot like worms, burrowing under the surface of every continent except Antarctica. Unlike worms, though, blind snakes have backbones and tiny scales. (Link)

California Red-sided Garter Snake

They are the most colorful snake population in North America considered more vibrant then the SFG. Their home Point Reyes pond is now gone drained to allow salt water to flow in killing all Point Reyes pond inhabitants. (Link)

Emerald Tree Boa

Most species of boas are colorful like the Corallus caninus, a non-venomous snake found in the rainforests of South America. Adults grow to about 6 feet or 1.8 m in length. They have highly developed front teeth that are likely proportionately larger than those of any other non-venomous snake.(Link)