A yard with flowery trees and green bushes - Dejavu Designs/Getty Images Your yard is alive with wild animals. From sing-song birds to mischievous squirrels to — snakes? That's right: snakes are ...

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 ...

In corn snakes, certain lineages have red, yellow or pink colours, and their dorsal spots can merge or form stripes. In many animals, skin colouration and its patterns play a crucial role in ...