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In this episode, Katherine Rundell explores the snake - a creature often feared, partly due to myth and partly perhaps because of its unblinking stare. Of more than 4,000 snake species, only around 250 are dangerous to humans, yet snakebites still kill over 100,000 people each year, mostly in areas with poor access to healthcare. Despite this, snakes are remarkable animals: the death adder can strike and return to position in just 0.15 seconds. But snake populations are in sharp decline due to habitat loss, roads, and climate change. Some species, like the Round Island Burrowing Boa, are already extinct, while others, such as the harmless Ornate Ground Snake, number fewer than twenty. Katherine Rundell considers what we lose when we let fear overshadow the ingenuity and fragility of these animals. Written and presented by Katherine Rundell Produced for ��ѿ��ý Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan