Reports from Indonesia repeatedly cause shock: People disappear, and later their bodies are found inside a giant snake. In June 2026, it was reported that a 44-year-old woman was killed by a nearly ...

Few fears are as old as our fear of snakes. Even people who have never seen one in the wild feel a small jolt when they spot a coiled shape on a normal path.

For new discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines, follow NPR's Short Wave podcast. When Skip Maas first adopted Agrapina, a mottled ball python, she hadn't eaten in 14 ...