And while snakes don’t usually get appreciated for their beauty in the way birds or butterflies do, a small, surprising number of them completely upend that idea.
Some species carry scales that reflect light the way oil does on water, throwing off flashes of blue, purple, green, and gold like rainbow iridescence. And it’s not magic or artificial but purely physics, acting on skin.
Here are some of the most beautiful iridescent snakes around the world
Photos via Canva