Here on Mauna Loa, air is collected on a 40 meter (130 foot) tower (left) and analyzed for CO2 content. At right, a powerful laser beam is used to measure aerosols and particles in the air up to 45 km into the stratosphere.
Similar to the global trend, warmer Southern States have more venomous species than North States. Arizona is the clear winner (or loser) with over 30 species.
The longest venomous snake , with a length up to 18.5â18.8 ft (5.6â5.7 m), is the king cobra , and the heaviest venomous snake is likely to be the Gaboon viper (which also has the longest fangs and delivers the largest amount of venom) or possibly the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake â all three of which reach maximum weights in the range of 6â20 kilograms (13â44 lb).