On opposite sides of the globe over millions of years, the
snakes of North America and Australia independently evolved similar body types
that helped them move and capture prey more efficiently.
Snakes on both continents include stout-bodied, highly
camouflaged ambush predators, such as rattlesnakes in North America and death
adders in Australia. There are slender, fast-moving foragers on both
continents, as well as small burrowing snakes.