Snakes harbour diverse bacterial communities associated with different anatomical sites, including the oral cavity, venom glands, internal organs, gastrointestinal tract, blood and cloaca. These microbial communities play important roles in host ecology, disease transmission, venom-associated interactions and the emergence of pathogenic or antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Understanding the bacterial diversity associated with snakes is therefore essential for both wildlife health and public health perspectives.

This review summarizes the current knowledge of bacterial communities reported from various snake derived samples, including oral, venom, organ, gut, blood and cloacal sources. The available literature demonstrates considerable variation in bacterial composition among snake species and sampling sites, with microbial diversity influenced by host species, geographic distribution, habitat, diet and environmental conditions. Several bacterial taxa have been identified as normal commensals while others are associated with opportunistic infections and potential zoonotic risks.