How and what do snakes eat? Snakes: interesting facts. About snakes, their lifestyle, nutrition

All snakes, without exception, are predators; they eat almost everything from ants to antelopes. A snake is capable of swallowing an animal that is several times larger than itself, and its stomach can easily digest any large prey, including bones, horns and hooves.

How do snakes hunt?

Snakes obtain their food by hunting. They hunt differently, depending on the species. Most venomous snakes wait for their prey, lying in one place for hours and as soon as they smell suitable prey, they suddenly rush at it and inflict a fatal bite.

If the potential prey managed to dodge, then the snake will not pursue it, but will hide again and wait for a new victim.

How do non-venomous snakes feed? Most of them search for their prey themselves, crawl into holes and other secluded corners, and when they find something suitable for food, they sneak up and grab their prey in a lightning-fast rush.

How do snakes eat?

Having caught its prey, the snake kills it. Poisonous species they do this with the help of poison, and non-poisonous ones suffocate it in the rings of their body, but there are also those who swallow their victim alive.

All snakes swallow prey whole and transport it inside using their unusual lower jaw, consisting of two movable halves, which are connected by elastic ligaments.

The snake eats by pulling the right half of its jaw onto the prey, while the teeth of the left half hold it tightly, then the right half holds the prey, and the left half pulls, and so gradually the snake pushes its food into the throat.

What do snakes eat?

What do snakes eat? This also depends on the species.

Most snakes eat anything related to wildlife, e.g. various types mammals, birds, eggs, insects and even representatives of their own class of reptiles. Aquatic species snakes, like those that live near water, also eat fish and aquatic animals.

But there are also species that are interested in only one type of prey, and there are even such indiscriminate species of snakes that they eat representatives of their own suborder or even their own species.

What do snakes drink?

Since snakes are practically omnivorous, it is not difficult to figure out what a snake likes to eat; the situation is more complicated with what it drinks, since for a long time It was believed that snakes did not drink at all.

Absolutely all snakes, without exception, drink, they do it in different ways, some take in the liquid in full sips, others just wet their tongue, but they all need water. Snakes obtain most of the necessary moisture from the body of their victims, which is why they drink extremely rarely, especially those species that live in the desert, but if a snake is deprived of water, it may even die.

The idea that snakes love milk is wrong. In the body of reptiles there is no enzyme that breaks down lactose, so snakes cannot digest milk and can cause stomach diseases and allergic reactions. The snake will drink milk, but only if it is very thirsty and there is nothing but milk, but in small quantities.

In conclusion, I would like to say that a well-fed snake is less dangerous; it tries to hide in some secluded corner and calmly digests its food.

Wild snakes are predators. They never eat plant foods. Snakes exist on all continents. There are none in Antarctica. Most snakes live in the subtropics as well as the tropics. There are both harmless and dangerous snakes. Large snakes are the water boa, anaconda and reticulated python. They swallow their prey whole, thanks to the caustic digestive juices that accumulate in the body. Snakes lack powerful teeth. That is, they cannot chew food. They only have thin teeth that are very similar to thin needles. These thin teeth help snakes obtain food. For example, a python, due to the structure of its teeth, can eat animals such as leopard and deer.

What do snakes eat?

Snakes eat almost everything they find in wildlife. They hunt shrews, frogs, rats, grasshoppers, mice, antelopes and birds. Snakes can also eat bird eggs. Large species of snakes feed on mammals, reptiles, fish and amphibians. Small snakes can eat other invertebrates as well as insects. They capture prey while still alive. When a snake swallows its prey, it spreads the branches of its lower jaw wide. This is possible thanks to elastic ligaments. The snake can swallow large prey within just an hour. When a snake swallows its food, it can breathe. Thus, snakes can eat quite large prey. Some snakes only feed a few times a year, thanks to the fact that they eat very large animals.

For example, non-venomous snakes can swallow prey alive. They can also strangle prey with their body rings. Poisonous snakes, thanks to their venom-conducting teeth, kill their prey with poison. Small snakes hunt termites. But there are also snakes that eat other snakes. For example, the copperhead snake hunts lizards. But it can also eat a small snake or viper. There are types of snakes that eat only one type of food. This is, for example, a snake arrow. She only eats lizards. And the egg snake feeds exclusively on bird eggs. Snakes prey on small fish and frogs.

What Do Pet Snakes Eat?

House snake- this is already pet. He cannot be released to hunt small rodents and rats. A snake is a type of animal that requires special conditions of detention, as well as attention. It is better to buy a snake in specialized places, since these animals are already accustomed to captivity, to artificial food and light. Not all snakes eat the same food. For example, some eat ordinary mice, while others eat lizards or frogs. It all depends on the type of snake you want to purchase.

Enemies of snakes significantly reduce their population. What animals eat snakes You will find out in this article.

Who eats snakes from animals?

Snakes appear to be powerful, poisonous animals that create fear in others. But there are brave souls who eat them. This:

birds of prey
mongooses,
crocodiles,
wild pigs and boars,
representatives of the cat family,
monitor lizards
other animals (depending on the habitat of a particular individual).

It is a well-known fact that hedgehogs are resistant to snake venom. Having met a viper, the hedgehog sniffs it from head to tail, despite the fact that the snake bites him. He simply licks the resulting wounds with his tongue. Then it clings to the viper and begins to eat it. The hedgehog's body is not exposed to the snake's venom, so its bites do not cause any harm to it. Other animals that eat snakes are martens, weasels, foxes and ferrets. In countries with warm climate The enemies of the hissing creatures are mongooses. They can even cope with a spectacled snake.

Who eats bird snakes?

Snakes are eaten by birds of prey - falcon, hawk, stork, peacock, etc.

Many birds hunt snakes, including poisonous ones. These include the snake eagle, hawk, vulture, buzzard, stork and even a crow. The most dangerous enemy among birds for snakes is the secretary bird, which lives in Africa. It eats the crawling creature completely, along with its poisonous glands and teeth.

A snake is an animal of the chordate type, class Reptiles, order Squamate, suborder snakes (Serpentes). Like all reptiles, they are cold-blooded animals, so their existence depends on the ambient temperature.

Snake - description, characteristics, structure. What does a snake look like?

The body of the snake has an elongated shape and can reach a length of 10 centimeters to 9 meters, and the weight of the snake ranges from 10 grams to more than 100 kilograms. Males are smaller than females, but have more long tail. The body shape of these reptiles is varied: it can be short and thick, long and thin, and sea snakes have a flattened body resembling a ribbon. That's why internal organs these scaly ones also have an elongated structure.

The internal organs are supported by more than 300 pairs of ribs, movably connected to the skeleton.

The snake's triangular head has jaws with elastic ligaments, which makes it possible to swallow large food.

Many snakes are venomous and use venom as a means of hunting and self-defense. Since snakes are deaf, to navigate in space, in addition to vision, they use the ability to capture vibration waves and thermal radiation.

The main information sensor is the forked tongue of the snake, which allows, with the help of special receptors inside the palate, to “collect information” about environment. Snake eyelids are fused transparent films, scales covering the eyes, therefore snakes don't blink and even sleep with their eyes open.

The skin of snakes is covered with scales, the number and shape of which depends on the type of reptile. Once every six months, the snake sheds its old skin - this process is called molting.

By the way, the color of the snake can be monochromatic in species living in temperate zone, and variegated among representatives of the tropics. The pattern can be longitudinal, transversely circular or spotted.

Types of snakes, names and photographs

Today, scientists know more than 3,460 species of snakes living on the planet, among which the most famous are adders, sea snakes (not dangerous to humans), pit snakes, pseudopods, which have both lungs, as well as rudimentary remains of the pelvic bones and hind limbs.

Let's look at several representatives of the snake suborder:

King Cobra(hamadryad) ( Ophiophagus hannah)

The most gigantic poisonous snake on the ground. Some representatives grow up to 5.5 m, although the average size of adults usually does not exceed 3-4 m. King cobra venom is a lethal neurotoxin, causing death in 15 minutes. The scientific name of the king cobra literally means “snake eater”, because it is the only species whose representatives feed on snakes of their own kind. Females have an exceptional maternal instinct, constantly guarding the clutch of eggs and completely going without food for up to 3 months. The king cobra lives in the tropical forests of India, the Philippines and the islands of Indonesia. Life expectancy is more than 30 years.

Black Mamba ( Dendroaspis polylepis)

The African venomous snake, growing up to 3 m, is one of the most... fast snakes, capable of moving at a speed of 11 km/h. The highly toxic snake venom causes death in a matter of minutes, although the black mamba is not aggressive and attacks humans only in self-defense. Representatives of the black mamba species received their name due to the black coloration of the oral cavity. The snake's skin is usually olive, green or brown in color with a metallic sheen. It eats small rodents, birds and bats.

Fierce snake (desert taipan) ( Oxyuranus microlepidotus)

The most poisonous of land snakes, the poison of which is 180 times stronger than poison cobras This species of snake is common in the deserts and dry plains of Australia. Representatives of the species reach a length of 2.5 m. The color of the skin changes depending on the season: in extreme heat it is straw-colored, when it gets colder it becomes dark brown.

Gaboon viper (cassava) ( Bitis gabonica)

Poisonous snake that lives in African savannas, is one of the largest and thickest vipers, up to 2 m long and with a body girth of almost 0.5 m. All individuals belonging to this species, have a characteristic, triangular-shaped head with small horns located between the nostrils. The Gaboon viper has a calm character, rarely attacking people. It belongs to the type of viviparous snakes, breeds once every 2-3 years, bringing from 24 to 60 offspring.

Anaconda ( Eunectes murinus)

The giant (ordinary, green) belongs to the subfamily of boas; in former times the snake was called a water boa. The massive body, 5 to 11 m long, can weigh over 100 kg. The non-venomous reptile is found in low-flow rivers, lakes and creeks of the tropical part of South America, from Venezuela to the island of Trinidad. It feeds on iguanas, caimans, waterfowl and fish.

Python ( Pythonidae)

A representative of the family of non-venomous snakes is different gigantic size from 1 to 7.5 m in length, with females much larger and more powerful than males. The range extends throughout the eastern hemisphere: tropical forests, swamps and savannas of the African continent, Australia and Asia. The diet of pythons consists of small and medium-sized mammals. Adults swallow leopards, jackals and porcupines whole, and then digest them for a long time. Female pythons lay eggs and incubate the clutch, by contracting muscles, increasing the temperature in the nest by 15 -17 degrees.

African egg snakes(egg eaters) ( Dasypeltis scabra)

Representatives of the snake family that feed exclusively on bird eggs. They live in savannas and woodlands of the equatorial part of the African continent. Individuals of both sexes grow no more than 1 meter in length. The movable bones of the snake's skull make it possible to open its mouth wide and swallow very large eggs. In this case, the elongated cervical vertebrae pass through the esophagus and, like a can opener, rip open eggshells, after which the contents flow into the stomach, and the shell is coughed up.

Radiant snake ( Xenopeltis unicolor)

Non-venomous snakes, the length of which in rare cases reaches 1 m. The reptile received its name for the rainbow tint of its scales, which are dark brown in color. Burrowing snakes live in the loose soils of forests, cultivated fields and gardens in Indonesia, Borneo, the Philippines, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and China. Small rodents and lizards are used as food items.

Worm-like blind snake ( Typhlops vermicularis)

Small snakes, up to 38 cm long, resemble earthworms in appearance. Absolutely harmless representatives can be found under stones, melons and watermelons, as well as in thickets of bushes and on dry rocky slopes. They feed on beetles, caterpillars, and their larvae. The distribution area extends from the Balkan Peninsula to the Caucasus, Central Asia and Afghanistan. Russian representatives This type of snake lives in Dagestan.

Where do snakes live?

The distribution range of snakes does not include only Antarctica, New Zealand and the islands of Ireland. Many of them live in tropical latitudes. In nature, snakes live in forests, steppes, swamps, hot deserts and even in the ocean. Reptiles lead an active lifestyle both during the day and at night. Species living in temperate latitudes ah, in winter time hibernate.

Poisonous snakes from the viper family have perfectly adapted to exist in any climatic conditions and landscapes. Vipers live in Europe, Russia, Asia, Africa, North and South America. Vipers do not live only in Australia, New Zealand and other islands of Oceania.

Basically, vipers lead sedentary image life, occasionally making forced migrations to winter habitats, covering several kilometers along the way. Vipers spend most of the summer basking in the sun or hiding in the heat under stones, uprooted tree roots and in rock crevices.

Where and how do viper snakes winter?

Wintering of vipers begins in October-November. For winter “apartments”, various burrows are selected, going into the ground to a depth of 2 m, where the air temperature remains above zero. At high population densities, several hundred individuals often accumulate in one burrow. The duration of wintering depends on the area: northern species Vipers hibernate for up to 9 months a year; inhabitants of temperate latitudes crawl to the surface in March-April and immediately begin to reproduce.

Viper venom - consequences of a snake bite and symptoms

The viper's venom is considered potentially dangerous to humans, and the bite of some members of the viper family can be fatal and result in death.

However, viper venom has found its application, because it is a valuable raw material for making medical supplies and even cosmetics. The poison is a cocktail of proteins, lipids, peptides, amino acids, sugar and salt of inorganic origin. Preparations obtained from viper venom are used as an analgesic for neuralgia and rheumatism, for hypertension and skin diseases, to relieve asthma attacks, for inflammatory processes and bleeding.

The viper's venom enters the human or animal body through the lymph nodes and instantly enters the blood. The consequences of a viper bite are manifested by burning pain, redness and swelling form around the wound, which disappear after 2-3 days without any serious consequences. In case of severe intoxication of the body, the following symptoms appear 15-20 minutes after a viper bite: the bitten person feels dizziness, nausea, chills, and rapid heartbeat. At higher concentrations toxic substances fainting, convulsions and coma occur.

Viper bite - first aid

What to do if bitten by a viper:

First of all, immediately after a viper bite, be sure to provide rest to the bitten organ (usually the limbs), securing it with something like a splint or, for example, simply tying your arm in a bent position with a scarf. Limit any active movements to avoid the rapid spread of viper venom throughout the body.
A viper bite is dangerous and can be fatal to humans, so in any case, regardless of the severity of the victim’s condition, you should call an ambulance!
By pressing your fingers at the bite site, try to slightly open the wound and suck out the poison. This can be done with your mouth, periodically spitting saliva, but the method is only permissible if there is no damage to the oral mucosa in the form of cracks, scratches or ulcers. You can try to reduce the concentration of poison in the wound using a regular glass glass, using it according to the principle of placing medical cups. The venom is sucked out continuously for 15-20 minutes.
Then the viper bite site should be disinfected with any available means: cologne, vodka, alcohol, iodine, and a clean, lightly pressing bandage should be applied.
If possible, it is advisable to take an antihistamine tablet to reduce allergic reaction for viper venom.
Take as much liquid as possible - weak tea, water, but give up coffee: this drink increases blood pressure and increases excitability.
In case of serious injury, as first aid after a viper bite, a person is given artificial respiration and prolonged cardiac massage.

Sometimes vipers are confused with representatives of the colubrid family - snakes and copperheads, which often leads to the killing of innocent animals. You can distinguish a poisonous snake from a harmless one by a number of signs.

How is it different from a viper? Similarities and differences of snakes

Oh - this is non-venomous snake, the viper is poisonous and deadly to humans. The similarity between a snake and a viper is obvious: both snakes can have a similar color and can be encountered by a person in a forest, meadow or near a pond. And yet, these reptiles have certain characteristics by which they can be distinguished:

The appearance of the snake and the black viper differs, despite the same skin color. U common snake there are 2 yellow or orange spots on the head, similar to miniature ears, but the viper does not have such markings.

You should not focus solely on the color of snakes, since both snakes and vipers can be similar in color. For example, the color of a water snake can be olive, brown or black, with various spots. In addition, the black water snake does not have yellow markings on its head, making it easily confused with a pit viper. The color of the viper can also be olive, black or brown, with a variety of spots scattered throughout the body.

And yet, if you look closely at the spots, you can see the following difference between snakes: in snakes the spots on the body are arranged in a checkerboard pattern, many types of vipers have a zigzag stripe on the back, running along the entire body, and there are also spots on the sides of the body.

Another difference between a snake and a viper is that the pupil of a viper is vertical, while in snakes it is round.

In the mouth of a viper are sharp teeth, which are clearly visible when the snake opens its mouth. Snakes have no teeth.

Longer than a viper. The body length of the snake is usually 1-1.3 meters. The length of the viper usually varies between 60-75 cm, although there are species reaching 3-4 meters (bushmaster). In addition, vipers look much more well-fed.
The tail of the viper is shortened and thick, while that of the snake is thinner and longer. In addition, in vipers the transition from the body to the tail is clearly defined.
Vipers differ from snakes in the triangular shape of the skull with clearly defined brow ridges; snakes have an oval-ovoid skull.

The anal shield of the viper is solid, while in the grass snake it consists of 2 scales.
When meeting people, snakes try to retreat and hide; the viper will most likely show complete indifference or aggression if you step on this poisonous snake or simply brush against it.
Snakes love damp habitats, so they can often be found near bodies of water, where they swim and catch frogs. Vipers feed primarily, so they choose other habitats: forests, steppes, dense grass.

The viper is a poisonous snake, the copperhead is not poisonous.
Many vipers have a dark-colored zigzag stripe running along the back, and the copperhead has a “scattered” pattern of specks or dark spots. But there are also black vipers that do not have stripes.

The viper's head is triangular in shape with pronounced arches above the eyes. Copperheads have a narrow, elongated head.
The viper's mouth contains teeth with which the snake bites its prey. Copperheads have no teeth.
The pupil of the copperhead is round, while that of the viper is vertically slit-shaped.

The anal shield of the copperhead consists of a pair of scales, but in the viper it is solid.
Having noticed a person, the copperhead will hasten to hide in a shelter; the viper will either not pay attention to the person, or will begin to attack.

The mouth of a viper and snake contains teeth, but the bite of a poisonous viper is dangerous and can be fatal, and the bite of a snake, although painful, does not cause mortal danger, since the snake does not have poisonous glands.
In the viper, the head and body are separated by a shortened bridge that imitates the neck; in the snake, there is no cervical interception.
The back of most vipers is either plain, black, or has a dark stripe running in a zigzag along the entire back. The color of the runner can be plain, with transverse dark spots on the back or in a mesh.

The snake has a distinctive pattern on the top of its skull - a dark stripe between the eyes; the viper does not have such decoration.
The viper is much shorter and looks more plump than the snake. Snakes can grow up to 1.5 meters in length, and the standard size of vipers is 60-70 cm. Only the largest vipers have a body length reaching 2 meters.

Types of vipers - photos and descriptions

Modern classification distinguishes 4 subfamilies of vipers:

pit vipers, they are also rattlesnakes or rattlesnakes (Crotalinae): they are distinguished by the presence of 2 infrared pits, which are located in the recess between the eyes and nostrils;
toad vipers(Causinae): belong to the oviparous type of snakes, which is rare among all members of the family;
Viperidae(Viperinae) - the most numerous subfamily, whose representatives live even in the Arctic (common viper);
azemiopinae- subfamily represented unique gender and the species is the Burmese fairy viper.

To date, science knows 292 species of vipers. Below are several varieties of these snakes:

Common viper ( Vipera berus)

a relatively small representative of the family: the body length is usually in the range of 60-70 cm, however, in the northern part of the range there are individuals more than 90 cm in length. The weight of the viper varies from 50 to 180 grams, with females being slightly larger than males. The head is large, slightly flattened, the muzzle is rounded. The color is quite variable and multifaceted: the color of the main background of the back can be black, light gray, yellow-brown, reddish-brown, bright copper. Most specimens have a pronounced pattern along the back in the form of a zigzag stripe. The viper's abdomen is gray, brown-gray or black, sometimes supplemented with whitish spots. The tip of the tail is often colored bright yellow, reddish or orange. This species of viper has a fairly wide habitat. The common viper lives in the forest belt of Eurasia - it is found from the territories of Great Britain and France to the western regions of Italy and eastern Korea. Feels comfortable in hot Greece, Turkey and Albania, while also penetrating the Arctic Circle - found in Lapland and in countries on the coast Barents Sea. On the territory of Russia common viper lives in Siberia, Transbaikalia and the Far East.

Long-nosed viper(Vipera ammodytes)

differs from other species by a soft, sharp, scaly outgrowth at the tip of the snout, resembling snub nose. The length of the viper is 60-70 cm (sometimes 90 cm). The body color is gray, sandy or red-brown (depending on the species); a zigzag dark stripe or a series of diamond-shaped stripes runs along the back. The long-nosed viper lives on rocky landscapes from Italy, Serbia and Croatia to Turkey, Syria and Georgia.

Steppe viper (western steppe viper) ( Vipera ursinii )

a poisonous snake that lives in the plains and mountain steppes, on alpine meadows, in ravines and semi-deserts. Steppe vipers found in the countries of southern and southeastern Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Albania), Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia (in the Caucasus, southern Siberia, Rostov region, Altai). The length of the viper with a tail reaches 64 cm, females are larger than males. The color of the snake is brown-gray, with a dark brown or black zigzag stripe running along the ridge. Dark spots are scattered on the sides of the body.

Horned keffiyeh(Trimeresurus cornutus, Protobothrops cornutus)

stands out among its relatives with small horns located above the eyes. The body of the viper, up to 60-80 cm long, is colored creamy-light green and dotted with dark brown spots. The snake spends almost its entire life in trees and bushes, descending to the ground only to mate. The horned keffiyeh is a typical inhabitant of the south and southeast of Asia, living in China, India and Indonesia.

Burmese fairy viper, or Chinese viper(Azemiops feae)

oviparous species, very rare among vipers. I didn't get my name thanks to fairy tale character, and in honor of the zoologist Leonardo Fea. The length of the viper is about 80 cm. Large, snake-like scutes grow on the snake’s head. The upperparts are greenish-brown, the underparts are creamy, the head is most often yellow, there are yellow stripes on the sides. Found in Central Asia in southeast Tibet, Burma, China and Vietnam.

Noisy Viper(Bitis arietans)

one of the most beautiful and most dangerous species African vipers. The bite of a noisy viper is fatal in 4 out of 5 cases. The snake got its name from the indignant hissing it makes in case of danger. The body of the viper is disproportionately thick with a girth of up to 40 cm and a length of about 2 m. The color of the viper can be golden yellow, dark beige or red-brown. Along the body there is a pattern consisting of 2 dozen brown markings in the shape Latin letter U. The noisy viper lives throughout Africa (except for the equator), as well as in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula.

(Bitis nasicornis)

It is distinguished by a special decoration on the face, consisting of 2-3 vertically protruding scales. The body is thick, can reach a length of 1.2 m, and is covered with a beautiful pattern. Along the back there are blue trapezoidal patterns with a yellow border, connected by black diamonds. The sides are covered with black triangles alternating with olive-colored diamonds with a red border. The viper's head with bright blue “cheeks” is covered with black arrows with a yellow edging. Prefers to settle in the damp, swampy forests of Equatorial Africa.

Kaisaka, or labaria (Bothrops atrox)

the largest viper of the spearhead genus, growing up to 2.5 m in length. Distinctive feature The kaisaki has a lemon-yellow chin, which is why the snake is nicknamed “yellow beard.” The slender body is covered with gray or brown skin with a diamond-shaped pattern on the back. The caisaca lives throughout Central America, Argentina and the coastal islands of South America.

Diamondback rattlesnake(Crotalus adamanteus)

record holder among rattlesnakes for the amount of “milk yield” of venom (660 mg from one snake). A large viper can grow over 2 m in length and weigh more than 15 kg. Along the back, colored in brown tones, there is a series of 24-35 black diamonds with a brilliant shine and a light yellow border. This viper lives only in the USA: from Florida to New Orleans.

Gyurza, or Levant viper(Macrovipera lebetina)

the most dangerous and poisonous viper, the venom of which is second in toxicity only to that of . It belongs to the oviparous type of snakes. The body length of an adult viper can reach 2 meters, the weight of the viper is 3 kg. The body color is gray-brown, with dark spotting, subject to variability within the range. Some individuals have a black body with a purple tint. The viper is widespread in dry foothill areas, as well as on the outskirts of large cities in North-West Africa, Asia, Transcaucasia, Dagestan and Kazakhstan.

African pygmy viper ( Bitis peringueyi)

the smallest viper in the world, the body length of an adult does not exceed 20-25 cm. Due to its modest body size, it is relatively safe look vipers living in the deserts of Namibia and Angola.

Bushmaster or surukuku ( Lachesis muta)

the biggest viper in the world, rare species, reaching a length of 3-4 meters with a body weight of 3 to 5 kg. Inhabits tropical rainforests of South and Central America.