How snakes crawl and swim. Water snakes: varieties and features of life

Living on the ground and underground Fireflies The palm among luminous land animals belongs to insects, or rather to beetles. Members of the firefly family (Lampyridae) are known for their unusual ability emit a mysterious phosphorescent light in the dark.

Digger snakes The earth snakes include several families: blind snakes (or blind snakes), narrow-mouthed snakes, roll snakes and shield-tailed snakes. Some scientists still dispute the classification of blind snakes, classifying them as legless lizards to which these unusual animals and

Beasts living in the underground Underground animals are a highly specialized, but relatively small group of amazing living creatures, separated from representatives of different systematic groups of certain continents. In the mole family (Talpidae)

Living in the air

Flying kites in Indonesia, South China and Indochina live decorated tree snakes (genus Dendrelaphis), which have earned the unusual nickname “flying”. They dashingly move from tree to tree, jumping from branch to branch, and at the same time they are in a state of “free” for some time.

Sea snakes are very dangerous and unpredictable reptiles. Not much is known about them, although these predators cannot be called rare animals. IN sea ​​depths they spend almost all their time.

Spreading

They live in coastal tropical waters Pacific and Indian oceans. They also live in the seas from east coast Africa to the western shores of Central America. Sea snakes are found in the Red Sea, in northern waters Japan, Caribbean. IN different sources There is information that reptiles live in other territories, but this opinion is erroneous. For example, sea snakes are not found in the Black Sea; they are simply often confused with water snakes.

Reptiles are most attracted to the mouths of those rivers that flow into the sea. They usually give preference to coastal areas 5-6 km from the coast. However, the predator can swim a maximum of 160 km from land.

It is not uncommon for a sea snake to be washed ashore by waves, or to remain on land during low tide. If the reptile cannot reach the water, it will die. She can stay on land for a maximum of about two hours, after which she begins to go blind and suffocate.

Description

Sea snakes form separate family and number about 48 species. Most of these reptiles cannot move on land because their bodies are only adapted to life in water.

Such a predator usually has a bright color - contrasting rings of light and dark shades. Flat-tails are the most brightly colored. The abdominal scutes of reptiles, unlike their amphibian relatives, are reduced or completely absent as unnecessary.

The scales of the sea snake do not overlap each other like tiles, but are arranged in a honeycomb pattern.

The body shape, depending on the type of reptile, also varies. Basically, sea snakes have a very narrow head and the same neck region. This allows you to detect and reach prey even in the narrowest crevices of the reefs. Despite this, the reptile is capable of swallowing an animal that is twice the girth of the predator.

The sea snake has a laterally flattened tail that resembles a fin. He helps her when moving.

Options and behavior

Typically, the sea snake is small in size, reaching only 70-140 cm in length. The exception is the spiral leaftail, which grows up to 2.7 meters. The weight of snakes is also small - from 0.6 to 1.5 kg. Moreover, females are usually larger than males.

Despite these parameters, these are very dangerous animals, since all species are poisonous.

It is worth noting that large sea snakes are just a myth that sailors used to love to tell upon returning from their voyages.

The reptile swims both backwards and forwards at the same speed. Maybe long time be motionless. Neutral buoyancy is provided by a layer of fat that hugs internal organs predator.

Usually snakes do not swim deeper than 30 meters, but if necessary they dive to 100 m.

Breathing Features

It has been proven that sea snakes breathe through skin penetrated by blood capillaries. Despite the fact that the predator has thick scales, 25% of the oxygen necessary for life is absorbed through it. Thus, the reptile can stay under water for 1.5-2 hours. However, these reptiles do not have gills, which is why they are still forced to rise to the surface to breathe. To do this, the snake exposes only the tip of its head with nostrils from the water. When immersed, they close, which prevents water from entering the respiratory tract.

The right lung of the snake is extended along the entire length of the body, right up to the tail. It also acts as an air and swim bladder reservoir.

Underwater, the reptile can absorb oxygen through the mucous membrane of the oral cavity.

Due to the structure of the respiratory tract, the animal cannot hiss, but instead makes gurgling and gurgling sounds.

Nutrition

The sea snake is active at any time of the day. In the morning and evening, most often it is on the surface of the water, basking in the sun.

The sea snake's diet consists of fish, eels, shrimp, and less often crustaceans. They hunt mainly from ambush or pretend to be dead, while simply lying motionless on the surface of the water, which attracts the attention of curious fish. Just a sudden movement of the predator allows it to catch the prey. The reptile may also pursue its prey, especially while awaiting the consequences of its bite.

When it enters the body, the poison does not cause the development of a tumor or hemorrhage, but acts on nervous system. In this case, paralysis of the respiratory center occurs, which leads to the rapid death of prey. The sea snake swallows its prey completely, starting from the head. If the fish is large, then it absorbs it gradually, digesting it as it goes. It is not uncommon to see the reptile with its victim's tail sticking out of its mouth. But the sea snake avoids prickly fish, so you can see sea bass swimming freely next to it.

After the meal, the reptile arranges for itself “ quiet time" For example, flat-tails crawl out of the water onto reefs and expose to the sun exactly that part of the body where the swallowed prey is located.

Sea snake venom

It has been proven that these reptiles are one of the most poisonous animals on earth. The predator's teeth are located on the upper jaw. They bite through fish scales without much difficulty. It follows from this that human skin is not a serious barrier for them.

The venom of a sea snake is much more toxic than that of its amphibian relatives; just one drop of it can kill 10 people. This is due to the fact that fish are less susceptible to it, unlike warm-blooded animals. It is worth noting that in young individuals it is toxic from birth.

The most venomous sea snakes in the world belong to a species called Dubois.

Sea snakes shed more often than land snakes - every 2-6 weeks. They crawl out of the old skin by clinging to the roughness of the bottom or scratching their heads on the stones. Those species that live only near the surface of the water, due to the lack of a hard surface nearby, curl into a ball and seem to squeeze themselves out of the old skin.

The reptile's teeth are numerous, hooked and very sharp. In addition to poisonous ones, there are also simple ones.

Sea snakes and man

People often have to deal with reptiles, since quite often they get entangled in nets along with fish. However, most often it is taken out with bare hands, released back into the water, or killed. This is due to the fact that even the most poisonous sea snakes use their formidable weapon as a defense. Mostly only during hunting.

But, for example, in India, on the coast of Goa, sea snakes are also very often caught in nets (up to 100 at a time), and fishermen stun them and leave them on the shore. Therefore, if you see a reptile, you should not come close to it: in this state, its behavior can be unpredictable.

However, the snake is still considered to be of little danger to humans, since it does not perceive it as prey and itself tries to avoid contact.

Consequences of a bite

If the poison does enter the human body, it can cause serious consequences and even death if appropriate measures are not taken. The bite itself is usually almost unnoticeable, and swelling and redness around the wound are also rare. However, help must be provided to the person as early as possible.

The first symptoms of poisoning are thirst, headache, vomiting, sweating, and a rapidly swollen tongue. They usually appear half an hour after the bite. Also changes the color of urine - it becomes brown or black.

A similar condition in a person is observed for several hours, then the muscles are paralyzed. Depending on the amount of poison that enters the body and the person’s parameters, death occurs after a few hours. The main reason paralysis of the respiratory center becomes. It is worth noting that in our time there is an effective antidote, so at the first symptoms it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor; first, the affected part of the body should be immobilized.

Vacationers are often bitten by Red Sea sea snakes because their peace is disturbed by swimmers. This most often happens in areas with dense vegetation.

Statistics show that an encounter with a dangerous reptile results in death only in 3% of cases. Most often, bites are observed below the knee.

Reproduction

Most species of sea snakes produce offspring once a year. The male has two penises at once (the so-called hemipenises), but during the mating process he uses only one. The process itself can take quite a long time, so the reptiles have to go up to breathe. At this moment, the male is attached to the female by the hemipenis, and until mating is over, he will not be able to separate from her.

Some species of sea snakes have a courtship process. For example, in the tortoiseshell and olive snake, the male pursues the female and touches her neck and head. During the breeding season, sea snakes can form aggregations that stretch for tens of kilometers.

Pregnancy (depending on the type of reptile) lasts from 4 to 11 months. Females even form some kind of placenta. Perhaps because of this, the cubs are born large, sometimes reaching half the length of their mother. However, there are only 1-2 small snakes in a litter.

They are born tail first so as not to choke, and immediately wrap themselves around the back of the material. Young individuals will live in the lagoon for several months, after which they move to deeper places. At first, a mother takes care of her children. After two years they reach sexual maturity. The total lifespan of a sea snake is 10 years.

However, not all of them are viviparous: for example, flat-tailed fish lay eggs. The mating process also takes place on land, in shelters on the shore.

Who is a danger to the sea snake

The formidable predator also has its enemies. The most important of them is the Indian sea eagle, for which the reptile is daily food. He grabs a sea snake in flight from the surface of the water.

Sometimes dangerous predator also becomes a victim of sharks, especially tiger sharks. By the way, the remains of snakes are often found in her stomach. Other predatory fish pose the same danger.

In many countries, especially tropical ones, the sea snake is a commercial object. Quite often it is exported to Japan. If giant sea snakes existed, they would be a desirable trophy for the population of these countries.

Common viper (Vipera berus) — poisonous snake, a meeting with which can occur not only in the forest or on the field, but even on your own plot or on the porch of the house. This venomous snake, most active from May to September, is often confused with the harmless snake.

Viper (photo from Wikipedia)

Description of the viper

Torso. The common viper usually has a body length of 60 - 80 cm. Large snakes more than 1 meter long and weighing about 500 g are less common. There are more such large vipers in the north than in the south. More often their body length is about 75 cm. Males are smaller than females. They weigh only 150 - 200 g. The color of the body can be very different. These are all kinds of shades of brown, brown, orange, yellow, purple, blue, green, pink and even red. Gray and brown vipers with a zigzag stripe along the back are more common. Males are more modestly colored than females.

The black stripe that runs down the viper's back is " business card» snakes. Usually it is zigzag-shaped, less often - with aligned edges, and even more rarely - with small transverse stripes.

It is worth mentioning the pure black coloration of the body of the common viper. Males are usually identified by small white spots on their upper lips and white (or yellowish) coloration of the lower part of the tail. The spots of black females are pink or reddish. Snakes with black skin coloration may have a bright orange zigzag pattern. Or be purely black.

“Burnt” snakes have the rarest skin color. Often such vipers are colored asymmetrically. For example, one half of the body (left or right) is colored, variegated, and the other is black.

An interesting description of the color of a viper is given by a famous snake catcher:

In Belarus we came across vipers of eight color options:
1. Light gray snakes with a sharp black zigzag pattern on the back;
2. Dark gray snakes with a pattern marked by light stripes;
3. Brown snakes with black patterns;
4. Brown snakes with a red pattern;
5. Cherry red snakes with brown pattern;
6. Red snakes with a pale red pattern;
7. Brown snakes are a solid tone, no pattern;
8. Black snakes without a single bright spot.
The pattern on the back of snakes also had several options:
the most common were snakes with a characteristic zigzag, sharply outlined pattern, but we also caught snakes with a smooth dark stripe along the ridge, without any hint of a zigzag. There were also specimens in which, instead of a zigzag, the pattern was in the form of individual spots or narrow dashes (A.D. Nedyalkov “Naturalist in Search”).

Head. You can notice a narrowing and compression on the sides between the head and body of the viper. A distinct "X"-like pattern often adorns the snake's head, which is fairly flat (at the back) and rounded (at the front). The pupils of the eyes are slit-shaped. In bright sunlight the oblique longitudinal slit compresses into one line and expands in the dark.

Non-venomous snakes, for example, snakes, snakes and some others, see well during the day and quickly chase frogs on land, and catch fish in the water.
Our snakes are poisonous: common vipers, copperhead, viper and others, whose eyes are distinguished by slit-like rather than round pupils, hunt not during the day, but at night. During the day, they bask in the sun and seem lazy and apathetic.
Two black vipers lived on my pulpit in a glass terrarium on the second floor window.
One summer I noticed that both vipers were interested in something; they stood up and looked out the window, slowly turning their heads. Taking a closer look, I saw a cat sneaking through the sun in the grass 100 meters from our building. The cat stood out from time to time against the background of greenery with white spots. The snakes watched her for a long time, and when she disappeared from sight, the vipers tried to look where the cat had gone.
I was quite surprised at how far these nocturnal snakes were seen during the day (P.A. Manteuffel, “Notes of a Naturalist”).

A pair of teeth (about 4 mm high) that conduct poison are located on the upper jaw of the snake, more precisely, in its front part.

Tossed to the side with a stick, she opened her mouth and bit the stick, down which droplets of poison flowed from two large, mobile, empty front teeth (P.A. Manteuffel, “Notes of a Naturalist”).

Baby snakes. The eggs from which tiny snakes hatch remain on the mother’s body until the process of forming full-fledged offspring is completed. The embryos (there are from 5 to 12 pieces, less often - up to 20 pieces) feed on egg yolk and snake blood. The laid eggs immediately “come to life”: the baby snakes (brownish with a dark brown zigzag, 16.5 cm long) quickly free themselves from their shells and crawl into different sides. They still have to grow, changing and shedding skin that is no longer needed, or “creeps.” During the first year of their life, outfit changes occur up to 7 times. By the age of three, vipers become sexually mature.

The disturbed viper hisses. She instantly falls into a state of rage and attacks even stationary objects: branches, sticks, glass, etc.

Where do vipers live?

The common viper inhabits the entire forest and taiga zone. It is found in the north (near Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Central Yakutia, etc.); in the east (Sakhalin, Primorye, Amur region, etc.). The common viper is well known in many countries. There is a greater chance of meeting a snake in damp swampy places, in meadows and clearings with tall grass, in clearings, in raspberry thickets, on the banks of rivers (lakes), in haystacks, in burnt areas overgrown with grass and in abandoned gardens. Vipers are often seen while picking mushrooms and berries. These snakes are also found in mountainous areas (among stones and rocks) at an altitude of up to 3000 meters above sea level.

During the day, especially in the heat, vipers lie motionless, basking in the rays of the sun. To do this, they choose paths, stumps or dusty roads. They like cloudy weather less. The snake waits out this time in a shelter. The viper's peak activity occurs at night, when it hunts rodents, amphibians, and birds and eats their eggs. The usual food of vipers are frogs and voles.

The number of common viper in some regions (especially in the European part) is constantly declining. The common viper is included in the Red Book of the Moscow Region and a number of national lists. This happens for many reasons: catching and destroying snakes, changing the landscape (for example, reducing the area of ​​swamps) and environmental problems. Vipers leave en masse places that are inhabited by people. In addition, vipers (especially their young) are readily eaten by badgers, foxes, wolves and martens. The worst enemies vipers are hedgehogs. Birds also destroy large number vipers Herons, storks, crows, owls and even ducks feast on them. More often, vipers suffer from birds.

In addition to vipers, snakes were also found near the ditches. They say that snakes are at enmity with vipers and kill them. I have seen more than once how a grass snake and a viper lie side by side and calmly bask in the sun. And I never saw them fight. I saw vipers fighting among themselves. I was walking through a meadow one day and noticed that someone was moving the grass near a ditch. He came closer. I see two vipers fiddling around. One holds the frog by the head, the other holds the same frog by the side. I don’t know how their struggle would have ended. I didn’t wait for the end of the fight - I put both of them in a bag (A.D. Nedyalkov “Naturalist in Search”).

An interesting fact: each viper strives to have its own territory (with a radius of 60 - 100 meters in diameter). However, there are also snake hotspots that contain large numbers of snakes in a relatively small area. The common viper is an excellent swimmer. She uses her skill to move to the other side of a river or lake in search of suitable places to live. Around the end of September, vipers begin to move in search of wintering sites. Since ancient times, these days have been called “Shift,” when “snakes gather for the winter.” Vipers overwinter (often in groups) in burrows of small animals, under the roots of old rotten stumps, in deep cracks, etc. This cold period they fall into a state of stupor.

Common viper bite

They say that vipers often do not crawl away when a person appears. Perhaps this happens for the following reason: vipers have practically no hearing, but they have the ability to perceive any vibrations over the entire surface of the body. If the soil is soft (for example, peat), then the snake does not pick up the vibrations of the soil of a moving person. As soon as a person is in front of the viper, it perceives his sudden appearance as a threat and immediately attacks. It is this pattern of snake behavior that explains many cases of viper attacks on people.

The bite of a common viper is unlikely to add health to a person. First of all, it is very painful. Usually a person bitten by a viper recovers. It is believed that the viper is not capable of biting through shoes and thick jeans. Some experts claim that the common viper is cautious, it avoids people and does not let them get closer than a meter to itself. Others talk about the aggressiveness of this animal, biting at the first opportunity. However, everyone, especially experienced snake catchers and zoologists, warn people: it is necessary to avoid encounters with this poisonous snake in the places where it is found. And, of course, you shouldn’t rely on the “consciousness” of vipers. The number of annual registered cases of human bites by vipers is several thousand.

The bite of a common viper is considered very dangerous, but not fatal. This is severe swelling, tissue necrosis, shock, dizziness, headache, severe weakness, etc. Blood begins to clot in the vessels. Changes in liver and kidney tissue may occur. All this leads to serious complications. Especially for bites to the head or neck. Experienced snake catcher A.D. Nedyalkov describes the condition of the guy who was bitten in the neck by the “reptile”:

We carefully turned the victim. There was a swelling on my neck, right at the back of my head. There was a thick swelling coming from it to the throat. The victim was breathing hoarsely and heavily. ... While I was injecting the tumor with serum, everything was prepared for departure. ... On the way, I did not take my hand off the victim’s pulse. At first the heart worked hard, but without interruption; when we were already somewhere halfway along the road, the pulse became frantic. The guy was struggling. He gasped for air with his mouth wide open. His throat was no longer wheezing, but whistling. He was out of breath. We lifted him higher and turned him so that the oncoming air hit him in the face. The guy felt a little better, but we didn’t know how long this improvement would last.
The foreman squeezed everything he could out of the engine. The hour and a half we drove seemed like an eternity. I thought we wouldn't get the guy there alive. The little girl paramedic was crying quietly. ... Then a stretcher was carried into the boat, and the ambulance drove up to the pier itself, the driver opened the rear doors. The stretcher with the victim was carried ashore and carefully pushed into the cabin of the car. The doctor came up to me: “Thank you for the serum. Without her it would be very bad. Now the patient’s situation is serious, but not hopeless” (A.D. Nedyalkov “Naturalist in Search”).

In some situations, geologists, tourists, hunters, snake catchers and many other people do not have the opportunity to seek help from doctors. They should carry the serum with them. When bitten by a viper, you need to inject Anti-Viper serum or its analogue in fractions (subcutaneously). The therapeutic dose is 150 AE. To warn allergic reaction(anaphylactic shock), you need to take 1 - 2 tablets of prednisolone or an antihistamine (suprastin, tavegil, etc.) before administering the serum. The article provides recommendations from professional rescuers.

If bitten, you must call immediately Ambulance, put the person bitten by the snake to bed, give him plenty of drink. But not alcohol! Suctioning the poison from the wound is often recommended. Of course, if there is no damage to the oral cavity. But you cannot cauterize the wound or apply a tourniquet. Snake catcher Nedyalkov also writes about this:

The woman rushed towards me.
“Be kind, doctor. Help! The viper snatched away my daughter!”
I took the first aid kit and approached the boat. The girl was very pale and crying. With her left hand she supported her right hand, which was wrapped in a colorful scarf.
“Come on, show me where she bit you,” I said.
The girl carefully unwound the scarf. Middle finger right hand severely swollen and purple. It was tied at the base with twine. The twine cut deeply into the body and obviously caused the girl severe pain.
“Has it been retightened for a long time?”
“Yes, it’s already two hours,” the man answered.
It was necessary to immediately remove the constriction, but it was impossible to untie the twine. I took out a knife and cut the waistband. The girl screamed.
“Why are you doing this? - the woman screamed. “What if the poison goes further?”
“It won’t work,” I answered briefly and first pricked my finger with novocaine, and then injected the serum. Very soon novocaine relieved the pain, and the girl stopped crying (A.D. Nedyalkov “Naturalist in Search”).

At the hospital to which the snake catcher accompanied the girl, they said that people injured by vipers (and there were many of these during the haymaking season) remain in the hospital for ten days, and sometimes for a whole month. There were no deaths recorded.

Snakes near and in the water

Snakes of most species cannot live away from water, and, naturally, encounters with people are not uncommon. This is not always safe. How to behave when meeting a snake? We asked A. Nedyalkov, who has been studying the biology of some species of snakes for more than 20 years, a former foreman of snake catchers, and now the head of the Department of Biology of the Moscow State Medical University, to talk about this.

On post-Soviet space There are 56 species of snakes. Among them are 5 - non-poisonous, but vicious, capable of causing very painful bites, and 10 - poisonous, whose bites can be life-threatening. Where do they live?

1st zone (tundra). There are supposedly no snakes here. However, in some places in the forest-tundra, reindeer herders complain that animals suffer from snake bites. Apparently, the common viper is found there, but I did not find information about this in the literature available to me, and I did not have to visit those places myself.

2nd zone. This middle lane Russia, whose northern border runs approximately 61-63° northern latitude, and the southern one - at 46 degrees north latitude, the western one - coincides with the state border of Russia and the eastern one - with the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Here you can find only 4 species of snakes.

The 3rd zone in the north begins from the edge of the 2nd zone, and in the south its border runs along the northern shores of the Black, Azov, Caspian and Aral Sea, then it runs through the Kazakh steppe to Lake Balkhash and the Dzungarian Alatau ridge. In the west, the zone covers the Carpathians and east direction- Central Black Earth regions, lower Volga region, western and central Kazakhstan, up to the Tien Shan. This zone is home to 17 species of snakes, including 2 species that are not poisonous, but vicious and cause painful bites, and 3 that are poisonous.

In the 4th zone (Krasnodar and Stavropol region, republics North Caucasus, Kalmykia) there are 14 species of snakes, of which 3 species are conditionally dangerous and 3 species are also poisonous.

The 5th zone (Crimea, Caucasus, Transcaucasia), one might say, is replete with snakes. There are 24 species here, including 5 conditionally dangerous species and 6 poisonous species. In Crimea, among the poisonous snakes there is only the steppe viper.

In the 6th zone (Central Asian republics and southern Kazakhstan) there are 28 species of snakes, among which 3 are conditionally dangerous and 5 are dangerously poisonous.

Finally, in the 7th zone (Far East) there are 15 species of snakes, of which 3 are poisonous. The reference book “Amphibians and Reptiles of the USSR” (Mysl, 1971) gives the following interesting fact: on the shore of Posiet Bay, south of Vladivostok , a two-colored bonito, a venomous sea snake, was found.

In this article, I will tell you in more detail only about those types of potentially dangerous and poisonous snakes that an amateur fisherman may encounter, as well as about some snakes that cause harm when breeding fish in ponds.

Snakes that eat fish

The water snake is found in zones 3, 4, 5 and 6. This - large snake up to 160 cm long. The upper body is gray-green with dark spots and transverse stripes to almost black.

There are no bright spots on the head, like a common grass snake. The belly is white, yellowish, pink-red, dark gray, very often motley, like a chessboard.

Excellent diving and swimming. IN mountain rivers with quite cold water, hunting for fish, hides under water, between stones. Active from March to November, but in the water only from May to September.

In case of danger, it usually escapes underwater, where it can stay for more than half an hour. If it fails to reach the water, it curls up into a ball, hisses and throws its head towards the enemy. It is not dangerous to pick it up with your hand, but it can give off a foul-smelling liquid.

The water snake feeds on small fish and amphibians. IN pond farms turns out to be a serious pest, as it readily eats fry and yearlings of carp. It gathers in large groups for the winter. For example, at one wintering site near Tashkent, more than 200 snakes were found.

Here's another interesting fact. A self-propelled barge brought reed slabs to Moscow from near Astrakhan. In the South Port, loaders refused to unload these slabs because they contained many snakes. At the invitation of the port management, I caught about 600 water snakes on this barge, which had gathered in reed slabs for wintering since the fall.

Water snakes usually use the same wintering grounds from year to year. Sometimes they crawl away from the reservoir for the winter at a distance of up to two kilometers.

Water snakes are so greedy that they sometimes penetrate fishermen’s mesh cages and swallow small fish there, after which they cannot get out of the cage: the belly, swollen from the swallowed fish, does not allow them to crawl through the cell of the cage. Often a frightened fisherman throws the fishnet along with his catch, believing that the viper has got into it. This dangerous snake she really looks like a water snake, but she doesn’t eat fish. Therefore, take the fishnet away from the shore, carefully untie the neck, get rid of the impudent thief and save your catch.

Fish also occupy a significant place in the food of dinodons - snakes that live on Far East(zone 7). However, their lifestyle has been poorly studied, and therefore it is difficult to judge whether dinodons can cause noticeable harm to fish farming.

They also do not disdain fish - common snakes (zones 2, 3, 4 and 5) and tiger snakes (zone 7). Ingested fish were also found in the stomachs of the patterned snake (zones 4, 5, 6 and 7), bigeye (zone 6) and redback (zone 7).

Of the poisonous snakes, as far as is known, only the eastern copperhead swallows fish. Obviously, in places where there are large concentrations of these snakes, they devour a lot of young fish. However, this is just my guess, and it needs to be verified.

Non-venomous, but aggressive snakes

The yellow-bellied snake is found in zones 3, 4, 5 and 6, but this species does not live in most of Kazakhstan, and in zone 6 it is found only in the south of Turkmenistan. This is a large snake up to one and a half meters long. The color of adult individuals ranges from almost black to olive gray on the back, but the belly is always light with a yellowish tint.

This snake can be found in the steppe, semi-desert, field, ravine, rocky and steep banks reservoirs, in forest belts and gardens. The yellowbelly hunts during the day. Food - small mammals, lizards, snakes, birds. It crawls very quickly. When meeting a person (especially in spring and early summer), it often not only does not crawl away, but makes throws up to a meter in his direction. May grab onto a leg or arm. However, the yellowbelly is not poisonous and the wound from its bite usually heals quickly.

The olive snake lives in the 5th zone and in the south of Turkmenistan. Adults sometimes reach a meter in length. The upper body is olive in color with a brown, brownish, gray or greenish tint. On the sides of the front part of the body there is one row of spots outlined by a dark border, sometimes this border is yellowish. When meeting a person, it usually tries to crawl away, but when pursued it defends itself and can even attack. The bites are painful and bleed for a long time.

The multi-colored snake is a resident of zones 5 and 6. This is a rather long (up to a meter) but not very thick snake. The body is gray on top with a brown or yellowish tint. Along the back there is a row of dark (to the point of blackness) transverse stripes. Sometimes snakes have only black heads. I quite often found black-headed snakes on the steep banks of rivulets and streams.

The bites of a multi-colored snake are quite unpleasant, especially since, clinging to your hand, it hangs on it like a bulldog. But after a bite, the hand does not swell much and the next day only traces of the snake’s teeth remain on the skin. Of course, wounds, as in all other cases, should be disinfected with iodine, brilliant green or alcohol.

The Caucasian cat snake is found in zones 4 and 5. Not very large (up to 75 cm), the body is gray or dark gray on top with spots along the ridge. Belly with small specks. The pupil is vertical. Does not avoid human proximity and is often found in reed ceilings outbuildings. It hunts in the evening and morning hours, and during the day it hides in crevices and under stones. It crawls very well on steep rock surfaces.

Some literary sources report that a cat snake bite is harmless to humans. I wouldn't say that. I myself saw a man bitten by this snake. The tumor on my arm lasted for almost a week, and the pain was felt even after half a month.

The lizard snake lives in zones 3, 4, 5. It can be very large, about two meters long, and meter-long snakes are not uncommon. The body of the lizard snake is not very thick, so it gives the impression of being swift and slender. The color of the body is dark olive, brownish or grayish-brown. The pupil is round. Snakes often live in rocky places with semi-desert vegetation, but they often “stay” in gardens, vineyards and the banks of irrigation canals. They feed mainly on lizards and snakes, including steppe vipers.

Usually, when meeting a person, it hides or tries to escape, but, pressed or pursued, it resists desperately. Moreover, he is not shy about using his teeth.

Poisonous snakes

The common viper is found throughout the territory of zone 2 and in zone 3 in the Carpathians. This is perhaps the most numerous and most widespread species of venomous snakes on the territory of the USSR. The usual length is 50 cm, but some individuals reach 90 cm. The color of the general background of the body is gray, brown, red, brown and solid black. On the back (of course, except for black snakes) there is a characteristic zigzag stripe of black, brown (very rarely red) color. If the snake's head is not visible, do not rush to grab it, as black vipers can easily be confused with an ordinary snake. This has happened to me.

Vipers live in pockets most often near raised moss swamps, floodplain meadows, in pine forests And mixed forests. Vipers are active from the moment the first thawed patches appear until the first snow. Their food consists of mice, frogs, frog eggs, and lizards.

Vipers swim very well and warm water swim away from the shore at a distance of up to 5 km. I've seen them fall prey several times predatory fish. In dry years, the bulk of vipers gather near water sources: along the banks of streams, rivers and lakes.

Quite often you can hear stories from “eyewitnesses” about how vipers crawled into tents and even into unattended boots. I have been studying vipers since 1964 and many times I have lived in a tent for long periods in the most snake-infested places. Not once did vipers crawl into the tent, much less into the boots. Vipers have a good sense of smell, and I believe that the “scents” of humans are well known to them and do not cause pleasure. Sometimes female vipers were fifteen meters away from me all summer (before giving birth, which takes place in August-September), and we remained peaceful neighbors.

Viper bites are painful, cause general poisoning of the body, but are not fatal. I specifically collected materials on the consequences of viper bites in the Pskov, Kalinin, Vologda, Novgorod regions and in Belarus. I was able to familiarize myself with almost 10,000 case histories of those who were bitten, and only in two cases did death occur after the bite. And both times - because of incorrect and untimely medical care.

The area bitten by a viper usually swells quite heavily. Sometimes the victim feels sick, but after receiving special medical care, he recovers in 10-12 days. Just do not need to tighten the bitten arm or leg: this will not delay the action of the poison, but, on the contrary, will strengthen it.

The steppe viper is found in zones 3, 4, 5 and 6. The snake is small; its usual length is 35-40 cm, the longest is 55-57 cm. The general background of the body is brown-gray. On the back there is a dark zigzag or stripe, sometimes intermittent. Active from March to November. Habitats: clayey and saline steppes.

In the spring, while the grass is green, vipers crawl across the steppe. As the grass burns out, they move to floodplains, to the banks of streams, to wet lowlands and form clusters, sometimes very large. Thus, in the floodplain of the Ili River (Kazakhstan), over an area of ​​several square kilometers, with my participation, more than 20 thousand steppe vipers were caught in one season.

Snakes often lie under rolls of hay. This needs to be remembered by amateur fishermen in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, who go to steppe rivers or lakes and use fresh hay to spend the night.

The venom of the steppe viper is considered weaker than that of the common viper. But when one of the laboratory assistants was bitten by a steppe viper after the poison had been taken from the snake, the victim lost her sight for quite a long time. So you shouldn’t joke with steppe vipers.

The Caucasian viper is less common; it lives only in zone 5. The usual length is 40-50 cm. The main color of the body is from straw yellow to brick red. Along the ridge there is a wide dark or black stripe, sometimes broken into separate spots. The head is often black on top. There are also completely black snakes.

Found on forested mountain slopes and subalpine meadows. The bite for humans is considered more dangerous than that of the common viper. There are cases with fatal. Fans of trout fishing in the mountain rivers of the Caucasus should remember this.

This species is rare and is listed in the Red Book not only of Russia, but also of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). When you meet, try to give the snake a wide berth, if only so as not to reduce the number of these already endangered animals.

The long-nosed viper also inhabits zone 5. Larger than the Caucasian viper, the usual length is 6-70 cm. The body on top is yellowish-brown, gray or reddish-brown in color, with a dark or black zigzag, sometimes with rhombuses or transverse spots. At the tip of the muzzle there is a soft, upward-pointing, scaly process.

It is found on rocky slopes, in mixed and coniferous mountain forests, and in bushes along the banks of reservoirs.

The species is very rare, included in the Red Books.

The Asia Minor viper is another resident of zone 5. It is considered very rare, but in some areas of Armenia it is quite numerous. The snake is large, often about a meter long and up to 10 cm thick (body girth). The upper body is dark gray, black, and in spring dark blue. Along the ridge there is one row of yellowish, orange or light brown spots. The species is alpine, lives at an altitude of 1200 to 3000 m above sea level. Inhabits clearings of mountain forests and bushes near piles of large stones and rocks. Winters in rock crevices, gathering in large groups. In spring it appears depending on the weather, but not later than the first ten days of May. Quite often it forms clusters on rocks near waterfalls.

The venom of the Asia Minor viper is stronger than that of the viper. When meeting a person, he usually hides and prefers to quietly go home.

Listed in the Red Books of Russia and the IUCN.

The viper, the famous grave viper (as its Latin name is translated), is perhaps the most dangerous poisonous snake. It is found in zones 4, 5 and 6.

Scientists distinguish two varieties of viper: Central Asian and Transcaucasian. Gyurza catchers know that the Central Asian fish, in turn, is divided according to external signs to the flat and mountain shape. The Transcaucasian and lowland forms are light to dark gray in color with an olive or brown tint. There are dark spots along the ridge, and there are also dark spots on both sides, but smaller. Snakes living in the Turkestan, Zeravshan, Nurata ranges and the Pamirs have a general body color background ranging from steel to blue, and the spots are rusty-red. Among the mountain vipers there are also completely black ones. Plain vipers are much larger than mountain vipers. Average length they are 120-130 cm, but there are also snakes more than two meters long and as thick as the arm of an adult man. The average length of mountain vipers is 70 cm, and the longest is 160.

Like all vipers, vipers live in patches, but in the mountains the patches are much denser than on the plain. Usually in the spring they crawl to their summer hunting grounds, and in the fall they crawl back to wintering grounds, although they do not hibernate even in warm climates. sunny days They come out to bask in the sun. At the end of May, the viper begins the mating period, during which several males gather around one female. These snakes guard the female and can be the first to attack anyone who approaches her.

Before the onset of heat, vipers are active during the day, and then they switch to night look life. On the plain, vipers stay near colonies of rodents, pink starlings and burrowing birds (bee-eaters, swallows, etc.), along the edges of tugai forests, in the valleys of desert rivers. They love to swim, especially in warm, sun-warmed water. Mountain vipers usually hunt near water sources, while they lie in crevices near springs, in thickets of mint, reeds and thorny bushes - chingil. During the day they hide in temporary shelters: under stones, in old holes, in rock crevices. Very often they live in the ruins of old buildings. In hot weather, vipers crawl to the water to drink. I have caught these snakes many times, swollen with water like bottles.

Viper are generally cowardly, but in the spring and early summer the males are aggressive and attack unexpectedly. Fans of marinka fishing in mountain rivers in the Pamirs, Zeravshan and Turkestan ranges should know about this feature of the viper. On the islands of the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers, in their upper reaches, viper are also found, and they are no less dangerous than their fellow tribesmen in the mountains. When hunting birds, mountain vipers climb up tree branches and bushes, often growing above the water. Disturbed, they rush straight from the branches into the water and swim away to shelter.

The sandy efa lives in zone 6. The average length is about 50 cm. It is variegated and beautifully colored: on a light brown or sandy background, whitish or yellow lines stretch in a zigzag on the sides of the body. On the back, closer to the middle, symmetrically to the zigzags on the sides, there are the same whitish or yellow spots. An almost regular white or yellow cross stands out sharply on the head. Oddly enough, such a variegated coloring is protective: to the inexperienced eye, an efa lying motionless often remains invisible. This should be remembered by the amateur fisherman on the banks of the Surkhandarya, Kizyl-Su and other rivers in the Surkhandarya region, Turkmenistan and Karakalpakstan. Slippers and sneakers will not protect your feet from the teeth of the efa. Boots are more reliable.

I had the opportunity to catch ephemeral fish along the banks of the Surkhandarya, in the vicinity of the city of Termez. Snakes were found along the dry beds of old irrigation ditches, under cliffs of river banks and near crumbling adobe walls of abandoned buildings. Quite often they were found 20-30 m from residential buildings.

The f-holes lie in their characteristic “saucer” pose: the body is bent in a double arc, the head is in the center of these arcs. Having noticed a person, the efa remains motionless for some time, and then makes threatening movements. At the same time, the bends of the arcs rub against each other and produce a sound that resembles the hissing of drops of water falling onto a hot frying pan. I have never heard ephs hiss like other snakes. If a person retreats, the efa calms down and lies motionless again. If it approaches, the snake makes sharp lunges with its head and, maintaining the “saucer” pose, moves sideways to the nearest hole or crack. Once near the shelter, she immediately slips into it.

The Central Asian cobra lives only in zone 6. Places where it can be found: foothills, mountain gorges and sands. It is not so rare that they live along the banks of rivers, reservoirs and canals.

The average length of a cobra is 120 cm, but there are individuals up to 250 cm long. The cobra is thinner than the viper and does not look so ugly. Her body is slender, and her scales are smooth and shiny. Characteristic hallmark Cobra - her threat pose in which she lifts the front of her body off the ground and straightens the folds of skin (hood) under her head. U Indian cobra There is a design on the hood that looks like glasses. For this drawing, the cobra was called the spectacled snake. Cobras living in our country do not have such a pattern. Adult cobras are brown, sometimes with a steely sheen.

Cobra is very careful. Noticing a person, she quickly crawls away to the nearest shelter. If the shelter is far away, the cobra first hides, and when it is discovered, it assumes a threatening pose, hisses abruptly and sways from side to side. Two circumstances are noteworthy in the behavior of the cobra: first, the cobra never bites without first assuming a threat pose, and second, it can hit the enemy with its head without opening its mouth, that is, it tries to scare him away without using its poisonous teeth. If the person retreats, the cobra rushes to the nearest shelter. Indeed, she rushes, because her movements are so swift that even running it is difficult to catch up with her. The cobra never chases a person and does not ambush anyone.

The common copperhead, a relative of the famous American rattlesnakes, is found in zones 2 (southern Siberia), 3, 4 (northern Kalmykia), 5 (southern Azerbaijan), 6 and 7. The size of the snake is medium. The color is yellowish-gray with dark transverse stripes on the body. Sometimes the overall color tone has a pinkish tint.

The copperhead lives in patches, populating mountain forests, bush thickets, steppes, semi-deserts, and subalpine meadows. The discovered snake does not rush to hide, but takes a pose of threat, which is very peculiar to it: it curls up into a ball, hisses and finely shakes the tip of its tail. When disturbed, the copperhead often emits a characteristic, bad smell, which can be felt even at a distance of 4-5 m.

This snake's bite is painful, but deaths not noted.

The eastern cottonmouth lives in zone 7. Like its common “relative”, it has medium sizes (length 50-55 cm). Above the body is brown-gray or brown. On the sides there are a number of large elliptical spots, lighter inside.

It lives along the edges of forests, clearings, in thickets of bushes, on old rice fields and rocky slopes of hills. Swims willingly and catches fish on occasion. The main food is frogs and rodents. It is poisonous, but there are no known cases of human death from its bites.

Well, what should you do if you meet a snake while fishing! First of all, you should firmly remember: a snake, as a rule, is not the first to attack a person (the exception is male viper), but this does not mean at all that it will be indifferent to an attempt to come into contact with it and will allow itself to be taken in hand with impunity. All sorts of things living creature values ​​freedom and defends it with everyone accessible ways. Including teeth. Well, if these teeth are poisonous, then...

Arkady Nedyalkov

Snakes live in a variety of biotopes: deserts, seas, lakes, rain forests, fields. There are even flying species found in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, they are able to glide from tree branches.

Many species swim happily, while others have completely switched to an aquatic lifestyle.

Water snakes live in Australia, Indonesia, India and Southeast Asia. There are 44 species of these snakes. Their habitat is large and small bodies of water, both fresh and salty, and they are also found in rice fields. Water snakes can move well on land, which they often go to.

Erpeton or herpeton

Erpeton is native to Indochina. Suitable for these snakes, fresh, brackish, sea ​​water. Erpetons give particular preference to reservoirs heavily overgrown with algae. Required condition– there should be a lot of fish in the reservoir, since they form the basis of the diet.

The appearance of the erpeton is very unusual - on the head there are paired outgrowths with scales, thanks to which the snake has a second name - tentacled snake. These tentacles are an additional organ of touch. When a snake swims, it extends these horns forward. The maximum body size is 90 centimeters, but most often erpetons are much smaller in length. There are 2 color forms of herpeton: striped and spotted.

These snakes are perfectly adapted to underwater life: they can stay under water without air for almost half an hour. Unlike their relatives, erpetons do not shed often, so a cover of algae can form on the skin, which helps the snake camouflage.

Tentacled snakes move poorly on land. They ambush their prey. These snakes are ovoviviparous and give birth underwater.

Elephant trunk snake or warty snake

This snake has a thick skin “for growth”, it is because of the skin that it got its name. The warty snake has rough scales. With its help, the snake deftly holds the slippery fish. Amphibians are not included in the diet of warty snakes.

The largest individuals reach 2.5 meters in length, but most often the sizes reach 1.5 meters. The color is brown, the sides are yellow. Young warty snakes have dark spots that disappear with age.

These snakes live in brackish water in Indonesia, Asia, Australia and India, and they often swim into the sea.

Warty snakes lead a sedentary life. They are ovoviviparous and reproduce in water. There is information that elephant trunk venom can be dangerous to humans.

Sea snakes Hydrophiinae

In Indian and Pacific Ocean live at all. About 63 species of these snakes have been described.

Body sizes, depending on the species, range from 0.8-2.7 meters. The body of these snakes is compressed from the sides towards the tail so much that the tail resembles a leaf. Thanks to this tail, snakes swim well and dive to considerable depths. The head is small. The mouth is dotted with a network of blood vessels, thanks to which the snake can breathe oxygen dissolved in water. When a snake dives into water, its nostrils close with special valves. The tongue of these snakes is reduced.

Most sea snakes are viviparous. Newborn babies can swim well right away.

All types of sea snakes have strong venom, which is why they have long been classified as adders. The poison is mainly used to immobilize the victim and is used very sparingly. Sea snakes feed on fish. They attack people only in rare cases, when the person himself provokes the snake. A few hours after a sea snake bite, death occurs from suffocation.

Anacondas

IN South America live whose habitat is water. Anaconda can reach 11 meters in length. Depending on the species, the color may vary, but the following primary colors are present: brown, yellow and greenish.

Mating games among anacondas take place in water. Anacondas are viviparous. Babies reach a length of about 60-90 centimeters. Anacondas are not at all poisonous, but they have very powerful bodies and mouths lined with a large number sharp teeth, so they pose a serious threat to victims. Can anacondas eat humans? This issue remains unresolved, since no complaints from victims have been recorded.

Nerodia or American grass snakes

These snakes live in North America. They are distant relatives of our snakes. 10 species of Nerodia are described, all of them lead a semi-aquatic life. One species of snake is translated as “snake of green swamps.” The babies of these snakes have a surprisingly bright color, although they are not at all poisonous.

The maximum body length of American snakes reaches 1.9 meters. They have a dense fat body. The head is triangular, flattened. Color gray, brown, black-brown. With age, snakes become almost black. By appearance they are very similar to vipers, but their pupils, not like those of vipers, are slit-like, but round.

American snakes feed on fish and amphibians. American snakes, unlike ours, can fend for themselves; if a snake is pinned in a corner, it will hiss, lunge and strike with its teeth. If the enemy does not retreat, then he will use chemical attack and releases liquid from the cloaca, which produces an unpleasant odor.

American snakes live well in a seine and even get used to their owners. These snakes can reproduce in captivity. American snakes are viviparous; the fertility of one female can reach up to hundreds of babies, each of which reaches 20-26 centimeters in length.

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