A little message about snakes. Interesting facts about snakes

Snakes- These are reptiles from the order Squamate. The appearance of snakes is very unique and radically different from the appearance of other animals. The main signs of snakes are a very elongated body shape, the absence of limbs and motionless transparent eyelids. It is because of these eyelids that the gaze of snakes seems hypnotic - after all, they never blink. The body of snakes is covered with many scales, hence the name of the order - scaly. The body length of snakes ranges from 10 cm to 9 meters. The colors can be very diverse - plain, striped, with spots, and the skin color varies from nondescript brownish-brown to bright green or red.

Among snakes there are both poisonous and non-venomous species. Not poisonous species majority.

Spreading

Snakes are very widespread on our planet. They live on almost all continents except Antarctica. Most snakes are found in hot climates and in humid tropics, but there are species that prefer cooler places. Snakes can live in deserts and steppes, forests and mountains. Almost all snakes live on the ground, but some species live underground, there are water snakes and those that live in trees.

Nutrition

All snakes are predators. They feed exclusively on animal food. Moreover, there are snakes that eat only one type of food. For example, there are those who feed only on bird eggs, or those who prefer to feast only on crayfish.

Depending on whether the snake is poisonous or not, their hunting method differs. Non-venomous snakes usually strangle their prey, while venomous snakes infect their prey with venom by biting with poisonous teeth. Usually snakes swallow their prey whole, and the prey can be quite impressive in size. Some snakes only need to dine a few times a year, as they can go without food for several months to a year. The venom of some snakes is very strong action and dangerous to humans.

Lifestyle

Most snakes are terrestrial animals. They usually move along the ground in wave-like movements. The speed of movement is low, it can be approximately 10 km/h.

Snakes are characterized by a molting process, which can occur several times a year in young snakes, and no more than 1-2 times a year in adults. During the molting period, the snake stops feeding and hides in some secluded place. At this time, the inner side of the skin becomes softer, then it cracks in the mouth area, and the snake crawls out of the old skin, as if from a stocking.

To breed, snakes most often lay eggs, but there are also viviparous species snake.

Brief information about the snake.

About such mysterious and mysterious creatures like snakes, people from different corners the world has created many myths and legends. But if for some peoples the snake is an object of worship and deification, symbolizing strength, wisdom, renewal, then others fear these hissing and crawling animals. This article will tell you unusual and interesting facts about snakes.

Giants of the Snake World

Today there are more than 3,000 on our planet, and about 1,000 of them are poisonous. The sizes of these animals can be very diverse. Thus, in Indonesia in the west, the largest python to date was caught, the length of which is almost 15 meters.

Following the boa constrictor is the anaconda with a length of 5 to 6 meters, although there are specimens longer than 9 meters. For centuries the inhabitants South America They frightened children with them and made up legends about snakes covered with brown spots in a checkerboard pattern and living in lakes and quiet river harbors. Previously, the anaconda was also called a water boa, which in fact does not contradict the truth: this snake really belongs to the subfamily of boas, and it really loves water.

The following interesting facts about snakes concern venomous species, the longest among them is the body length of which can reach 6 meters.

But on the territory former USSR The largest representative of reptiles is considered to be the viper from the viper family. It can grow up to two meters long and weigh up to 3 kg.

Snake or worm?

The smallest snake, the narrow-mouthed two-lined snake (Leptotyphlops bilineata), lives on such islands Caribbean Sea, like Martinique, Santa Lucia, Barbados, and rarely exceeds 10 cm in length. Another miniature representative of reptiles - the blind snake (Typhlops braminus), or potted snake, belongs to the family of blind snakes. Interesting facts about snakes of this family is that they are actually blind, since their eyes are practically undeveloped and covered with skin. In addition, blind blinders prefer to live in ordinary flower pots, which are placed outside or in the garden in warm weather. The snake lives in South Asia, on the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and together with the flower pots she moved to Hawaiian Islands, to Madagascar and Mexico.

Unusual Facts About Snake Skeletons

Modern scientists know almost everything about snakes, but they never cease to be amazed at the unique structure of their skeleton. Unlike all other animals, reptiles do not have limbs. Only in the largest specimens of boa constrictors can vestigial remains of pelvic bones and hind limbs be found. The torso is attached directly to the skull, and there is no difference, other than size, between the vertebrae of all five sections. The total number of vertebrae can be from 200 to 400. The number of ribs in snakes can reach up to 200, and they are connected to the vertebrae of the skeleton by a system of ligaments and elastic muscles.

Features of anatomy

No less interesting facts about snakes become clear when we begin to study their structure. internal organs. Thus, the kidneys of these reptiles are located not on the right and left, but as if one after the other - in front and behind. But the snake’s heart can move quite far relative to its original position, which facilitates the normal passage of swallowed food through the intestines.

Another, rather unexpected, truth about snakes: they are deaf in our understanding of the word, since their eardrum and middle ear are completely atrophied. By touching the ground with their belly, these reptiles pick up various vibrations and vibrations with their bodies, including sound ones.

Instead of moving ones, snakes have eyelids that are fused together and transparent, like hard lenses. They protect the snake's eyes from various injuries or hunting.

When attacking, the snake's mouth can open 180 0. These reptiles are equipped with two rows, and the lower one with one row of teeth. Throughout life, all of them, including fangs, change. The African Gaboon viper is famous for having the longest teeth: they can grow up to 3 cm.

How do they hunt?

Of course, it will not be possible to tell everything about snakes in one article, but we will dwell separately on the methods of hunting them.

Hunting methods depend on the species to which the reptile belongs. Poisonous individuals prefer to wait for their prey in ambush and, having struck accurately and quick kick, kill the victim. If the snake misses, then it will not pursue the intended lunch for long - 1-3 meters, after which it will again freeze motionless, waiting. But vipers, for all their poisonousness, do not always sit in ambush: these snakes are able to cover considerable distances in search of prey. Sandy efa and Pallas's copperhead can sneak into rodent burrows and eat their prey right there, although they also use ambush hunting.

Those without venom simply restrain their captured victims and swallow them, or use a strangulation technique. Snakes swallow prey alive, but pythons and boa constrictors kill the victim by wrapping themselves around its body and gradually increasing the compression force of the rings until it dies from suffocation. According to the time of hunting, snakes are divided into:

daytime;
crepuscular;
night

Sea snakes

These reptiles live mainly in tropical warm waters western region Pacific Ocean. Between Borneo and Singapore there are 27 different species of sea snakes. In Australian coastal waters There are about 21, and in the Great Barrier Reef area there are 14 species of these marine reptiles. In total, there are about 70 species of marine reptiles.

The most interesting thing about snakes that live in the sea is that, with the exception of turtle-like ones, they are all poisonous and can cause serious harm to human health. Tortoiseshells sea snakes They do not pose a danger to people because they feed on fish eggs. Under the influence of such a diet, their teeth were transformed into a single plate, thanks to which they look like turtles. They cannot produce poison, and they also do not have teeth to inject it.

Mysterious, dangerous, bewitching, hypnotizing, elegant - the epithets are dedicated to the most unusual class of reptiles - snakes. Incredible and interesting facts about snakes reveal them amazing world and nature.

The “potted” snake loves to live in the soil of flower pots. If one day, looking into a flower pot brought from distant India or Sri Lanka, you see a small, thin creature with dry, shiny skin and up to 12 cm in length, you should know that this is a cute, cute snake - a Brahman blind snake or a “potted” snake.
The famous cobra's venomous rivalry is the tiger snake., living in Australia. Its black body with yellow rings and black belly makes it look like a tiger. Local residents say that the snake is “cowardly”, it does not attack itself, it lies motionless on the ground, so sometimes they mistake it for a long stick... an instant movement, and its teeth bite into the victim.
The emerald or dog-headed boa lives in the forests of South America on trees in a characteristic pose, with its tail hooked onto a branch, where it lies peacefully. But as soon as the prey appears, the body of the boa constrictor is thrown forward, picking up the victim.
On egg diet lives in the southern equatorial part of Africa small, up to one meter long, egg snake . Small teeth are not capable of biting through living prey. But bird eggs, covered by the oral cavity with jaws connected by ligaments, are slowly but surely pushed into the pharynx and esophagus. Elegant movement of special ribs – eggshell as if sawed through, the contents flow down the esophagus, the shell is spat out.
The black mamba is a snake that is spoken of only in whispers so as not to invite guests. This is what the local inhabitants of the savannahs and woodlands of Africa say. Olive, brown, gray, but with a black mouth, which is why it got its name. The most aggressive (attacks instantly, bites two or three times in a row), the fastest (capable of moving at a speed of 20 km per hour), the most poisonous (injects 350 mg, and 15 mg of poison is a lethal dose).
Samoyed snakes are found in nature. It has been noticed that some snakes begin to swallow their tails and then die. Snakes trust their sense of smell - if the smell of the victim is on the tail, the tail immediately falls into the mouth.
The flying paradise snake, which lives in the jungles of South and Southeast Asia, is capable of gliding through the air.. Pushing off with its tail and wriggling, the snake flies up to 100 meters.
Horned snake hiding in the quicksand of the famous desert. Cute creature with a pair of horns, cute cat eyes, a poisonous tooth and an unusual manner of movement.
The common belt snake is thin, fragile, with big head And beautiful eyes . Spends most of its life in trees, loves snails and slugs.
Green whipweed – inhabitant tropical forests southeast asia. Large oval eyes with horizontal pupils on an elongated muzzle are a sign of binocular vision, the ability to determine the exact distance to the victim. The long ribbon-like body perfectly camouflages the snake in the emerald thickets of plants, making it look like a liana.
When in danger, a miniature collared snake curls its tail and sticks out its bright abdomen, signaling its serious intentions. But only snails and salamanders are afraid of this representative of snakes. This little one lives in the United States, southern Canada, and is found in Mexico.
Schlegel's prehensile-tailed bothrops - ciliated viper. Above the eyes there are protective scales similar to eyelashes. Inhabits trees and palms of Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Peru. During the day, the snake rests on the branches, clinging to only one tail. Poisonous.
The radiant snake got its name from its iridescent tint. Her back is dark brown, her belly is cream. Leads a burrowing lifestyle, lives in leaf litter. He prefers not to meet with the person, but if the person insists, he throws out a special, foul-smelling liquid from the cloaca. It might bite.
King snake– albino. Albinism among snakes is a rare phenomenon that does not in any way affect the lifestyle or habits of animals.
The most famous snake in China is the Chinese corn snake . Calm, shy animal. A favorite of terrarium keepers, as it feels good in captivity, being content with simple food and delighting the owner with its beautiful color and more offspring.

1. Taipan or Fierce Snake. Oxyuranus microlepidotus

Lives in Central Australia. Reaches up to 1.9 meters. The color varies depending on the time of year from dark brown to straw, the head can acquire a glossy black color.

The strength of the venom is such that in one bite it can kill about 100 adult humans or 250,000 thousand mice, with an average lethal dose of LD50 of 0.01 mg/kg its venom is approximately 50 times stronger than poison cobras One bite releases approximately 100 mg of poison. Unlike its relative Oxyuranus scutellatus, the fierce snake is not aggressive.

Females lay 12-20 eggs in deep cracks or abandoned burrows; incubation lasts approx. 66 days.

2. Brown King or Mulga. Pseudechis australis.

Habitat: Australia, adjacent forests and deserts.

In one bite average snake Mulga can secrete 150 mg of poison. The size of the snake is 2.5 - 3 meters.

3. Malay krait. Bungarus candidus.

Indonesia.

When bitten by this snake, 50% of people die, even when using anti-snake serum. The most dangerous is the yellow-headed krait. The Malayan krait is aggressive at night. Length approximately 1.5 - 2 meters.

4. Taipan or coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) is a very poisonous and largest (up to 3-3.3 m long) snake in Australia. However, the taipan is considered the most dangerous of the venomous snakes due to the combination of its aggressive nature, size and speed. Its poisonous teeth reach 13 mm in length.

5. Tiger snake. Notechis scutatus

It lives in the eastern part of Australia, on the island of Tasmania, in New Guinea, in forests and open fields.

Grows up to 2m in length. The black body is streaked with golden stripes, but the color varies from olive to dark brown and black.

According to some sources, she is the most poisonous snake in the world. Small animals bitten by a tiger snake die instantly, not even a few seconds pass. And all the poison contained in the glands of one snake is enough to kill 400 people.

The tiger snake is very prolific; one female can have at least 60 baby snakes.

6. Hook-nosed sea snake. Enhydrina schistosa

The venom of this snake is estimated to be 4-8 times more poisonous than that of a cobra. About 1.5 mg of poison is fatal. But according to rumors, she is not aggressive, and when she sees fishermen, she swims away. Habitat: Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, Seychelles and Madagascar, seas around the countries of South Asia (Pakistan, India and Bangladesh), Southeast Asia(Myanmar (old name Burma), Thailand and Vietnam), Australia ( Northern Territory and Queensland) and New Guinea. Most sea snakes are found off the coast of India and nearby islands, and about twenty species of this snake have been discovered in this region.

The venom of this snake is estimated to be 4-8 times more poisonous than that of a cobra. About 1.5 mg of poison is fatal.

7. Sand faff. Echis carinarus.

Lives in Africa, Turkmenistan, South. Uzbekistan, South-west Tajikistan. Lives in lumpy sands, in thickets of bushes and saxaul, in the ruins of houses.

9. African boomslang. Dispholidus typus.

Habitat: South and South-West Africa, Tanzania.

Belongs to the family of false snakes. One of the most dangerous reptiles on our planet. Length from 50cm to 3 meters. It quickly climbs trees, hides in ambush in bushes, remaining motionless for a long time, but if necessary, can catch a bird on the fly.

The front teeth of the boomslang are deflected inwards, so this snake attacks small prey more often. A person is not suitable prey for this snake, but it is known that over the past 5 years, 23 people have died from the bite of the African boomslang (deaths due to the viper are 2 times more, and from the cobra - almost 3 times).

10. Deadly snakes (Acanthophis) These include: viper-shaped deadly snake. (Acanthophis antarcticus), New Guinea death snake (Acanthophis praelongus), fire death snake (Acanthophis pyrrhus).

11. Black mamba(Dendroaspis polylepis)

12. Narrow-headed or Eastern green mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps).

Habitat: West South Africa, Natal, Mozambique, Eastern Zambia, Tanzania. The main habitat of these snakes is evergreen forests, but often these snakes are found on tea or mango plantations. The average size of an adult is 180 cm. The emerald green color and calm nature made these snakes very attractive to terrarium keepers.

13. Western green mamba (Dendroaspis viridis)

How does the poison work?

There are two poisonous teeth on the upper jaw, one on each side. These teeth have grooves that form tubes that are empty inside. There is a muscle around the venom gland. When a snake bites, the muscle presses on the gland, squeezing venom into the teeth, which enters the victim's body through the grooves of the teeth.

Usually the poison acts on nervous system the victim and paralyzes her. When the poison reaches the nerve centers that control breathing and heartbeat, the victim dies.

The creature had two limbs and lived on land, which can serve as a refutation of the theory of the evolution of sea serpents.

And just a few photos from different sources, unfortunately it is not possible to indicate all of them.

Oxyuranus scutellatus

Snake venom is used to make highly effective medicines.

And in conclusion - the most important thing, it seems to me... Snakes are small and weak creatures, if not for their poison, then they would have nothing to protect their lives and the lives of their children. Can we - so big, cunning and strong creatures reproach these ancient inhabitants of the planet for their desire to survive? I saw a video where they made a street show out of the extraction of poison: there are frozen snakes in a box, they are taken out one at a time, they are slammed with their heads on the table to provoke the release of poison, they are milked out, and they are thrown back into the box. They get a lot of money for these precious drops, because a gram of dried snake venom is worth more than gold. And then this poison in the form of valuable medicinal drugs is sold all over the world for huge amounts of money, and of course to increase precious potency! Yes, this is simply the use of natural raw materials, all this is clear. We eat animal meat, we dress in fur and leather, this is normal. But people eat domestic animals, which they have sheltered and maintained on their own since ancient times, and therefore take advantage of them. Agreement! But the snakes did not negotiate with us. There is such a thing as hunting, but it is good when a person is hungry and has no choice. We cut down trees and use them - but snakes are animate, as is commonly believed. Actually, in essence there are no objections, we need medicine, but our souls are not good, there is something unhealthy and inhuman in these methods and attitudes.

Are we not on the side of the fool who saved the snake by giving his last jacket for it?

There are more than 2000 species of different snakes in the world - large, small, poisonous, non-venomous, harmless, etc. And these reptiles certainly deserve attention. In this article we will look at 15 interesting and unusual facts about snakes.

1. We all know how a cobra dances to the fakir’s pipe (from movies or TV shows, or maybe we’ve seen it live), but in reality these snakes are absolutely deaf and don’t hear the sounds of the pipe, but they dance because they follow the movements of the pipe (the fakir always in motion) and prepare for an attack, in addition, they react to the vibrations of the leg, which the caster taps. But in any case, even if the cobra attacks, nothing bad will happen, since the poison is always removed in advance.

2 . The Python lays the most eggs among snakes. Some species are capable of laying around 100 eggs at a time.

3. King Cobra It can also feed on other snakes. she is not even bothered by the fact that they may be poisonous.

4. The oldest long-lived snake is a boa constrictor named Popeye. This snake died in 1977 at the age of 40.

5. Some types of snakes (for example, spitting cobras, etc.) can simulate death when they realize that the advantage is not on their side. They lie on their backs, open their mouths and even make noises bad smell. Predators, as a rule, do not touch them.

6. The snake constantly sticks out its tongue in order to recognize information about environment and objects. Her tongue is so sensitive that it picks up “information” from the air.

7. Some snakes (for example, vipers, pythons, etc.) have a notch on their heads that serves as a temperature sensor. This “device” helps them hunt, especially in the dark.

8. Snakes have very poor eyesight and hearing, so they react mainly only to moving objects.

9. Some snakes can hibernate for up to 3 years without eating or drinking.

10. It has long been known that snake venom can be used as medicine. Based on snake venom (cobra), the ointment “Cobratoxan” (cobratox) is made, which is used for radiculitis, inflammation of other joint diseases. In addition, thanks to cobras, they also make a special vodka, which has a powerful healing effect (especially for men).

11. Almost all snakes are oviparous, but there are some species that are born like mammals (that is, connected to the mother by vessels). Viviparous snakes are considered common vipers, many sea snakes and the American grass snake.

12. South American anacondas are considered the heaviest snakes. Their weight can reach up to 250 kg.

13. The smallest snakes can be the size of our common one earthworm, and the largest (pythons) reach up to 10 meters.

14. The rattle of rattlesnakes is not some kind of balls inside the tail, but old fur and skin, i.e. the result of her molt.

15. Due to the flexibility of snakes, you might think that they have no bones at all, but this is not true. The fact is that snakes have about 150 pairs of ribs, but they are not like those of humans (immobile), but have a movable structure, as if on hinges, so from the outside one might think that snakes are completely boneless.