Types and Basic Information on Snakes

8/12/2019 Types and Basic Information on Snakes

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Types and basic information on snakes

SnakesSnakes are limbless reptiles with long, cylindrical bodies, scaly skin, lidless eyes, and a

forked tongue. Most species are not poisonous, some are mildly poisonous, and others producea deadly poison. The term venom is commonly used to describe the poison produced by asnake.

All snakes are carnivores (meat-eaters) and cold blooded, meaning their body temperatureis determined by the environment rather than being internally regulated. For this reason, snakesare found mainly in tropical and temperate regions, and are absent in cold climate zones.

Types of snakesThe 2,700 species of snakes fall into four superfamilies: Boidae (boas, anacondas, and

pythons), Elapidae (cobras, coral snakes, mambas, and kraits), Colubridae (king snakes, watersnakes, garter snakes, black snakes, and adders, to name only a few) and Viperidae (truevipers and pit vipers).

Members of the Boidae family are among the most primitive of all snakes. They areconstrictors that kill their prey by squeezing it to death. Some of the largest snakes aremembers of this family. Some anacondas, for example, have been known to grow to more than11 meters (37 feet) in length.

Snakes in the Elapidae family have grooved or hollow fangs in the front of the mouth. Thebases of the fangs are connected to the venom gland. Venom is injected when the victim isbitten. Members of this family range in size from the tiny elapids, which may be no more than afew centimeters long, to the feared taipan, which may grow to nearly four meters (12 feet) inlength.

The Colubridae family is huge, with more than 1,400 species, and includes the majority ofliving species. Most colubrids are harmless, but a few are extremely dangerous. Examples arethe rear-fanged snakes, such as the African boomslang or the crown snake. These snakes donot release their poison through hollow fangs. Instead, they inject poison by chewing their preyafter it is in their mouth.

Members of the Viperidae family are among the most dangerous of all snakes. They includein addition to the vipers themselves the rattlesnake, fer-de-lance, and bushmaster. Mostmembers of the family have a wedge-shaped head that people have come to associate withpoisonous snakes.


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Anatomy and physiology

Snakes have extremely poor sight and hearing. They detect their prey primarily by means ofvibrations, heat, and chemical signals they detect with their other senses. For example, asnake's flicking, forked tongue acts as a chemical collector, drawing chemical "smells" into themouth. Those smells are then analyzed by two chemical sensors known as Jacobson's organson the roof of its mouth. This mechanism also allows male snakes to detect females in thereproductive state.

Words to KnowCarnivore: A flesh-eating animal.

Jacobson's organs : Chemical sensors located on the roof of the mouth of a snake usedto detect chemical "smells."

Molt: To shed an outer layer of skin at regular intervals .

Venom : A poison produced by a snake.

Another mechanism used by snakes to detect prey is a set of tiny pits or hollows that certainkinds of vipers have on the side or top of their heads. These pits can detect the body heat ofprey at considerable distances.

Contrary to popular belief, snakes are not slimy. The scales that cover their bodies are drybut glistening, giving a sheen that offers an appearance of wetness. Scales protect the snake'sbody from friction and dehydration. They also aid its movement by gripping the surface whilepowerful muscles propel the body forward, usually with a horizontal waving motion. This methodof movement means that snakes cannot move backward.

Instead of eyelids, the eyes of snakes are covered and protected by clear scales. Severaltimes a year, snakes molt, shedding their skin in one complete piece by rubbing against a roughsurface.

Snakes' teeth do not allow them to chew and break up the bodies of their prey. Instead, theyusually swallow their prey whole. Special ligaments in the snake's hinged jaw permit its mouth to

open to as much as a 150-degree angle. Thus, the snake can swallow animals many timeslarger than the size of its own head. The largest recorded feast was a 130-pound (59-kilogram)antelope swallowed by an African rock python.

Snakes' teeth face inward and prevent the prey from escaping. The snake's strong jaw andthroat muscles work the food down the esophagus and into the stomach, where digestionbegins. Digestion time differs, and is influenced by temperature. In one instance, a captive


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python at a room temperature of 30

C (87

F) digested a rabbit in four days. At cooler

temperatures (18

C; 64

F), however, digestion took more than two weeks.The interval between meals also varies. Some snakes go weeks or even months without

food. In temperate climates, snakes may fast and hibernate during the winter months. Pregnantfemales may hibernate and fast seven months, while both sexes fast before shedding.

Hunting and defense

The coloring of a snake's skin scales provides an excellent camouflage from predators andprey. Tree snakes can have a color as green as any leaf in the forest; ground snakes are asbrown or dusty grey as the earth and rocks; and sea snakes are dark above and light beneath.Some snakes are brightly colored with vivid patterns that warn potential predators to stay away.

An example is the highly venomous coral snake, which has orange, black, and white rings.

Snakes attack only when hungry or threatened. When frightened, they tend to flee. If there isno time for flight, or if snakes are cornered or antagonized, they strike. Venomous snakes havetwo fangs in the upper jaw that penetrate the flesh of their prey. Poison glands then pumpvenom through grooves inside the fangs into the prey. Some species of snake inject their preywith toxin and wait until the animal is no longer capable of struggling before eating it. Snakevenom is purely a feeding aid, serving both to subdue the prey and to aid in its digestion beforeit is swallowed.

Nonvenomous constrictors, such as boas, pythons, and anacondas, first snatch their prey intheir jaws. Then, with lightning speed, they coil their bodies around the animal, squeezing itsthorax to prevent breathing. Amazingly, the prey's bones remain unbroken during this process.

Snakes and humans

Snakes have fascinated and frightened humans for thousands of years. Some cultures stillworship snakes, seeing them as creators and protectors. Other cultures fear snakes as devilsand symbols of death.

In many ways, snakes serve a valuable function for human societies. They prey on animals,such as rats and mice, that we often regard as pests. Many people enjoy keeping snakes aspets also.

Different Types of Snakes with Their PicturesLets take a look at the different families of snakes and understand a few

basic facts about them.


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o index

Elapidae Boidae Viperidae Pythonidae Colubridae Hydrophiidae

Elapidae (Elapids)

The Elapidae family comprises the most venomous species of snakes in the world. Thesesnakes (elapids) are mostly found in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Animportant characteristic feature of the elapids is their fixed, hollow fangs, which are used toinject venom. Their venom is neurotoxic , which causes severe damage to nervous tissues , andthus it can be potentially deadly. Some popular snake species in the Elapidae family are:

Black Mamba

Scientific Name: Dendroaspis polylepis


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The black , as it is not a robust snake, it cannot tolerate close encounters, and itwill lash out at anything coming too close, relying on its speed and extremely toxic venom.Most people believe that there is only one type of mamba snake and that it is black. In fact,there are four species of mambas, none of which are black. The black mamba is brown or greyand only black in the inside of its mouth.

Appearance, Habitats, and BehaviorFemale and male black mamba snakes differ very little in the way they look. In fact,

there are no visible differences, and only experts can tell whether a mamba is a male or femaleon closer inspection. Black mamba snakes can grow up to 13 feet and are capable of lifting onethird of its body into the air.

The black mamba is a tree snake, but it is equally at home on the ground where ithunts. When in a tree, the black mamba is usually resting or basking in the sun. Mambas arediurnal; they hunt during the day and return to their burrows or rock crevices during the night.It prefers to spend its time in rockier hill areas, in scrublands, or in plantations, such assugarcane plantations. The black mamba does not like altitudes of more than 4,000-5,000 feet.They are good swimmers too.

It is a long slender snake with a characteristic coffin-shaped head. It is neitherrobust nor strong as it seems physical strength has been replaced by a highly venomous andfatal poison that kills its prey before it can inflict any damage to the snake.It has large, round eyes and round pupils. Its sight is better than most other snakes, and itsforked tongue helps it smell its prey. Its main food source is small birds, reptiles, and smallrodents. As its body is rather fragile, it lets its venom work its effect before it actually ingests itsprey.

Reproduction and Life-cycle of Black Mamba Snakes

The mating season for black mambas in Africa begins in September. In this period,the males fight over females. Mating begins with the male inspecting the female with his forkedtongue.

Females lay an average of 15 eggs in a nest underground or in a hollow tree. Theeggs hatch after three months, and the baby mamba snakes have a length of 1-2 feet. Newbornmamba snakes grow rather rapidly and are capable of catching mice and other small rodentsimmediately after hatching. The female leaves the eggs immediately after they hatch.

Related Species and Geographic Location

Other species include the Eastern Green Mamba (Latin: Dendroaspis angusticeps )and the Western Green Mamba (Latin: Dendroaspis viridis ). Both are smaller than the black


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mamba and spend much more time in trees and canopies than the black mamba. Also, they aresaid to be less aggressive and to have slightly less poisonous venom. They are slightly smallerthan the black mamba. A fourth species of the mambas is the Jameson's

Mamba (Latin: Dendroaspis jamesoni ). It is usually found in trees, and its venom is also less

venomous that the venom of the black mamba.

Black Mamba Bites

According to WHO 2, most bites occur in plantations and in many such places whereantivenin is available. In most cases, antivenin is administered in time. In fact, the number ofdeaths from black mambas has decreased significantly since an antivenin against its venom wasdeveloped. News and Facts about the Black Mamba Snake

Black mamba venom: $5100 per gramNovember 29, 2012

The French company Latoxoan is suffering from the current crisis in Europe, as itsbiggest client, Sanofi, has chosen to buy less snake venom for research as it used to. Even at aprice of $5100 per gram of black mamba venom, the company cannot generate a surplus frommilking black mambas.

Snake venom and blood pressure medicineOctober 13, 2012

A group of scientist has recently found that normal symptoms of Captopril (bloodpressure medicine) such as coughing and swelling can be alleviated by small doses of snakevenom. In the coming years the research group will accelerate their work so that medicationscan come into mass productions as soon as possible.

Mambalgin, an Effective Pain Killer

October 6, 2012

In the October 3, 2012 issue of nature a group of scientists reveal that thay havefound a compound in venom from black mamba snakes (mambalgin) that works the same wayas morphine, that is as a strong and effective pain-killer. The advantage of mambalgin is that itdoesn't seem to have the same side-effects as morphine. Read more here .
http://www.blackmambas.net/http://www.blackmambas.net/http://www.blackmambas.net/http://www.blackmambas.net/http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature11494.htmlhttp://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature11494.htmlhttp://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature11494.htmlhttp://www.blackmambas.net/http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature11494.htmlhttp://www.blackmambas.net/http://www.blackmambas.net/


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Medicine Development

September 25, 2012

Recently a team of scientists from the UK discovered that there are a bunch of fastevolving proteins in black mamba snakes. These toxic substances are changing rapidly, andwhat is a lethal toxin at one point may be a harmless molecule few moments later. It is amongthese compounds that the scientist believe the key to new types of drugs are found.


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Indian Cobra

Scientific Name: Naja naja

King Cobra

Scientific Name: Ophiophagus hannah


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Western green mamba

Scientific Name: Dendroaspis viridis

Egyptian Cobra

Scientific Name: Naja haje


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Red Spitting Cobra

Scientific Name: Naja pallida

Mozambique Spitting Cobra

Scientific Name: Naja mossambica


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Inland Taipan (the most venomous land snake in theworld)

Texas coral snake

Scientific Name: Micrurus tener

Red bellied black snake

Scientific Name: Pseudechis porphyriacus


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Snouted cobra

Scientific Name: Naja haje annulifera

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Types and Basic Information on Snakes