TREE SNAKE
INDIAN PYTHON
LYCODON CAPUCINUS (WOLF SNAKE)
COMMON INDIAN BRONZEBACK
RAT SNAKE
BANDED RACER
WORM SNAKE
Friday, May 6, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
10 Myth about Snake
Myth: Rat Snakes are poisonous.
Fact: Rat snakes are Non-poisonous, rodent-eating Reptiles.
Myth: Rat Snakes mate with cobras.
Fact: Rat Snakes or any other snakes will not mate with any snake out of its own species. Cobras eat other snakes so a mating between a Cobra and a Rat snake is not possible.
Myth: Snakes drink Milk.
Fact: Snakes drink water and do not drink milk, neither can they digest it properly. They are reptiles and have no association with milk, only mammals who have mammary glands can produce milk and thus a liking for milk in non-mammals is unlikely. But in a crises when severely dehydrated, a snake might drink any liquid available.
Myth: Some Snakes grow a beard as they get older.
Fact: Snakes are reptiles and do not have any hair on their bodies let alone a beard. It is impossible for them to have beards for their bodies do not have any ability of growing hair.
Myth: Snakes carry a diamond in their forehead.
Fact: It is impossible for a Snake to carry anything in its head. The mythological status attached with a Snake in India is probably responsible for this myth.
Myth: Snakes remember you if you hurt them.
Fact: Snakes are not vengeful animals and do not have the necessary intelligence to remember people or places for getting revenge. Hindi Movies (Bollywood) have a lot to do with the creation of this myth.
Myth: If one Snake is killed its partner will trace you (no matter wherever you are).
Fact: Snakes are not vengeful animals and are not interested in chasing or tracing people who hurt them. They do not have the necessary memory and intellect to remember people to trace them back. Neither do snakes have a feeling of camaraderie nor do snakes pair for life. Once again Bollywood is responsible for this myth.
Myth: Flying Snakes can pierce somebody’s forehead or put out their eyes.
Fact: A Flying Snake does not actually fly but only glides through the air by extending its ribs and pulling in the underside. It can glide a distance of 330 feet or 100 metre. It has an elongated head, which gives the scary feeling that it can pierce a person’s head or eyes.
Myth: Snakes found in India can spit venom.
Fact: No Snake found in India can spit venom. Only Spitting-Cobras can spit venom and they are not found in India.
Myth: There are “Two- headed” snakes.
Fact: The Snake-charmers spread the myth about the Two-headed Snakes only to maintain the mythological status of the snakes in India so they can continue attracting large crowds to their Snake shows. In reality nothing like a Two-headed Snake exists.
Fact: Rat snakes are Non-poisonous, rodent-eating Reptiles.
Myth: Rat Snakes mate with cobras.
Fact: Rat Snakes or any other snakes will not mate with any snake out of its own species. Cobras eat other snakes so a mating between a Cobra and a Rat snake is not possible.
Myth: Snakes drink Milk.
Fact: Snakes drink water and do not drink milk, neither can they digest it properly. They are reptiles and have no association with milk, only mammals who have mammary glands can produce milk and thus a liking for milk in non-mammals is unlikely. But in a crises when severely dehydrated, a snake might drink any liquid available.
Myth: Some Snakes grow a beard as they get older.
Fact: Snakes are reptiles and do not have any hair on their bodies let alone a beard. It is impossible for them to have beards for their bodies do not have any ability of growing hair.
Myth: Snakes carry a diamond in their forehead.
Fact: It is impossible for a Snake to carry anything in its head. The mythological status attached with a Snake in India is probably responsible for this myth.
Myth: Snakes remember you if you hurt them.
Fact: Snakes are not vengeful animals and do not have the necessary intelligence to remember people or places for getting revenge. Hindi Movies (Bollywood) have a lot to do with the creation of this myth.
Myth: If one Snake is killed its partner will trace you (no matter wherever you are).
Fact: Snakes are not vengeful animals and are not interested in chasing or tracing people who hurt them. They do not have the necessary memory and intellect to remember people to trace them back. Neither do snakes have a feeling of camaraderie nor do snakes pair for life. Once again Bollywood is responsible for this myth.
Myth: Flying Snakes can pierce somebody’s forehead or put out their eyes.
Fact: A Flying Snake does not actually fly but only glides through the air by extending its ribs and pulling in the underside. It can glide a distance of 330 feet or 100 metre. It has an elongated head, which gives the scary feeling that it can pierce a person’s head or eyes.
Myth: Snakes found in India can spit venom.
Fact: No Snake found in India can spit venom. Only Spitting-Cobras can spit venom and they are not found in India.
Myth: There are “Two- headed” snakes.
Fact: The Snake-charmers spread the myth about the Two-headed Snakes only to maintain the mythological status of the snakes in India so they can continue attracting large crowds to their Snake shows. In reality nothing like a Two-headed Snake exists.
Facts about Indian snake
This Region Has the Highest number of Recorded Venomous Snake bites and Fatalities in the World
There are a reported 250,000 estimated venomoussnake bites per year in India. Of that number, it is estimated that there are at least 50,000 fatalities, or approximately 20% of the snake bites victims. The "Big Four" of venomous snakes in India Include the following:
1). Saw Scaled Viper
Krait venom is extremely neurotoxic and induces muscle paralysis. Clinically, their venom contains pre-synaptic neurotoxins, and is many times more venomous than that of the common cobras. These neurotoxins generally affect the nerve endings near the synaptic gap of the brain. Kraits are nocturnal and seldom encounter humans during daylight hours, so incidents are rare. Note that there is frequently little or no pain from a krait bite and this can provide false reassurance to the victim. Typically, victims complain of severe abdominal cramps, accompanied by progressive paralysis. Once bitten, the absorption of the venom into the victim can be considerably delayed by applying a pressure bandage to the bite site (using about the same tension as one uses for a sprained ankle) and immobilising the area. This allow for gentle transport to medical facilities, where the venom can be treated when the bandage is removed. See www.divingmedicine.info, Chapters 29 and 42. As there are no local symptoms, a patient should be carefully observed for signs of paralysis (e.g., the onset of ptosis) and treated urgently with antivenin. Note that it is also possible to support bite victims viamechanical ventilation, using equipment of the type generally available at hospitals. Such support should be provided until the venom is metabolised and the victim can breathe unaided. If death occurs it takes place approximately 6-8 hours after the krait bite. Cause of death is general respiratory failure, i.e., suffocation.
There are a reported 250,000 estimated venomoussnake bites per year in India. Of that number, it is estimated that there are at least 50,000 fatalities, or approximately 20% of the snake bites victims. The "Big Four" of venomous snakes in India Include the following:
1). Saw Scaled Viper
The Saw-scaled Viper (Echis carinatus) is a small viper (30 cm in length) found in northern Africa, the Middle East, central Asia, and India. This species spends most of its time buried beneath the sand with only its eyes showing, waiting for prey. When threatened, it rubs its sides together, and specially oriented keeled scales produce a suprisingly loud rasping noise.
This snake holds the distinction of having killed more people than any other. While the venom is disproportionately toxic for its size and the fangs can inject it deeply, the main factors leading to this infamous record are its commonality, its wide range, and its habit of lying mostly buried under the sand (which is compounded by it inhabiting areas in which people often go barefoot and lack modern medical facilities). They are the smallest of the "Big Four" dangerous snakes of India.
They are nocturnal, feasting on mice, lizards, frogs, scorpions, and other arthropods. The adjective "saw-scaled" comes from its hissing noise that resembles the sound of a saw.
2). Russell's Viper
Russell’s Viper is one of the deadliest snakes in the world and coupled with their smaller relative, the Saw-Scaled Viper, account for more snake bite deaths than all other species put together. The Russell’s Viper will transfer a large amount of venom into a single bite. This does not bode well for the victim. Some of the symptoms from a Russell’s Viper bite include pain lasting for 2-4 weeks (this should be an indication of how venomous these guys really are), drop in blood pressure and heart rate, bleeding of the gums, vomiting, swelling, and of course death may occur over two weeks after the bite. Even if you do survive the deadly bite there can be life long complications such as renal failure and a total lack of blood coagulation. Interestingly enough males bitten by this snake may lose their facial hair, have decreased libidos and actually have a reduction in male hormones.
3). Common Krait
Krait venom is extremely neurotoxic and induces muscle paralysis. Clinically, their venom contains pre-synaptic neurotoxins, and is many times more venomous than that of the common cobras. These neurotoxins generally affect the nerve endings near the synaptic gap of the brain. Kraits are nocturnal and seldom encounter humans during daylight hours, so incidents are rare. Note that there is frequently little or no pain from a krait bite and this can provide false reassurance to the victim. Typically, victims complain of severe abdominal cramps, accompanied by progressive paralysis. Once bitten, the absorption of the venom into the victim can be considerably delayed by applying a pressure bandage to the bite site (using about the same tension as one uses for a sprained ankle) and immobilising the area. This allow for gentle transport to medical facilities, where the venom can be treated when the bandage is removed. See www.divingmedicine.info, Chapters 29 and 42. As there are no local symptoms, a patient should be carefully observed for signs of paralysis (e.g., the onset of ptosis) and treated urgently with antivenin. Note that it is also possible to support bite victims viamechanical ventilation, using equipment of the type generally available at hospitals. Such support should be provided until the venom is metabolised and the victim can breathe unaided. If death occurs it takes place approximately 6-8 hours after the krait bite. Cause of death is general respiratory failure, i.e., suffocation.4). Indian (Spectacled) Cobra
The Asian cobra (Naja naja) was formerly considered a single species with much the same distribution as the king cobra. Recently, however, biologists have discovered that nearly a dozen species exist in Asia, some being venom spitters and others not. They vary both in size (most ranging between 1.25 and 1.75 metres) and in the toxicity of their venom. Spitters propel venom.
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