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Information
about Snakes |
With your help
we discover some
of the great
marvels of the
world including:
Garter Snakes,
Black Snakes,
King Snakes,
Boa Snakes,
Python Snakes,
Copperhead
Snakes,
Water Moccasin
Snakes,
Rattlesnakes,
Coral Snakes,
Snake
Characteristics,
Snakes Anatomy,
and
Snakes
Reproduction. |
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Snakes
With over 2000 species of snakes world wide we uncover some of the
information, myths, legends, as well as how to care for your snakes. |
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Swords
A long edged cutting weapon called a sword was once the most advanced
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Disc Golf
Disc Golf is the Ultimate Frisbee meets golf. Learn how to play, and where
to find local Disc Golf communities. |
 Rattlesnakes
rattlesnake, poisonous New World snake of the pit viper family, distinguished by
a rattle at the end of the tail. The head is triangular, being widened at the
base. The rattle is a series of dried, hollow segments of skin, which, when
shaken, make a whirring sound. When the snake is alarmed, it shakes its tail,
and the noise serves as a warning to the attacker. While the snake is young,
three or four segments are usually added each year, one at each molt. After
maturity fewer develop and old ones start to break off. Rattlesnakes feed on
rodents, birds, and other warm-blooded animals. Like other pit vipers, they have
heat-sensitive organs in pits on the sides of the head, which help them locate
and strike at their prey. The erectile fangs are folded back in the mouth,
except when the snake strikes. The venom is highly toxic to humans and
occasionally proves fatal.. Rattlesnakes bear live young. Most species are
classified in the genus Crotalus. The timber rattlesnake, C. horridus, is found
from S Maine to NE Florida and W to Iowa and Texas. It is from 3 1/2 to 5 ft
(105–150 cm) long and is yellow or tan with wide, dark crossbands. The largest
and deadliest species is the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, C. adamanteus, of
the S and SE United States, which reaches a length of 5 to 8 ft (1.5–2.4 m). The
western diamondback, C. atrox, is shorter and thicker. The western, or prairie,
rattlesnake, C. viridis, sometimes lives in prairie-dog burrows. The sidewinder,
C. cerastes, is a North American desert species. The approximately 30 Crotalus
species range from S Canada to N Argentina. The genus Sistrurus comprises the
three pygmy rattlesnake species of the United States and Mexico. The smallest,
S. miliarius, of the SE United States, is under 18 in. (45 cm) long.
Rattlesnakes are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class
Reptilia, order Squamata, family Crotalidae.
Garter Snakes
garter snake, harmless snake of the genus Thamnophis, abundant from Canada to
Central America. There are many common species; members of most species are
about 2 ft (60 cm) long. Most garter snakes are striped or banded lengthwise,
and some are spotted between the stripes. Less aquatic as a group than the
related water snakes, they are found near water in dry country and are widely
distributed in moist regions. They prey on cold-blooded animals, chiefly frogs,
toads, small fish, and earthworms. Females bear live young in large litters,
sometimes numbering 50 or more. The common garter snake of the NE United States,
Thamnophis sirtalis, varies in color and pattern but is usually blackish or
brownish with three yellow stripes. The ribbon snake, T. sauritus, is a very
slender garter snake that prefers wet places. Garter snakes are classified in
the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Reptilia, order Squamata,
family Colubridae.
Black Snakes
black snake, name for several snakes, not all closely related, that are black in
color. In the United States the name is applied chiefly to the black racer and
to the black rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta), both partly arboreal in their habits.
The black rat snake, also called pilot black snake and mountain black snake, is
found in the NE United States. Like other rat snakes (Elaphe species), it is a
constrictor and a valuable destroyer of rats and mice. It has shiny, slightly
keeled scales and reaches a length of 8 ft (2.4 m). The poisonous Australian
black snake belongs to the cobra family and has a hood. The North American black
snakes are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class
Reptilia, order Squamata, family Colubridae.
King Snakes
king snake, name for a number of species of the genus Lampropeltis, nonvenomous,
egg-laying, constricting snakes of North America which show much variation in
color and markings. The common king snake, or chain snake (Lampropeltis getulus),
of the E United States is usually about 3 to 5 ft (90–150 cm) long and black or
brown with yellow and white rings or bands that form a chainlike pattern. It
eats rodents, birds, and snakes. It is immune to the venom of the rattlesnake
and the copperhead, which it kills by constriction. The scarlet king snake (L.
doliata) has a pattern of black, red, and yellow bands similar to that of the
unrelated coral snake. Other less brightly marked varieties of the same species
are called milk snakes, because they are reputed by legend to milk cows. King
snakes are valuable destroyers of rodents. They are classified in the phylum
Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Reptilia, order Squamata, family
Colubridae.
Boa Snakes
boa , name for live-bearing constrictor snakes of the family Boidae, found
mostly in the Americas. This family, which also comprises the egg-laying pythons
of the Old World, includes the largest of all snakes, as well as many smaller
ones. Members of the boa family have two functional lungs instead of one, as is
found in other snakes, and vestiges of hind limbs; these primitive
characteristics are indicative of their relationship to lizards. Each of the two
tiny, internal leg bones ends in an external horny claw; the claws are much more
prominent in males than in females. Boas capture their prey by striking with
their teeth and simultaneously throwing their bodies in a coil around the
victim. They then squeeze the animal so that, unable to expand its rib cage, it
suffocates. Like other snakes, boas swallow the prey whole. Over 30 boa species
are found from Mexico to South America, with the greatest variey in the tropics,
and two in the United States. Boas may be terrestrial, arboreal, or burrowing.
Some are brightly colored, like the green and white emerald tree boa of the
tropics (Boa canina), or iridescent, like the wide-ranging rainbow boa (Epicrates
cenchris). Best known is the boa constrictor (Constrictor constrictor), which
lives in a variety of terrestrial habitats from S Mexico to central Argentina.
It averages 6 to 9 ft (1.8–2.7 m) in length, occasionally reaching 14 ft (4.3
m), and has dark brown diamond markings on a lighter background. The South
American anaconda (Eunectes murinus) is a semiaquatic boa that inhabits swamps
and river shallows, catching animals that come to drink. The longest member of
the boa family and the thickest of all snakes, it may reach 25 ft (7.9 m) in
length and 3 ft (90 cm) in girth. The rubber boa (Charina bottae) is found in
moist regions of the far W United States and extreme SW Canada. It is a
burrower, about 18 in. (46 cm) long, with a narrow, blunt head, broad, blunt
tail, and silver-green skin. It feeds chiefly on lizards and rodents. The rosy
boa (Lichanura roseofusca) is found in chaparral in the SW United States and N
Mexico; it grows about 3 ft (90 cm) long. It has large, dark brown spots on a
lighter background. Several species of sand boa (Eryx) are distributed from
India and central Asia to N Africa and SE Europe; all are burrowers in sand.
There are also several boa species on Madagascar and several on Pacific islands.
Boas are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Reptilia,
order Squamata, family Boidae.
Python Snakes
python , name for nonvenomous constrictor snakes of the boa family, found in the
tropical regions of Africa, Asia, Australia, and the S Pacific islands. Pythons
climb and swim expertly. They kill the birds and mammals on which they feed by
squeezing them in their coils. Unlike boas, pythons are egg layers. The female
coils her body over the eggs for the six to eight week incubation period. The
reticulated, or royal, python, Python reticulatus, of SE Asia, Indonesia, and
the Philippines is one of the largest snakes in the world and may reach a length
of 30 ft (9 m) or more. It is often found in towns as well as in the forest.
Pythons are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class
Reptilia, order Squamata, family Boidae.
Copperhead Snakes
copperhead, poisonous snake, Ancistrodon contortrix, of the E United States.
Like its close relative, the water moccasin, the copperhead is a member of the
pit viper family and detects its warm-blooded prey by means of a heat-sensitive
organ behind the nostril. The body, which may reach a length of 4 ft (120 cm),
is hazel brown with chestnut-colored crossbands above and pinkish white with
dark spots below. The head is a pale copper color. Copperheads inhabit rocky
areas with thick underbrush, even in heavily populated regions. They feed
chiefly on small mammals, but will also capture large insects, frogs, and other
snakes. They are most active in late afternoon and early evening. The young are
born alive. Copperheads are not aggressive and usually attempt escape when
threatened, but they strike swiftly if startled or attacked. The bite causes
severe pain and illness in humans but is seldom fatal. Copperheads are
classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Reptilia, order
Squamata, family Crotalidae.
Water Moccasin Snakes
water moccasin or cottonmouth,highly venomous snake, Ancistrodon piscivorus, of
the swamps and bayous of the S United States. Like the closely related
copperhead, it is a pit viper and has a heat-sensitive organ for detecting
warm-blooded prey. The young are born live. The young snake is a pale reddish
brown with transverse dark brown bands edged with white; as it ages the colors
dull to a blotched olive or brown and then to an unmarked olive or blackish in
old specimens. The maximum length is 6 ft (2 m), the average from 3 to 4 ft
(90–120 cm). A good climber, the water moccasin often relaxes on branches
overhanging the water. If startled it erects its head and shows the white
interior of its mouth—hence the name cottonmouth. It eats both warm-blooded and
cold-blooded animals. It is aggressive in the wild state but may become quite
tame in captivity. It is classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum
Vertebrata, class Reptilia, order Squamata, family Crotalidae.
Coral Snakes
coral snake, name for poisonous New World snakes of the same family as the Old
World cobras. About 30 species inhabit Mexico, Central America, and N South
America; two are found in the United States. The Eastern coral snake (Micrurus
fulvius), or harlequin snake, is found in the SE United States and N Mexico. It
is a burrowing snake with a small, blunt head and a cylindrical body, averaging
2 1/2 ft (75 cm) in length. The body is ringed with bands of black, red, and
yellow; the tail has yellow and black rings only. The Sonoran, or Western, coral
snake (Micruroides euryxanthus) is a rather rare species found in the SW United
States and NW Mexico. It is about 18 in. (45 cm) long and has much broader bands
of yellow than those of the Eastern species. Coral snakes can be distinguished
from a number of similarly colored harmless snakes by the fact that they are the
only ones with red bands touching yellow ones. The venom of coral snakes, like
that of cobras, acts on the nervous system and causes paralysis; the mortality
rate among humans who are bitten is high. However, coral snakes are infrequently
encountered because of their burrowing habits, and they seldom bite unless
handled. They feed on other snakes and on lizards. Coral snakes are classified
in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Reptilia, order Squamata,
family Elapidae.
Snake Characteristics
Anatomy
Snakes constitute the suborder Serpentes (or Ophidia). In most snakes limbs are
entirely lacking, but a few have traces of hind limbs. The skin, which is
covered with horny scales, is shed, usually several times a year. The extremely
long, narrow body is associated with distinctive internal features. The number
of vertebrae is much larger than in most vertebrates, paired internal organs are
arranged linearly rather than side by side, and only one lung is developed,
except in members of the boa family, which have two lungs. The jaws of snakes
are loosely jointed and extremely flexible. The pointed, backward-curved teeth
are fused to the supporting bones of the head. There are no ears or movable
eyelids. Snakes have good vision. They do not hear airborne sound waves, but can
perceive low-frequency vibrations (100–700 Hz) transmitted from the ground to
the bones of the skull. A chemosensory organ opens into the roof of the mouth;
it receives stimuli from the forked tongue that constantly tastes the
surroundings as the animal moves along. Snakes have no larynx or vocal chords,
but are capable of producing a hissing sound.
Locomotion and Limblessness
A snake moves by means of muscular contraction, which can produce several types
of locomotion, the commonest types being undulation and straight-line movement.
Straight-line movement is aided by the ventral plates, elongated scales on the
abdomen that overlap with their open ends pointing toward the tail. These plates
can be moved forward by means of muscles attached to the ribs.
It is believed that snakes are descended from lizards, but how and why they
evolved toward limblessness is uncertain. Some paleontologists have held that
limblessness was an evolutionary advantage in the dense vegetation that formed
the early environment of snakes, or that it developed to facilitate burrowing
habits, but others believe that the earliest snakes evolved in a marine
environment and are descended from marine lizards. Support for the latter view
comes from recent discovery of the most primitive snake now known, a fossil
specimen with two short but well-developed hind legs found in marine sediments
in Israel. It lived in a shallow sea 95 million years ago.
Predation
Small snakes feed on insects and larger ones on proportionately larger animals.
Their teeth are designed for catching and holding prey, but not for chewing. The
construction of the jaws, the ribs, and the expandable skin enable them to
swallow very large prey whole. Some snakes capture animals by pinning them to
the ground; some—the constrictors—crush them by wrapping their bodies around
them and squeezing; still others—the venomous snakes—inject poison into their
victims. The poison, or venom, is produced by modified salivary glands from
which it passes through either a groove or a hollow bore in the fangs, the
enlarged, specialized teeth found in venomous snakes. A snake may bite a person
when threatened or alarmed; if the snake is venomous the bite can sometimes
prove fatal. Only by familiarity with the appearance of particular species, or
by examination of the fangs, can the venomous snakes be distinguished from the
harmless ones.
Reproduction
Fertilization is internal in snakes; as in lizards, the males have paired
copulatory organs, either of which may be used in mating. Females of some
species can store sperm for several years to insure future fertilization. In
most species the female lays eggs; in some the eggs are incubated and hatched
within the mother's body; in a few there is true viviparity, or live birth, with
the young nourished by means of a placenta rather than an egg. Some egg-laying
snakes brood the eggs, but there is no parental care of the young. |
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Health & Diseases
What makes a healthy person? We discuss everything from health and fitness
to diseases and medical practices that are common around the world as well as
herbal remedies, and supplements to improve your health also take a look
at home-made remedies that work and some that don't. You decide.
Life in the water
It's hard to comprehend that more living creatures exist in the ocean than
all the animals on the land combined. Take a look at fresh-water and salt-water
living creatures. Coral reefs also known as sea gardens that grow in the photic
zone where the water is calm are also discussed.
Life on Land
Humans are only one of many species found on land. Although human beings may
be at the top of the food chain we are only a small percentage of the earths
population. Also learn more about tropical rain forests and waterfalls.
Unique Sports
Chances are that you have heard of many of the popular mainstream sports
such as cricket, football, soccer, hockey, baseball, basketball, golf, and
tennis but have you ever heard of disc golf, squash,
Crafts
Learn the art to home-made crafts. We provide you with easy directions to
some of the most popular crafts that can be made with things you most likely
have laying around the house or that you can find with ease at your local hobby
or craft shop.
7 Wonders of the World
Mother Nature has produces some wonderful things including the famous "7
Wonders of the World", these include
Mount Everest,
The Great
Barrier Reef,
The Grand Canyon,
Victoria Falls,
The Harbor of Rio de Janeiro,
Paricutin
Volcano, and
The Northern
Lights but did you know that their are also the 7 ancient wonders of the
world? Learn more today with Great
Marvels |
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