How long do snakes live? Already ordinary
The variety of snake snakes is simply amazing! They are found almost everywhere. These are terrestrial and burrowing, arboreal and aquatic, nocturnal and diurnal, poisonous and not very poisonous, as well as oviparous and viviparous species. These are both large (up to 4 meters long) and small (up to 15 centimeters) snakes. I wonder what snakes eat with such a variety of species?
Snake menu
Many of them “specialize” in a particular food. For example, egg snakes (egg eaters) feed on bird eggs, swallowing them whole. When an egg enters the esophagus, the snake begins to bend sharply, which allows the processes of its vertebrae to crush. All the liquid contained in the egg enters the stomach, and the remains of the shell are regurgitated by the snake through the mouth. There is probably no need to explain what snakes, for example, fish-eating species, eat. There are individuals that feast only on frogs or only
What snakes eat does not affect their poisonous abilities in any way. The fact is that in itself it is absolutely safe, and in general snake snakes are considered non-venomous. However, as they say, there are species whose bite can be fatal to humans. But still, the vast majority of snake snakes that produce venom either do not have developed poisonous teeth, or something similar to such a tooth is located in the depths of the mouth, which makes it difficult to introduce their venom into the human body.
Where and how do they live?
Almost 30 species live in our country. Of these, the most common is, of course, This snake is common not only in Russia, but also in almost all of Europe, North Africa and Asia. She chooses wet places: lakes, ponds, grassy swamps, and sometimes mountains and open steppes. Common snakes are active in daylight hours days, and at night they hide in shelters. The hunting time of these snakes is morning and evening. They mate at the end of April - May, and already in July the female lays up to 30 eggs. Newly hatched snakes are already 15 centimeters long and immediately begin to live independently.
Above we told you what snakes eat different types. This particular one eats small frogs, lizards, small birds and their chicks, as well as small mammals
Its brother, the water snake, lives only in the south of our country, because it is very thermophilic. His external difference from common snake- ribbed scales and absence of yellow spots on the edges of the head. This snake is brown, greenish or gray with spots scattered on the back and sides. The eyes of the water snake, as well as its nostrils, are directed upward. As the name suggests, these snakes live in bodies of water, both fresh and salt water. They are excellent divers. They feed mainly on various small fish.
Human - main enemy snake A lot of these snakes die at the hands of people. This happens because we do not know how to distinguish poisonous snakes(for example, a viper) from harmless ones, which include snakes, as a result of which we act for sure - we kill harmless representatives. Remember that snakes in the house are not dangerous at all. Bright orange spots located on the back of the head, as well as rather large scutes and a graceful body, noticeably distinguish the snake from a massive viper. There are no such spots on the viper's head, but it is covered with small scales.
Snakes are slender, non-venomous snakes. Their dorsal scales have pronounced keels. The pupil is round. The head is protected by a small number of large smooth scutes. Abdominal side usually spotted.
All snakes “love” water - they swim and dive perfectly.
The ordinary one is the most major representative a kind of snake. Its record length (including tail) is 205 cm, but usually adult specimens do not reach a meter in size. The tail is relatively long, occupying a fifth and sometimes a third of the total length. The most common color of the grass snake for us is black with a pair of large yellow spots at the back of the head. However, other color variations are also common, and in some habitats of the species there are many more of them than in others. The upperparts may be gray in various shades, sometimes with dark, sometimes staggered spots or narrow transverse stripes. Dark spots may form a fine mesh pattern. There are forms of snakes with longitudinal light stripes. The spots at the back of the head can be of different shades yellow color, as well as white, orange-red or pink. Sometimes they are absent altogether. The upper labial scutes are white, separated by black stripes. The ventral side of the body is grayish-white with blue-gray or black spots. Among common snakes, complete melanists - completely black individuals - are occasionally found. There are also known cases of the appearance of real grayish-white-pink albinos with red eyes. Snakes' eyes are quite large.
The differences between males and females are weakly expressed. Males are somewhat smaller than females, and they have more a long tail.
Range of the common grass snake
The common grass snake has a huge range - almost all of Europe, North Africa and a significant part of Asia (including areas of Northern Mongolia and Northern China). In Russia, it is found throughout the European part, reaching the south of the Republics of Karelia and Komi. In the east of the country it spreads to Lake Baikal.
The common grass snake is found in a wide variety of, but mostly wet, places. There are many snakes in the floodplains of rivers, along the banks of lakes and ponds, in swamps, and in reed thickets. However, they can be found both in the steppe and in the mountains at altitudes up to 2500 meters. This snake is not afraid of human proximity, often appears on cultivated lands, and even crawls into buildings. Sometimes it settles in the basements of houses, in heaps of garbage, etc.
In some habitats, snakes are very numerous. At the same time, in the north of the range, in Russia, it is very rare view; here it is possible to detect only single individuals, and local population, usually very familiar with the surrounding fauna, knows nothing about it.
Snakes crawl very quickly and deftly, easily climb trees, often enter the water and swim well, dive and can stay under water for a long time (up to half an hour). Once a swimming snake was spotted in the open sea at a distance of 25 miles from the coast.
Snakes do not have special holes or shelters - at night they hide under the roots of trees, in piles of leaves and branches, under stones. They often crawl into hay and into cracks in buildings. For the winter, they take refuge in deeper and more reliable places - in rodent burrows, pits, and also in human buildings. It happened that very coldy They drove snakes wintering there out of the basements of houses and they appeared in the rooms, and sometimes even crawled into the bed. Snakes often overwinter alone or in groups of several individuals. But they often have mass wintering sites, where animals crawl to large quantities. They can spend the winter there together with snakes. common vipers and copperheads. Sometimes real snake processions are observed, when along paths invisible to us, but familiar to the snakes, they crawl to their wintering places one after another in a certain direction (perhaps the scent trail left by their fellow pioneers helps them find their way). The common snake is a very peaceful snake. When meeting a person, he always tries to slip away unnoticed. If this fails, it can defend itself, trying to scare off the enemy. Like a cobra, it raises the front part of its body, while its neck becomes flat. It hisses and lunges towards danger, sometimes even with its mouth open. However, it bites extremely rarely, even if you pick it up. The bite of its small teeth, although sensitive, is not strong or painful. Usually he tries to free himself with vigorous movements of the whole body and releases a foul-smelling liquid from the glands located near the cloaca. It also emptys the intestines by regurgitating recently eaten food and throwing out excrement. Perhaps he does this not so much as a defense, but because of stress. If this does not help, he uses a very characteristic tactic - pretending to be dead. All his muscles relax, he hangs like a rope, his mouth is lifelessly open, his tongue falls out of it, and in some cases even saliva with blood drips. He can pretend to be dead not only in his hands, but also on the ground, if the pursuer does not give him the opportunity to hide. Often at the same time he turns out, as if in convulsions. ventral side up.
What do common snakes eat?
Snakes are active at dusk and during the day. It would seem that with such a wide range of habitats and activity times, and even being so dexterous, snakes could catch a wide variety of prey. But, unlike boas, they prefer almost exclusively amphibians, mainly frogs, as well as newts, toads, and tadpoles. Much less often they eat insects, fish, and lizards; very rarely - birds and mammals. Having destroyed a bird's nest, it can feast on chicks or eggs, but these are exceptional cases (as are cases of swallowing vipers when these snakes are kept together in a terrarium). The dependence of snakes on frogs is strong, and the reason for the disappearance of these snakes in a number of places was a sharp decline number of frogs.
Snakes do not lie in wait for their prey, but actively search for it. Having noticed the frog, he begins to touch and does not sing and carefully creep up to it (if one can say so about an animal completely devoid of limbs). When he manages to crawl close enough to the potential victim without disturbing the potential victim, he makes a sharp lunge and grabs the frog.
It holds slippery prey small sharp teeth. If a cautious frog notices the danger in time and dives into the water, it will no longer pursue it, but will slowly begin to look out for a new victim. On land, when he sees a frog, he can chase it. The frog, apparently, is experiencing severe stress at this moment - it “runs away” not with long jumps, which would give it a chance of salvation, but with short and rare jumps. At the same time, she makes a strange sound, completely different from the croaking we are used to, reminiscent of a plaintive bleat. It is not at all difficult for a snake to catch such prey.
The captured victim immediately begins to swallow alive. Frogs have no claws, no teeth, no sharp spines that are dangerous for a predator, so they don’t risk anything. His mouth opens incredibly wide, and he doesn’t care which end he eats the victim from - he swallows it from the place where he grabbed it. After all, as soon as you loosen your grip, the frightened, but still living and mobile prey will slip away. The left and right halves of the jaws of the snake, like most snakes, are movably connected to each other and “work” like the blades of a snowblower, alternately intercepting the body of the victim and gradually pushing it into the mouth. The unfortunate frog beats and croaks. Swallowing large production can last a long time, sometimes several hours. It swallows small frogs quickly, practically without damaging them. If you catch a snake that has just eaten, it will regurgitate its prey. And sometimes it turns out that recently “eaten” frogs remain alive and subsequently return to normal - being inside the snake does not reduce their viability.
However, not all types of prey are completely defenseless against the snake. Toads sometimes manage to protect themselves using characteristic defensive techniques. The poisonous secretions of the skin glands of some amphibians - the fire salamander, the midwife toad - are dangerous for snakes. There have been cases when snakes that swallowed salamanders died from poisoning.
Common grass snakes have pronounced individual differences in tastes: some, in addition to frogs, willingly eat, for example, toads, others never touch them. Some individuals in the terrarium get used to eating raw meat.
Snakes are voracious: they can swallow four to five frogs at a time. But they can also go hungry for a long time. There is a known case when large female lived without food for 14 months, maintaining mobility; she only drank water.
Ordinary snakes look at each other rather indifferently. They do not have any forms of aggressive behavior towards their relatives. This is obviously due to the formation of large concentrations of grass snakes in different situations- during the winter, in the most suitable places for recreation or hunting, during breeding.
Breeding snakes
Basic mating season- spring, but sometimes autumn mating is also observed. In general, snakes appear quite early after wintering. There is still snow everywhere in the forest, and somewhere on the edge, in clearings, you can find someone curled up in a tight ball, basking in the rays. spring sun snake In such warm, wind-protected areas in the spring, males and females meet to procreate. In the most favorable places in good weather You can meet several couples at the same time. Sometimes a female attracts several males at once - up to 20 applicants have been observed courting a single female. In this case, a group of snakes is formed, which is sometimes called a “mating ball”. At the same time, the rivals do not fight each other, much less bite. They only seek to prevent each other from taking possession of the female.
Courtship behavior in common grass snakes is simple. The male, approaching the female, periodically nods his head, then usually crawls onto her or presses tightly to her side, wrapping his tail around her tail. The male snake does not hold his partner with his jaws, as some other snakes do. During mating, snakes lose their usual vigilance, and you can get very close to them.
Common snakes reproduce by laying eggs that have different shapes - either oblong, elongated, or more rounded, and sometimes pear-shaped. The length of the egg is from 2 to 4 centimeters, the diameter is 1-2 centimeters. The eggs are covered with a white leathery film, which is moist and sticky immediately after laying. This shell consists of microscopic fibers of the different structures, which are impregnated with sticky protein. Thanks to this, the eggs stick together and stick to surrounding objects. After drying, the shell becomes denser and it is quite difficult to separate the eggs or remove them from the clutch. Such a strong, non-crumbling masonry ensures better preservation of eggs and protects them from loss of moisture.
The clutch size depends primarily on the age of the female. Young snakes lay 8-15 eggs, older ones - about 30. The record clutch consisted of 105 eggs.
For successful incubation of eggs, the female chooses a moist, warm place, protected from the sun, most often a pile of loose substrate - peat, foliage, sawdust, etc. There, easily pushing apart, for example, foliage with her body, she builds a chamber and lays eggs in it in a compact heap. If an object lying on the ground (for example, a rotten tree trunk) is selected for this purpose, the eggs are laid in an elongated layer. Places with the most favorable conditions Many females are attracted to lay eggs, and then mass clutches occur, which are widely known specifically among common grass snakes. Up to three thousand eggs were found in them, laid by many females.
A “public” incubator can be located in one place for several years. Sometimes mass clutches are found near human habitation. Once such masonry was made in the cracks of the stone wall of an old house. And when hatching began, the residents were subjected to a real invasion of newborn snakes. Frightened people killed more than 1,200 people.
Depending on the environmental temperature, the incubation period lasts one to two months. When ready to hatch, the chick has developed a special egg tooth, with which it makes several cuts in the shell of the egg and opens the exit to the outside. When it first sees the light, the baby snake carefully pokes its head out and, at the slightest danger, hides back into the egg. Only after making sure that nothing threatens him does he slip out of the shell.
The length of newborns is 14-22 centimeters; in color they practically do not differ from adult individuals. In nature, they immediately begin to feed on baby frogs, as well as earthworms and insects. They become sexually mature in the third or fourth year of life. The life of every ordinary snake is connected with certain space- an individual site on which he spends the main part of the active season from year to year. Such an area has an area of several hectares, and there are shelters, hunting and resting places well known to the snake. The individual territories of individual individuals overlap widely, since the snakes do not defend their possessions in any way. They may leave their areas for wintering shelters, but return back in the spring. Female grass snakes also migrate to egg-laying sites.
Enemies of common snakes
No effective active ways This snake has no protection from enemies - it can either run away or scare off its pursuer. Therefore, many different animals include grass snakes in their menu. Dinner eggs are often attacked by ants. Newborns even become victims of predatory insects (for example, ground beetles). Snakes swimming in the water are attacked large fish: There is a known case when a rainbow trout 37 centimeters long was caught while eating a 62-centimeter snake. Common snakes and their favorite food - toads and frogs - sometimes switch roles. During the period of mass birth, it is compressed large toads and lake frogs regularly feast on them. In rare cases, constrictors become victims large lizards, sometimes snakes of other species prey on snakes. About 40 species of birds include them in their diet. There are no fewer enemies among mammals; This includes the hedgehog - the threat of all snakes, and small rodents that willingly feed on small bites; there are also cases of cannibalism.
The snake's serious enemy is man. The snake is a very noticeable snake that also lives close to humans. Since fear of snakes is in people’s blood, it is difficult to distinguish between dangerous and harmless snakes Many people don’t know how, and “just in case” they destroy snakes. Meanwhile, to distinguish an ordinary grass snake from the only one that lives together with it in most regions of Russia poisonous viper snake quite simple. Bright, usually yellow, spots in the back of the head, large scutes on it and a long slender body clearly distinguish the snake from the massive viper, whose head is covered with small scales and scutes and never has such spots. Snakes are also disappearing due to a decrease in the number of frogs, as well as due to the drying out of their wet habitats. In many places in Europe, this snake is among the species under threat of complete extinction.
A peace-loving person gets along well with people and in the house. In the terrarium, he quickly gets used to the owner and even takes food from his hands. It is much less demanding on living conditions than most other reptiles. Easily reproduces in captivity. In the 19th century in the Kazan province, snakes were kept as pets in some huts.
As a child, I often went fishing and into the forest to pick berries or mushrooms. And, of course, in wet weather I met snake. Very unpleasant animals. And most often grass snake. Yes, many will say that you shouldn’t be afraid of snakes, and they are generally harmless. But when you are in the forest and see a snake, you do not have time to quickly determine what kind of snake it is. So, now I will tell you about the fear of my childhood. About " already».
What do snakes eat?
Already - this snake, which is most common in Eurasia, not poisonous. His diet is not very varied, here is a list of what he usually eats feeds:
- Alive frogs.
- Rodents.
- Fish.
Here's a list of those who usually eats snakes:
- Storks.
- Predatory birds.
- Some mammals.
The snake's feeding method is the same as that of all other snakes. No longer chews prey, but swallowsfully, and since this snake has no poison, the victim at the moment of swallowing will still be alive. If the object is large enough, then the process of eating can last a very long time. But after such a meal maybe I won't eat for several days. Several cases were recorded when the snake remained without food for 300 days and did not suffer any harm to health. Snakes can go a long time without food, but They cannot live without water.
A snake usually stays on earth for a long time pursues your victim. In water, on the contrary, it hides in some place and waitingt booty, which itself floats to him.
A little information about already
Identify a snake from other snakes you can on yellow, or white spot on the head. But in very rare cases there may be no spot on the head at all. Usually snakes do not differ in size, but in some cases the size of females reaches up to 2,5 meters in length.
No matter how strange it may sound, it’s really easy tamed and does not experience any special problems with life Vcaptivity. In Ukraine and Belarus, cases have been recorded when local residents tamed snakes for catching mice.
Already - not aggressive snake. But when he is attacked, he begins hiss and throws his head forward. If this does not help, then he releases odorous liquid, which scares away animals. When all else fails, the snake simply pretends to be dead, relaxing all muscles.
Not many people like snakes, but we have to meet them. The main thing is to know how to distinguish one snake from another. But never go close to a snake unless you are sure that it will not cause you much harm. be careful!
Few people are not afraid of snakes. Fear of reptiles is in human blood. And this is no coincidence, because the bite of a viper, which is common in our country, is very dangerous and can be fatal. But quite often it is confused with a non-venomous snake, which is a little similar to it. This snake is not aggressive, and its bite, although painful, is not dangerous. You can encounter both snakes and vipers while relaxing in nature, walking through the forest, and even on your summer cottage. Usually, when a person sees a reptile, he gets scared and sometimes tries to kill it. You need to know what a snake looks like in order to know how to behave when meeting a snake. It’s better not to touch it at all, and if you recognize the viper, then try to get away from it.
What types of snakes are there?
This non-aggressive and non-dangerous snake causes fear and hostility among most people. After all, not everyone knows what it looks like. You can meet him almost anywhere, but most of all he likes to live near bodies of water. IN Middle lane In Russia, the most common is the common snake, which has characteristic distinctive features - by these it is easy to distinguish it from the viper. But the water snake, living further south, is very similar to its poisonous relative, since it also has a dark or black color. On Far East There is also a tiger, which has poisonous teeth. He's something to be wary of. But now we are interested in the ordinary one and its difference from the viper. After all, this particular snake can be found in a country house or in a village yard, on the beach or in the forest.
What does an ordinary one look like?
This snake is usually small size- from 50 to 80 centimeters.
But there are also individuals about one and a half meters long. Basic hallmark snake, which is known to many - these are light, usually yellow or orange spots on the back of the head, forming something like ears. This snake happens different color, most often brown, gray or olive, sometimes its body is covered with a bright pattern in the form of spots. They can be dark or light, scattered over the snake’s body or arranged in a checkerboard pattern. The abdomen is always lighter in color, sometimes even white. The body of this snake is elongated, the tail is very long, tapering at the end. The head of the snake is oval, but when it is in danger, it can make it look like the head of a viper. His eyes are large and round.
Snake behavior
1. This snake is not at all aggressive and will never attack first; it would rather crawl away. Its only means of defense against predators is the ability to release a sharp, very bad smell in moments of danger. At the same time, she may regurgitate all the food she has eaten. And if you pick it up, he most often pretends to be dead, hanging like a rope.
2. These snakes live near water and swim very well. But those who know what snakes look like have seen them on the roads, basking in the sun in clearings and even near human habitation. And in winter in search warm place they may even crawl into the house.
3. The main food of snakes is frogs and toads. These snakes actively hunt, quickly pursuing their prey and then catching it. Holding the victim with small sharp teeth, it gradually swallows it whole. Sometimes this snake can feast on fish, small rodents or birds, but this happens very rarely.
4. People get scared when they see a clutch of many eggs on the ground. After all, when snakes hatch, the sight is not very pleasant, especially if it happens near the house. But if everyone knew what snake eggs look like, the senseless extermination of this species could be avoided. The female lays them in a warm and damp place, because their peel is very thin and dries out easily. The clutch consists of small round white eggs, often glued together.
Differences between a snake and a viper
In addition to the main characteristic feature - yellow ears on the back of the head, which many people know, these snakes have several more differences. And people who are often in nature need to know what a grass snake and a viper look like.
You can distinguish them by their eyes: the viper has a vertical narrow pupil, and the grass snake has a round one.
Their heads are also different: triangular for the viper and oval for the grass snake.
A poisonous snake is usually dark in color, often black, with a zigzag pattern running down its back, and it can be of any color, its distinguishing feature being dark or bright spots and a lighter belly.
They can also be distinguished by the shape of their body: in vipers it is thicker and shorter, the tail is blunt and short. Snakes are thinner and longer, and have a tail that gradually becomes sharper towards the end.
Why know what it looks like?
This snake can be found everywhere, even in a village house. In order not to confuse it with a viper, you need to imagine what it is like. It is also advisable to know what a snake bite looks like. After all, after a person has been bitten by a viper, his life is in danger, and he definitely needs health care. And it’s not poisonous; usually it only scratches the skin with its teeth. This is quite painful, but not dangerous. To avoid trouble, it is better not to come close to any snakes at all, but try to avoid them.
How to distinguish a grass snake from a viper is an important question for tourists, berry and mushroom gatherers. Is it possible to quickly determine how dangerous a creature you meet on a forest path is? IN Russian forests There are many types of poisonous and non-venomous snakes that differ from each other appearance and character, but they all have one common feature– they never attack a person first; on the contrary, they try in every possible way to avoid contact with people, and when meeting them, move as far away from them as possible. Therefore, you need to move through a forest or clearing with caution; perhaps the place you have chosen for relaxation and walking is home for someone.
How is it different from a viper? Let's name the main similarities and differences between the viper and the grass snake.
External signs
The snake and the viper - the differences and similarities are understandable only to serpentologists who willingly share their knowledge and observations with others. At first glance, the similarity between snakes and vipers is obvious, and in both cases we see in front of us a long, crawling reptile. It is not easy for a non-specialist to determine the difference between them. If these two types of snakes are nearby, it is easier to compare them, but when examined separately, it is much more difficult to determine which one you encountered along the way.
Most main feature What distinguishes a snake from a viper is the presence of yellow semicircular spots at the base of the head, which can be mistaken for ears. However, not all snakes have such spots; they may be absent altogether, or may not stand out much against the background of the rest of the color.
These two amphibians different shape heads. The viper has a spear-shaped head, while the snake has an oval, egg-shaped head. However, if it gets really angry, it begins to flatten its head to scare the enemy. Another difference is that the viper has distinct arches above its eyes, extending from its neck.
There is also a difference in the pupils of the eyes, although extreme conditions It is not always possible to look closely at these small signs. The snake's pupils are always round, while the viper's pupils are in the form of thin vertical lines. The eyes of snakes are distinguished by the presence of an iris, which is compatible in color with the general color of the body, and they have good vision. Whereas the viper has poor eyesight and does not see well. The approach of a person or animal is indicated to her by vibrations of the soil, which she is able to sensitively detect. Venomous snake attacks are no different high accuracy To hit the target she has to make several lunges. To produce poison in its body, the viper has to expend too much energy, so it spends the poison sparingly, which explains its reluctance to attack everyone and at any opportunity.
The shape of the scutes of the two amphibians also differs. In snakes they are large, correct form, are located symmetrically and cover almost the entire head. And vipers have three small shields free form, and they are located on the front of the crown.
Another difference between a viper and a grass snake is the color of its body. Although in nature there are a great many poisonous and non-venomous snakes with patterns various shapes and coloring, therefore this method does not always allow you to quickly determine the type of reptile.
The most important thing to remember is that the viper has a continuous zigzag stripe made up of triangles along its back. In snakes, the pattern consists of longitudinal rows consisting of specks and spots that make up a noticeable pattern. At the same time, the black viper has no pattern at all, while the black snake has a pattern made up of small yellowish spots and forms a kind of mesh.
In addition, the water snake has light and dark spots in a checkerboard pattern that can be confused with the zigzag pattern of a viper.
The color tone of snakes can also be different - brown, olive or black. Some snakes are indeed difficult to distinguish from poisonous snakes by their color; this helps them protect themselves from attacks by humans and some predatory animals.
The viper's body is thicker and denser, but shorter than that of the snake. And their tail is very different in thickness from the body - it is short, blunt and lighter than the body. In addition, it has a yellowish tint. In snakes, the body smoothly transitions to the tail, which is thin and long.
The shape of the scales is a feature that distinguishes venomous snakes from non-venomous ones. A small keel in the form of a narrow protrusion on each scale, which divides it in half, is present in both snakes and vipers. But in poisonous reptiles, the keel does not divide the scales into two parts, leaving it intact. Whereas in non-poisonous ones it divides the scales into two parts. This method of distinguishing a viper from a snake is also not easy and simple in conditions wildlife. It is possible to carefully study the structure of scales in reptiles only from a close distance, which is not always safe to reduce.
Poisonous teeth - this feature is found only in vipers. But they can also be identified only by picking up the reptile. A non-specialist can study the structure of the jaws only on a dead animal, but even in this case, care must be taken, even a dead viper remains dangerous for some time, the poison in its teeth remains for a long time, if you prick yourself on them, poisoning can occur.
In order to reveal the teeth, you need to press the jaws from the sides and slightly pull the skin off the head. The fangs with poison are located in front, they can be noticed first. Snakes do not have poisonous teeth at all.
Body length – as a rule, vipers are not very long. Their length rarely exceeds 1 meter, and is generally 80 cm. Males weigh about 200 grams, and females weigh about half a kilogram. Snakes can grow up to one and a half meters, while their weight is small - 700-800 grams.
The abdominal scutes also differ between vipers and grass snakes. The abdomen of vipers is dark gray or black, the scutes on it are covered with yellowish spots of various shapes. In snakes, the abdomen is divided into three parts: the upper one, immediately from the head, is light; middle – variegated; the lower one is uniform black. The water snake may have whitish or orange spots on its abdominal scutes.
There are species of snakes that have their own characteristics, for example, water snakes. These are heat-loving reptiles that live in warm regions in fresh or salt water. They feed on fish, shrimp, frogs, and small waterfowl.
The color of water snakes is dark green, brown, olive, grayish. But they almost always have dark spots on their backs, arranged in a checkerboard pattern. The abdomen is yellow or reddish with black spots.
Already
Differences in diet and lifestyle
Snakes and vipers differ from each other not only external signs, but also diet and lifestyle. For example, snakes readily climb trees, while vipers prefer to stay on the ground. Vipers do not lay eggs, they are viviparous, whereas snakes reproduce from eggs that they lay in rotting plant debris, wet moss, into holes.
In fact, viper cubs also emerge from eggs, but this entire process, from the birth of eggs to the appearance of snakes, occurs in the mother’s womb. The mother carries her 8-12 cubs within herself from start to finish.
Snakes, and not only aquatic species, prefer to settle near water - in swamps, in the floodplains of rivers and lakes, near ponds. Therefore, they feed mainly on fish and small water inhabitants, swallowing them alive without first killing them.
Doesn't hurt a person fatal bites, and when in danger, tries to convince or pretend to be dead. But when caught, he will try to secrete a liquid with a disgusting odor from the cloacal glands - this is his only defense against enemies.
Surprisingly, snakes can be tamed and domesticated. At home they are kept for hunting rodents and fed with milk from domestic animals.
Vipers have adapted well to life in swamps, mountains, steppes, deserts, semi-deserts and mixed forests.
The viper lives in one area and does not like to move long distances. Only when leaving for the winter do snakes crawl away to a distance of up to five kilometers, gathering into large balls numbering 2-3 hundred individuals. For the winter, vipers climb into holes and crevices, and in the spring they begin to crawl up and crawl back to their former habitats.
The viper feeds on mice, lizards, bird eggs, chicks. The diet of young snakes consists of insects - slugs, snails, caterpillars, locusts, beetles, butterflies, worms, ants.
If bitten by a viper
Viper venom is dangerous to humans, but with proper treatment it will not cause death. In 70% of bites, people do not feel serious symptoms at all, or only feel pain at the bite sites.
In case of severe poisoning, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and diarrhea begin. The pressure rises, the skin turns pale, heart rhythms are disturbed, and all signs of tachycardia appear.
Less often it comes to loss of consciousness and a significant decrease in blood pressure. Kidney failure appears, convulsions begin, and the person falls into a coma.
In case of mild poisoning, a person can recover from the bite on his own within 3-4 days. In severe cases, the consequences can be felt within a year. In any case, you need to contact the clinic.
Before going to the hospital, the person bitten should be given more water, apply a tight bandage to the bite site, but do not tourniquet, try not to move the injured limb so that the poison does not spread throughout the body.