Posts Tagged ‘reptiles’
Snake Facts
There are more than 2,700 snakes varieties spread all over the world in temperate and warm climates; the only part of the globe where snakes cannot live is Antarctica. The diversity of the 2,700 snakes species is relevant in the size differences too: there are some only a few centimeters long while others reach the impressive length of nine meters like the anacondas or the pythons. Venomous snakes are a minority in this huge reptile family, but venom they inject in prey is so powerful that it could cause the death of a human being within a few minutes. Chronological research indicates that, the history and origins of snakes are lost in the Cretaceous period, some 150 million years ago, when it appears that snakes evolved from a lizard and changed their living environment.
Some modern species still carry primitive distinctive marks, this is the case with pythons and boas that still have vestiges of hind limbs, which only point to a past when snakes resembled lizards a lot more. Snakes or serpents making the subject of symbolic creations and being widely represented in the arts. Worshiped or hunted down as evil creatures, snakes surely have a fascination on human mind; yet, modern attitudes are partly different towards snakes particularly under the emphasis of the ecological movements that stress out the importance of these creatures for the balance of ecosystems. And they couldn’t be more right.
Fascinating details in the lives of snakes indicate that not everything has been discovered about the many existing species. Thus, it is interesting to study how the patterns on the body of snakes differentiate between individuals even within the same species. Then, snakes’ sensitivity to vibrations, the superior sense of smell and even the reception of low frequency sounds indicate the fact that snakes are fascinating. The same amount of scientific respect is due in terms of anatomical programing by the presence of the infrared sensitive receptors that allow pit vipers for instance to detect the warmth of the prey’s body.
Common habitats for humans and snakes are a reality, and people from areas with a higher variety of snake species and sub-species develop skills to distinguish between the hazardous or harmless varieties, and thus avoid them accordingly. Non-venomous snakes could also bite and injure one seriously when threatened, therefore, a healthy attitude towards such animals will save you a lot of trouble. Do not try to catch, hunt or kill snakes: they only feed and defend themselves as they cannot hold grudge and follow you just for the sake of biting.
Snake Repellant
Getting rid of snakes is quite of challenge in globe areas where people die because of snake bites. Presently, ingenious inventors have come up with special snake repellant systems, yet, besides the ready made items, there are common sense things that you can turn to so as eliminate the chances of snakes choosing your garden to make their den. First of all, bushes, shrubs and ponds are great snake habitats, as they provide a great hiding corner to stalk on prey; moreover, in a bushy garden, snakes can move freely from one spot to another without difficulty. Therefore, a first snake repellant solution is to keep thick vegetation away from the house.
Then, mowing the lawn regularly makes another great snake repellant method since too high grass can camouflage snakes pretty well. Moreover, such a lawn is the perfect environment for some of the favorite meals in the menu of a snake: locusts, small rodents, mice, crickets and even frogs. A short lawn will be avoided by snakes as an unsafe space that makes them vulnerable to the attack of other predatory species like owls or hawks. Any cluttered area around the house can cause just as much trouble, becoming nests for venomous or non-venomous snakes. Hence, eliminate wood stacks, open sheds and compost heaps from the yard.
In African wilderness, local people knit camel or goat hair ropes for snake protection and snake repellant purposes: snakes do not slither over such rough surfaces. Aborigines will often surround their bed location with such ropes to themselves against the deadly bites of some of the African poisonous snakes. Modern tent design takes this snake repellant issue very seriously, thus there are usually nets that have to be zipped up in order to prevent snakes and other insects from entering. Make sure you do not forget to zip the tent when entering or getting out, or you may have unwelcome guests joining you.
Snake repellant solutions do exist in other forms too and they include special foams, nets and all sorts of protections for window sills for instance. Many such equipments are considered controversial according to animal rights protection. Consequently, it would be wise to focus on harmless snake repellant ways. If by any chance you suspect lethal snakes nesting in your garden, do not attempt to destroy or chase them away, as they will attack when threatened. Ask for some pest control service and have the animals safely relocated in a wild area, and no harm will be done to either party.
Pet Snakes
Do reptile make good pets? Though they will not reward you with tail wagging or lap purring, snakes, spiders or amphibians are considered very exotic and popular pets; such preferences are relevant for the big number of pet snakes for sale present in pet shops or online. Low maintenance is the first advantage of buying snakes for pets since they require very little time to look after. The tranquil nature of snakes and their beautiful patterns often influence their choice over fish, for example by home owners who try to add new members to the family. The pet snakes for sale may prove a mismatch for a certain buyer, therefore make sure to analyze the situation carefully before the purchase.
If the decision of getting a pet snake is final, there are a few things you should be familiar with in order to create a healthy and safe environment for both your family and the pet. The best pet snakes for sale are young ones since they make transportation and handling piece of cake, plus, if you get to grow your pet, the connection you establish with it is going to be special. Adult pet snakes for sale are usually given away by their owners because they lack the means to support them or because they are moving and can’t take the snake with them. Poisonous snakes are out of the question as pets, and no pet shop will sell you such specimens.
Before selecting from various pet snakes for sale, learn about the breed specificity, ask how big they grow, how they mate and which is the most convenient way to keep them. Prepare the tank to meet your new friend before bringing it home, so that it may feel comfortable from the beginning. There are many places where to find pet snakes for sale. A good example here is the case of animal rescue organizations and shelters that have to give animals for adoption if their release in the wild is not an option. Pet owners who are looking for reptiles are not that common given the fact that so many people suffer from snake phobia, and few snakes find new homes under the circumstances.
Pet snakes for sale are also available with reptile breeders; these business owners usually advertise in classifieds and on personal web pages. Forum members could help you locate a reptile breeder close to your home, but you need to have a thorough look online. Really great purchases can be made from pet owners who have given time and patience to grow their pet. Such pet owners can give you all the details you need about the personality of the pet and its habits.
Texas Snakes
The South of the United States is the home of many kinds of snakes and lizards that pose very little threat to human health. The majority of Texas snakes are non-poisonous or very little venomous for their prey, but in case they bit a human there would basically be no problems. There are two exceptions: the groups and subgroups known as coral snakes and pit vipers. Over the last few years there have been less snake bites not only in Texas but everywhere in the United States because of a superior awareness of the fact that snakes are sharing their habitat with us. Thus, people need to understand that a snake will only bite when it senses danger and the resulting envenomation represents the outcome of a pure defensive act.
Pit vipers are the most numerous poisonous Texas snakes: they include sub-groups like the cottonmouths, rattlesnakes and copperheads. Each group has distinct features that make the specimens not so difficult to recognize and thus to avoid. One will recognize Texas snakes like the copperheads by the red-brown cross lines in their body patterns, while cottonmouths will stand out by the shades of green, solid black and olive. When threatened cottonmouths will open their mouths and hiss menacingly. The name of this species comes from the white tissue in their mouth that gets visible when they threaten possible aggressors.
Finally, the rattlesnake is the noisiest of Texas snakes; as the name points out, this snake will rattle its tail as a warning to potential aggressors to stay away. If you mind your business and avoid them, rattlesnakes will never get closer to you in order to attack. The only pit viper that sends no warning message is the copperhead that reacts violently whenever it feels a threat. Therefore from all the Texas snakes, the copperhead remains the trickiest and most unpredictable. Then, we should mention coral snakes as one other group living in the arid parts of the American south.
Corals are part of the same group as African and Asian cobras, and though the majority of venomous snakes have elliptical pupils, corals stand out by their roundness. These Texas snakes are thin and small usually less than two feet long with a pattern consisting of black, yellow and red rings alternated. Even if there are other risk-free Texas snakes with similar coloring, red is almost never present. In case one chooses South Texas woodlands as a travel destination, one should keep in mind that snake encounters are possible in canyons as well as on plains.