tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60208316442513724262024-03-08T17:03:17.793-08:00ALL INFORMATION ABOUT SNAKEinformation about snake, poison and medicines from snake, experiment, all about snakeboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923291031218849658noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020831644251372426.post-10021552572053020782007-06-04T07:24:00.000-07:002007-06-04T07:26:35.714-07:00Copperhead<h2>Copperhead</h2> <p><em>Agkistrodon contortrix</em> (24-36", up to 53")</p> <img src="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/images/copper.jpg" alt="picture of Copperhead" height="278" width="292" /> <p>MA Status: "Endangered." Illegal to harass, kill, collect or possess.</p> <h3>Adult Copperhead</h3> <p><img src="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/images/cop.gif" alt="picture of the head of a Copperhead" height="80" width="160" /><br /> Closeup of head</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The copperhead is a venomous snake with a broad triangular head, vertically elliptical pupils and a heat sensitive pit between each eye and nostril. The body is pinkish to grayish brown with brown or reddish-brown crossbands that are narrow on the back and widest on the sides. Small dark spots commonly occur between crossbands on the back. The unpatterned head is dull orange, copper or rusty-red. Body scales are <a href="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/scales.html#keeled">keeled</a> and the belly is pink or light brown with dark blotches along the sides. When young, a copperhead has a yellow-tipped tail.</p> <p>Mating takes place in spring and fall and females give birth to 4-8 young in August and September. Adult females usually give birth every two years.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Copperheads prefer rocky, forested hillsides and wetlands for habitat. Wet areas are particularly sought out in the hot summer months. Small mammals and frogs account for most of the prey items taken, but birds, insects and other snakes are also important parts of their diets. When approached, they will either move away quietly or lay motionless, relying on camouflage to protect them. Occasionally, they will vibrate their tails. Bites usually occur when people unknowingly step on or touch unseen snakes. Despite the venomous nature of copperhead bites, they are rarely fatal. In Massachusetts, copperheads are so rare and reclusive that people almost never encounter them.</p> <h4>More Information on Copperhead</h4> <ul><li><a href="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/prot.html">Protection of Snakes</a></li><li><a href="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/real.html#ven">Venomous Snakes</a></li><li><a href="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/myth.html#pos">Modern Myths - Poisonous Snakes</a></li></ul>(source:/<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">umass</span>)boyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923291031218849658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020831644251372426.post-58976405123839254982007-06-03T23:02:00.001-07:002007-06-03T23:19:18.151-07:00Milk Snake<h2>Milk Snake</h2> <p><em>Lampropeltis triangulum</em> (24-36", up to 52")</p> <p><img src="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/images/milk.jpg" alt="picture of Milk Snake" height="289" width="308" /></p> <h3>Adult Milk Snake</h3> <p><img src="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/images/milkbw.gif" alt="picture of head of Milk Snake" height="81" width="172" /><br /> Closeup of head</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">A boldly patterned snake, the milk snake has a light gray to tan body covered with reddish-brown blotches bordered in black. Larger blotches on the back alternate with smaller ones on each side. The head is patterned, usually with a light colored "Y" or "V" within a reddish-brown patch. <a href="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/scales.html#smooth">Smooth scales</a> give this attractive snake a shiny or glossy appearance. The belly is patterned with an irregular checkerboard of black on white. Similarity of patterns causes some to confuse it with the <a href="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/copper.html">copperhead;</a> however, the <a href="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/copper.html">copperhead</a> lacks any pattern on the head. Tail rattling may also lead some to mistake it for a <a href="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/timber.html">rattlesnake,</a> although the two species look quite different.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Mating generally occurs in May, with females depositing 3-24 eggs in June and July. Eggs are deposited under rocks, boards or other debris, in rotting vegetation, stumps or logs, or small mammal burrows, and usually hatch in August and September.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Woodlands, fields, rocky hillsides and borders of wetlands provide natural habitat for milk snakes. They are also commonly found around houses, barns and outbuildings. Small mammals are the preferred prey of milk snakes, who are able to enter burrows and consume young in their nests. Milk snakes routinely eat other snakes, and may also take birds and bird eggs, frogs, fish, earthworms, slugs and insects. Primarily nocturnal, milk snakes can be found during the day under rocks, logs, or other cover. Although they are not very aggressive, milk snakes will bite and spray musk if handled.</p> <h4>More Information on Milk Snake </h4> <ul><li><a href="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/myth.html#suck">Common Myths- Sucking milk</a></li><li><a href="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/real.html#com">Common Snakes</a></li><li><a href="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/real.html#ven">Venomous Snakes</a></li><li><a href="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/phob.html#home">Snakes In and Around the Home</a></li><li><a href="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/real.html#link">A Link in the Food Chain</a></li></ul>(source/:<b><a href="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/milk.html" target="_top">umass</a>)</b>boyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923291031218849658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020831644251372426.post-40961462640079441252007-06-03T06:52:00.000-07:002007-06-03T06:56:15.128-07:00Snake Eat Goat (Picture)<span style="color:#000080;"></span><img src="http://www.jphpk.gov.my/Malay/kajul11ular.jpg" align="left" border="1" height="400" width="350" /><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><br /> <span style="color:#000080;"><br /> <br />source: Gambar HAMZAH MD SOM (</span></span><b><a href="http://www.jphpk.gov.my/Malay/Jul03%2011a.htm" target="_top">www.jphpk.gov.my/<wbr>Malay/Jul03%2011a.htm</a>)</b>boyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923291031218849658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020831644251372426.post-14925050377829607282007-06-03T06:36:00.000-07:002007-06-03T06:43:27.410-07:00POISONOUS SNAKES<center> <h1> <img src="http://www.expat.or.id/titles/titpoisonoussnakes.jpg" alt="Poisonous Snakes" height="96" width="234" /></h1> </center> <center> <h1> <img src="http://www.expat.or.id/images/newbar.jpg" alt="Practical Information for foreigners, expats and expatriates moving to Indonesia - find out about housing, schooling, transport, shopping and more to prepare you for your stay in Indonesia" height="22" vspace="3" width="545" /></h1> </center> <table summary="layout table" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td align="center"><br /></td> <td><img src="http://www.expat.or.id/images/space.gif" alt="" height="1" width="55" /></td> <td><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>There are approximately 450 species of snakes in Indonesia. Only five or so are considered dangerously poisonous and found around Jakarta like any wild animal, the snake will usually try to escape before it will attack. They can usually be depended on to bite if they are stepped on. Most are nocturnal and can be avoided by not walking barefoot at night in dark, swampy, bushy areas. Keeping one's garden clear of thick vegetation, tall grass, and dark rocky hideaways helps dissuade snakes from making one's house or yard a snake's hideaway. It is hoped that these illustrations will assist in identification of those species which are venomous. Indonesians often wrongly identify snakes and usually say that ALL are poisonous. A snake which cannot be positively identified SHOULD be considered dangerous.</b></div><p> </p> <p align="center"><strong>VITAL 2007 UPDATE - Download and read more about <span style="font-size:+1;"><a href="http://www.expat.or.id/medical/PoisonousSnakesinIndonesia.doc">Dangerous Venomous Snakes in Indonesia</a></span></strong><br /> [<img src="http://www.expat.or.id/images/word_icon.gif" height="17" width="18" /> Word 1.25 MB]</p> <h2> <span style="font-size:+1;">Snake bite treatment</span></h2> <div style="text-align: justify;"><b>It is important to distinguish between snakebite and snake poisoning. The bite from a harmless snake can produce mild pain and extreme fear. A bite from a venomous snake may not necessarily mean that venom has been injected into the wound. If someone has received a bite, check for symptoms of poisoning, keep the victim calm and treat for shock, and keep the site of the bite lower than the heart, and immobile. DO NOT ADMINISTER ALCOHOL. </b></div> <p><b>Some good snake-related advice from a snake lover in Jakarta:</b> </p><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>One alternative to killing snakes you find in your yard is to call a member of the Jakarta Reptile Lovers Association. Pak Gunawan is one of the founders and runs the reptile house at TMII. He doesn't speak any English, so get someone to translate for you when you call him. He'll come to your home and catch a snake (particularly if it's very big or rare and it's not too far away) whether venomous or not. </i></b></div><p> </p><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>If you get bitten by a non-venomous snake, it may hold on for quite a while as it doesn't know what to do. To get the snake off you, either use a metal spoon to prise open its mouth (I don't approve of this as you'll hurt the snake badly by breaking its teeth) or put the part of you that's being bitten into a bucket/bath of water -- the snake won't be able to breath and will let go. Alternatively, just sit down on the ground, relax and wait for it to let go. If you make sudden movements and run around, it will hold on tighter. (As snakes can't hear it's quite ok to scream a lot as the bite will hurt.)</i></b></div><p> </p><h2> <span style="font-size:+1;">Coral snake --- Ular Cabe</span><img src="http://www.expat.or.id/images/coralsnake.jpg" align="right" height="128" width="160" /></h2> <div style="text-align: justify;"><b>This rare burrowing snake only reaches a length of about 50 cm. His slim back body has a line down its length with yellow markings on the small, flat head the belly is black and white checkered. The tail has a red-orange tip like chili pepper or a 'cabe'. He is shy and usually unwilling to bite. The venom is neurotoxic.</b></div> <h2> <span style="font-size:+1;">Banded Krait -- Ular Welang and Ular Weling </span></h2> <div style="text-align: justify;"><img src="http://www.expat.or.id/images/bandedkrait.jpg" align="left" height="145" width="220" /><b>Both the Malayan and the Banded Krait are black with yellow bands and may be from 1-2 meters in length. They are found in or near paddies and bamboo groves. If disturbed they jerk their body and attempt to hide their head in the coils of their body. Due to their small head, shyness, and reluctance to bite, the chances of a fatal bite is slim, unless one treads on the startled snake. Their neurotoxic bite causes little pain or swelling but can produce muscle weakness, loss of coordination and eventual respiratory paralysis.</b></div> <h2> <span style="font-size:+1;">Black Spitting Cobra---Ular Sendok</span></h2> <h2> <img src="http://www.expat.or.id/images/spittingcobra.jpg" align="right" height="250" width="176" /><span style="font-size:+1;">King Cobra---Ular Raja </span></h2> <div style="text-align: justify;"><b>There are two species of cobra--- the king cobra, usually a resident of the paddies, and the Black Spitting Cobra, comfortable in semi-urban areas. Both are aggressive if disturbed. The Cobra is easily recognized when he rises and spreads his hood. The colors of the snake range from black to brown to olive. Both can reach a length of 4 meters. Only the Spitting Cobra, sometimes seen in Jakarta, can eject a spray of venom for several feet, aiming at the enemy's eyes. This can cause temporary blindness but can be removed with repeated rinsing with sterile water. The nuerotoxic bite of either can cause pain and swelling with general muscle weakness following and eventual respiratory paralysis.</b></div> <h2> <span style="font-size:+1;">Malayan Pit Viper -- Ular Tanah</span></h2> <h2> <span style="font-size:+1;">Green Pit Viper -- Ulat Bankai Laut or Ular Hijau Ekor Mira</span></h2> <div style="text-align: justify;"><img src="http://www.expat.or.id/images/pitviper.jpg" align="left" height="134" width="202" /><b>Both the Malayan Pit Viper and the Green Pit Viper are found around Jakarta. Each has a distinctive triangular head shape, stocky body, and a length of about 80 cm. Each has the ability to jump with great force when attacking. The Malayan Pit Viper is reddish brown with triangular markings on his sides and the Green Pit Viper is bright green with a distinct red tail. The Malayan Pit Viper rattles with his tail before striking as a warning. Vipers are nocturnal and can be easily be avoided by staying away from fields and rocky areas. The Hemotoxic bite causes immediate pain, swelling, bleeding, and tissue damage.</b></div> <h3>Sea Snake --- Ular Laut</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;"><b>There are varying types…… with bands or stripes in colors ranging through brown, olive, and yellow. All have a paddle-shaped tail and are found along the coast and in the sea. They are shy and will not bite unless provoked. The nuerotoxic bite is dangerous and there is no anti venom in Jakarta.</b></p> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top"> <h3>Blue Temple Viper</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>A tree snake whose bite is haematotoxic and indeed very dangerous. The affected limb of snake bite victim must be completely immobilized and a stretch bandage should be applied. The victim then needs to be transferred to the nearest hospital or emergency room for observation of signs of invenemation. We do not recommend to use antivenin, unless the patient is developing symptoms of invenemation, since most snake bites do not inject significant amounts of venom during a bite. </strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Manipulation of the wound, suction, squeezing, massage, cutting the skin or application of ointments or remedies only increases the absorption of the venom, and should never be attempted. A polyvalent antivenom is available at the <a href="http://www.expat.or.id/medical/internationalsos.html">International SOS clinics</a> in Bali and Jakarta.</strong></p> </td> <td><img src="http://www.expat.or.id/images/bluetempleviper.gif" height="181" hspace="5" vspace="5" width="220" /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <center> <p><b>A <span style="font-size:+1;">non-venomous </span>Indonesian snake is the Retriculated Python pictured here:</b> </p><p><img src="http://www.expat.or.id/images/reticulatedpython.jpg" align="middle" height="206" width="260" /> </p></center> <h3>Toxic Caterpillars</h3> <p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Note: Not in the snake category, but just to make you aware, many varieties of caterpillars in Indonesia have an irritant in their fur. AVOID touching any caterpillars (<i>ulat bulu</i>), or the leaves which they crawl upon, in Indonesia as skin contact can result in swelling, welts and severe irritations.</b><br /> </p><p><b>Source: Introducing Indonesia, 5<sup>th</sup> edition, AWA.(<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">expat.or.id)</span></b> </p></td></tr></tbody></table>boyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923291031218849658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020831644251372426.post-65184140044162927472007-05-30T22:30:00.000-07:002007-05-30T22:42:16.064-07:00Snake (Encyclopedia)<h1 class="firstHeading">Snake</h1> <div id="jump-to-nav">Jump to: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#column-one">navigation</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#searchInput">search</a></div> <!-- start content --> <div class="dablink"><i>For other uses, see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_%28disambiguation%29" title="Snake (disambiguation)">Snake (disambiguation)</a>.</i></div> <table style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0.5em 1em; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 50%; position: relative; border-collapse: collapse; float: right; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; clear: right; width: 200px;" border="1" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr style="text-align: center;"> <th style="background: pink none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"><span style="position: relative; float: right; font-size: 70%;"><map name="ImageMap_2" id="ImageMap_2"><area href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_read_a_taxobox" shape="rect" coords="0,0,50,50" alt="Wikipedia:How to read a taxobox" title="Wikipedia:How to read a taxobox"> </map></span> <div style="position: relative;"><span style="position: relative; float: right; font-size: 70%;"><img alt="How to read a taxobox" longdesc="/wiki/Image:Information-silk.png" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Information-silk.png" usemap="#ImageMap_2" height="16" width="16" /></span></div> <b>Snakes</b><br /><center><small>Fossil range: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretaceous" title="Cretaceous">Cretaceous</a> - Recent</small></center> </th> </tr> <tr style="text-align: center;"> <td><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Micrurus_tener.jpg" class="image" title="A coral snake"><img alt="A coral snake" longdesc="/wiki/Image:Micrurus_tener.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/cb/Micrurus_tener.jpg/200px-Micrurus_tener.jpg" height="129" width="200" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><small>A <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_snake" title="Coral snake">coral snake</a></small></div> </td> </tr> <tr style="text-align: center;"> <th style="background: pink none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_classification" title="Scientific classification">Scientific classification</a></b></th> </tr> <tr style="text-align: center;"> <td> <table style="margin: 0pt auto; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 50%; text-align: left; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" cellpadding="2"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td>Kingdom:</td> <td><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal" title="Animal">Animalia</a><br /></td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td>Phylum:</td> <td><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chordate" title="Chordate">Chordata</a><br /></td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td>Class:</td> <td><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauropsid" title="Sauropsid">Sauropsida</a><br /></td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td>Order:</td> <td><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squamata" title="Squamata">Squamata</a><br /></td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td>Suborder:</td> <td><b>Serpentes</b><br /><small><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolus_Linnaeus" title="Carolus Linnaeus">Linnaeus</a>, 1758</small></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr style="text-align: center;"> <td><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:World.distribution.serpentes.1.png" class="image" title="blue: sea snakes, black: land snakes"><img alt="blue: sea snakes, black: land snakes" longdesc="/wiki/Image:World.distribution.serpentes.1.png" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/World.distribution.serpentes.1.png/250px-World.distribution.serpentes.1.png" height="116" width="250" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><small>blue: sea snakes, black: land snakes</small></div> </td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="pink"> <th> <center><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superfamily" title="Superfamily">Superfamilies</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_%28biology%29" title="Family (biology)">Families</a></center> </th> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 0pt 0.5em; text-align: left;"> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henophidia" title="Henophidia">Henophidia</a></li></ul> <dl><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aniliidae" title="Aniliidae">Aniliidae</a></dd><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anomochilus" title="Anomochilus">Anomochilidae</a></dd><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boa" title="Boa">Boidae</a></dd></dl> <dl><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_Island_boa" title="Round Island boa">Bolyeriidae</a></dd><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_pipe_snake" title="Asian pipe snake">Cylindrophiidae</a></dd><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_burrowing_snake" title="Mexican burrowing snake">Loxocemidae</a></dd><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Python" title="Python">Pythonidae</a></dd><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_boa" title="Dwarf boa">Tropidophiidae</a></dd><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uropeltidae" title="Uropeltidae">Uropeltidae</a></dd><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenopeltidae" title="Xenopeltidae">Xenopeltidae</a></dd></dl> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhlopoidea" title="Typhlopoidea">Typhlopoidea</a></li></ul> <dl><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anomalepididae" title="Anomalepididae">Anomalepididae</a></dd><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptotyphlopidae" title="Leptotyphlopidae">Leptotyphlopidae</a></dd><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhlopidae" title="Typhlopidae">Typhlopidae</a></dd></dl> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenophidia" title="Xenophidia">Xenophidia</a></li></ul> <dl><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrochordidae" title="Acrochordidae">Acrochordidae</a></dd><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atractaspididae" title="Atractaspididae">Atractaspididae</a></dd><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colubridae" title="Colubridae">Colubridae</a></dd><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elapidae" title="Elapidae">Elapidae</a></dd><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrophiidae" title="Hydrophiidae">Hydrophiidae</a></dd><dd><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viperidae" title="Viperidae">Viperidae</a></dd></dl> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p style="text-align: justify;">A <b>snake</b> is a scaly, limbless, elongate reptile from the order <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squamata" title="Squamata">Squamata</a>. An old synonym for snake is <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpent" title="Serpent">serpent</a></b> (which comes from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_French" title="Old French">Old French</a>, and ultimately from <i>*serp-</i>, "to creep"<sup id="_ref-serpent_0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#_note-serpent" title="">[1]</a></sup>); in modern usage this usually refers to a mythic or symbolic snake, and information about such creatures can be found under <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpent_%28symbolism%29" title="Serpent (symbolism)">serpent (symbolism)</a>. This article deals with the biology of snakes.</p> <table id="toc" class="toc" summary="Contents"> <tbody><tr> <td> <div id="toctitle"> <h2>Contents</h2> <span class="toctoggle">[<a href="javascript:toggleToc()" class="internal" id="togglelink">hide</a>]</span></div> <ul><li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Evolution"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Evolution</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Digestion_and_diet"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Digestion and diet</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Skin"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Skin</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Perception"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Perception</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Internal_organs"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">Internal organs</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Locomotion"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">Locomotion</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Reproduction"><span class="tocnumber">7</span> <span class="toctext">Reproduction</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Venom"><span class="tocnumber">8</span> <span class="toctext">Venom</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Snakes_biting_humans"><span class="tocnumber">9</span> <span class="toctext">Snakes biting humans</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Snake_charmers"><span class="tocnumber">10</span> <span class="toctext">Snake charmers</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Snake_trapping"><span class="tocnumber">11</span> <span class="toctext">Snake trapping</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Human_consumption_of_snakes"><span class="tocnumber">12</span> <span class="toctext">Human consumption of snakes</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Symbolism"><span class="tocnumber">13</span> <span class="toctext">Symbolism</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#See_also"><span class="tocnumber">14</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Footnotes"><span class="tocnumber">15</span> <span class="toctext">Footnotes</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#References"><span class="tocnumber">16</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#External_links"><span class="tocnumber">17</span> <span class="toctext">External links</span></a></li></ul> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ if (window.showTocToggle) { var tocShowText = "show"; var tocHideText = "hide"; showTocToggle(); } //]]> </script> <p><a name="Evolution" id="Evolution"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Evolution">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Evolution</span></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phylogenetics" title="Phylogenetics">phylogeny</a> of snakes is poorly known due to the fact that snake <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeleton" title="Skeleton">skeletons</a> are typically small and fragile, making fossilization unlikely. It has however been generally agreed, on the basis of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_anatomy" title="Comparative anatomy">morphology</a>, that snakes descended from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizard" title="Lizard">lizard</a>-like ancestors. Recent research based on genetics and biochemistry confirms this; snakes form a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicofera" title="Toxicofera">venom clade</a> with several <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extant_taxon" title="Extant taxon">extant</a> lizard families.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Recent fossil evidence suggests that snakes directly evolved from burrowing lizards, either <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varanid" title="Varanid">varanids</a> or some other group. An early fossil snake, <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Najash_rionegrina" title="Najash rionegrina">Najash rionegrina</a></i>, was a two-legged burrowing animal with a sacrum, fully <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrestrial_animal" title="Terrestrial animal">terrestrial</a>. One extant analog of these putative ancestors is the earless monitor <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanthanotidae" title="Lanthanotidae">Lanthanotus</a></i> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borneo" title="Borneo">Borneo</a>, although it also is semi-<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquatic" title="Aquatic">aquatic</a>. As these ancestors became more <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subterranean" title="Subterranean">subterranean</a>, they lost their limbs and became more streamlined for burrowing. Features such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transparent" title="Transparent">transparent</a>, fused eyelids (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brille" title="Brille">brille</a>) and loss of external ears, according to this hypothesis, evolved to combat subterranean conditions (scratched corneas, dirt in the ears). According to this hypothesis, snakes re-emerged onto the surface of the land much as they are today. Other primitive snakes are known to have possessed hindlimbs but lacked a direct connection of the pelvic bones to the vertebrae, including <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haasiophis" title="Haasiophis">Haasiophis</a></i>, <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachyrhachis" title="Pachyrhachis">Pachyrhachis</a></i> and <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eupodophis&action=edit" class="new" title="Eupodophis">Eupodophis</a></i>) which are slightly older than <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Najash" title="Najash">Najash</a></i>.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Primitive groups among the modern snakes, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Python" title="Python">pythons</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boa" title="Boa">boas</a>, do have vestigial hind limbs, tiny, clawed digits known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anal_spur" title="Anal spur">anal spurs</a> and used to grasp during mating. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptotyphlopidae" title="Leptotyphlopidae">Leptotyphlopidae</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhlopidae" title="Typhlopidae">Typhlopidae</a> are other examples where remnants of the pelvic girdle are still present, in Leptotyphlopidae sometimes as horny projections or not visible at all. The frontal limbs in all snakes are gone because of the evolution of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeobox#Hox_genes" title="Homeobox">Hox genes</a> in this area. The axial skeleton of the snakes' common ancestor had like most other tetrapods the familiar regional specializations consisting of cervical (neck), thoracic (chest), lumbar (lower back), sacral (pelvic) and caudal (tail) vertebrae. But the Hox gene expression in the axial skeleton responsible for the development of the thorax became dominant early in snake evolution. As a result, the vertebrae anterior to the hindlimb buds (when present) all have the same thoracic-like identity (except from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_%28anatomy%29" title="Atlas (anatomy)">atlas</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_%28anatomy%29" title="Axis (anatomy)">axis</a> and 1-3 neck vertebrae), meaning most of the snake's skeleton is actually made up of an extremely extended thorax. Ribs are found exclusively on the thoracic vertebrae. The neck, lumbar and pelvic vertebrae are very reduced in number (only 2-10 lumbar and pelvic vertebrae are still present), while only a short tail remains of the caudal vertebrae, although the tail is still long enough to be of good use in many species, and is modified in some aquatic and tree dwelling species. Because the front (thoracic) limbs in tetrapods appear in the area between the neck and the thorax, a location that is now almost absent in snakes, there is simply no longer any room left where they can develop.</p> <div style="text-align: justify;">The alternative hypothesis, based on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphology_%28biology%29" title="Morphology (biology)">morphology</a>, suggests that ancestors were related to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosasaur" title="Mosasaur">mosasaurs</a> — extinct <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquatic_animal" title="Aquatic animal">aquatic</a> reptiles from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretaceous" title="Cretaceous">Cretaceous</a> — which in turn are thought to have derived from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monitor_lizard" title="Monitor lizard">varanid lizards</a>. Under this hypothesis, the fused, transparent eyelids of snakes are thought to have evolved to combat marine conditions (corneal water loss through osmosis), while the external ears were lost through disuse in an aquatic environment, ultimately leading to an animal similar in appearance to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_snake" title="Sea snake">sea snakes</a> of today. In the Late <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretaceous" title="Cretaceous">Cretaceous</a>, snakes re-colonized the land much like they are today. Fossil snake remains are known from early Late Cretaceous marine sediments, which is consistent with this hypothesis, particularly as they are older than the terrestrial <i>Najash rionegrina</i>. Similar skull structure; reduced/absent limbs; and other anatomical features found in both mosasaurs and snakes lead to a positive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cladistics" title="Cladistics">cladistical</a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"> correlation, though some features are also shared with varanids. Supposedly similar locomotion for both groups is also used as support for this hypothesis. Genetic studies have indicated that snakes are not especially related to monitor lizards, and (it has been claimed) therefore not to mosasaurs, the proposed ancestor in the aquatic scenario of their evolution. However, there is more evidence linking mosasaurs to snakes than to varanids. Fragmentary remains that have been found from the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous indicate deeper fossil records for these groups, which may eventually refute either hypothesis.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The great diversity of modern snakes appeared in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleocene" title="Paleocene">Paleocene</a>, probably correlated with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptive_radiation" title="Adaptive radiation">adaptive radiation</a> of mammals following the extinction of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur" title="Dinosaur">dinosaurs</a>.</p> <p><a name="Digestion_and_diet" id="Digestion_and_diet"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Digestion and diet">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Digestion and diet</span></h2> <div class="thumb tright"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 252px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Snake_eating_mouse.jpg" class="internal" title="Snake eating a rat"><img alt="Snake eating a rat" longdesc="/wiki/Image:Snake_eating_mouse.jpg" class="thumbimage" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c4/Snake_eating_mouse.jpg/250px-Snake_eating_mouse.jpg" height="175" width="250" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <div class="magnify" style="float: right;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Snake_eating_mouse.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" height="11" width="15" /></a></div> Snake eating a rat</div> </div> </div> <p style="text-align: justify;">All snakes are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivore" title="Carnivore">carnivorous</a>, eating small animals including lizards and other snakes, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodent" title="Rodent">rodents</a> and other small mammals, birds, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_%28biology%29" title="Egg (biology)">eggs</a> or insects. Some snakes have a venomous bite, which they use to kill their prey before eating it. Other snakes kill their prey by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constriction" title="Constriction">constriction</a>. Still others swallow their prey whole and alive. Most snakes are very easy to feed in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captivity_%28animal%29" title="Captivity (animal)">captivity</a>.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Snakes do not chew their food and have a very flexible <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandible" title="Mandible">lower jaw</a>, the two halves of which are not rigidly attached, and numerous other joints in their skull (see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_skull" title="Snake skull">snake skull</a>), allowing them to open their mouths wide enough to swallow their prey whole, even if it is larger in diameter than the snake itself. It is a common misconception that snakes actually dislocate their lower jaw to consume large prey.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">After eating, snakes become torpid while the process of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestion" title="Digestion">digestion</a> takes place. Digestion is an intensive activity, especially after the consumption of very large prey. In species that feed only sporadically, the entire intestine enters a reduced state between meals to conserve energy, and the digestive system is 'up-regulated' to full capacity within 48 hours of prey consumption. So much metabolic energy is involved in digestion that in <i>Crotalus durissus</i>, the Mexican rattlesnake, an increase of body temperature to as much as 14 degrees <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celsius" title="Celsius">Celsius</a> above the surrounding environment has been observed.<sup id="_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#_note-0" title="">[2]</a></sup> Because of this, a snake disturbed after having eaten recently will often regurgitate its prey in order to be able to escape the perceived threat. However, when undisturbed, the digestive process is highly efficient, dissolving and absorbing everything but hair and claws, which are excreted along with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uric_acid" title="Uric acid">uric acid</a> waste. Snakes have been known to occasionally die from trying to swallow an animal that is too big. Snake digestive fluids are unable to digest most plant matter, which passes through the digestive system mostly untouched.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Snakes do not normally prey on people, but there are instances of small children being eaten by large <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boa" title="Boa">constrictors</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungle" title="Jungle">jungle</a>.<sup class="noprint Template-Fact"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources since February 2007" style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i>citation needed</i>]</span></a></sup> While some particularly aggressive species exist, most will not attack humans unless startled or injured, preferring instead to avoid contact. The majority of snakes are either non-venomous or possess venom that is not harmful to humans.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">As a general rule, snakes eat rodents. There are exceptions to this, such as the natal green snake, which eats insects. Snakes generally specialise in a few food types (for example, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_python" title="Royal python">royal pythons</a> will generally eat mice and gerbils in the wild). However, they do not need to hunt every day. A big meal will keep some snakes content for a long time. Anacondas and pythons can live for a year after eating large prey.(<a href="http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/snakes.html" class="external free" title="http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/snakes.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/snakes.html</a>)</p> <p><a name="Skin" id="Skin"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Skin">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Skin</span></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin" title="Skin">skin</a> is covered in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_scales" title="Snake scales">scales</a>. Many people are surprised to find that snakeskin has a smooth, dry texture, instead of a slimy texture as might be expected. Some people are afraid to touch them because they confuse snakes with worms. Most snakes use specialized belly scales to travel, gripping surfaces. The body scales may be smooth, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keeled_scales" title="Keeled scales">keeled</a>, or granular. Their eyelids are transparent "spectacle" scales which remain permanently closed, called brille. They <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moult" title="Moult">shed their skin</a> periodically. Unlike other reptiles, this is done in one piece, like pulling off a sock, with the snake rubbing its nose against something rough, like a rock, for instance, creating a rip in the skin around the nose and the mouth until the skin is completely removed.<a href="http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/%7Enews/story-print.php?id=3182" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~news/story-print.php?id=3182" rel="nofollow">[1]</a> The primary purpose of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shedding&action=edit" class="new" title="Shedding">shedding</a> this is to grow; shedding also removes external parasites. This periodic renewal has led to the snake being a symbol of healing and medicine, as pictured in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_of_Asclepius" title="Rod of Asclepius">Rod of Asclepius</a>. In "advanced" (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caenophidia" title="Caenophidia">Caenophidian</a>) snakes, the broad belly scales and rows of dorsal scales correspond to the vertebrae, allowing scientists to count the vertebrae without dissection. If there is not enough humidity in the air while snakes are shedding their skin, it can be very dangerous for the snake, because the dry skin does not shed. Skin that remains attached to the snake can harbour diseases and parasites. A tail tip that is not removed can constrict as the snake grows, cutting off the blood supply to the end of the tail causing it to drop off. A retained spectacle can cause the snake to become blind in the affected eye.</p> <p><a name="Perception" id="Perception"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Perception">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Perception</span></h2> <div class="thumb tright"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 252px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Wiki_snake_eats_mouse.jpg" class="internal" title="Thermographic image of a snake eating a mouse."><img alt="Thermographic image of a snake eating a mouse." longdesc="/wiki/Image:Wiki_snake_eats_mouse.jpg" class="thumbimage" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Wiki_snake_eats_mouse.jpg/250px-Wiki_snake_eats_mouse.jpg" height="149" width="250" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <div class="magnify" style="float: right;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Wiki_snake_eats_mouse.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" height="11" width="15" /></a></div> Thermographic image of a snake eating a mouse.</div> </div> </div> <p style="text-align: justify;">While snake <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_perception" title="Visual perception">vision</a> is unremarkable (generally being best in arboreal species and worst in burrowing species), it is able to detect movement. Some snakes, like the Asian vine snake, have <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binocular_vision" title="Binocular vision">binocular vision</a>. In most snakes, the lens moves back and forth within the eyeball to focus. In addition to their eyes, some snakes (pit vipers, pythons, and some boas) have <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared" title="Infrared">infrared</a>-sensitive receptors in deep grooves between the nostril and eye which allow them to "see" the radiated heat.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Snakes have no external ears, but they do have a bone called the <i>quadrate</i> under the skin on either side of the head which focuses sound into the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochlea" title="Cochlea">cochlea</a>.<a href="http://www.anapsid.org/torrey.html" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.anapsid.org/torrey.html" rel="nofollow">[2]</a> Their sense of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_%28sense%29" title="Hearing (sense)">hearing</a> is most sensitive to frequencies around 200–300 Hz.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">A snake smells by using its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forked_tongue" title="Forked tongue">forked tongue</a> to collect airborne particles then passing them to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vomeronasal_organ" title="Vomeronasal organ"><i>Jacobson's organ</i> or the <i>Vomeronasal organ</i></a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouth" title="Mouth">mouth</a> for examination. The fork in the tongue gives the snake a sort of directional sense of smell. The part of the body which is in direct contact with the surface of the ground is very sensitive to vibration, thus a snake is able to sense other animals approaching.</p> <p><a name="Internal_organs" id="Internal_organs"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Internal organs">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Internal organs</span></h2> <p><map name="ImageMap_1" id="ImageMap_1"><area href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esophagus" shape="rect" coords="117,26,130,45" alt="1: esophagus" title="1: esophagus"><area href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertebrate_trachea" shape="rect" coords="73,0,87,15" alt="2: trachea" title="2: trachea"><area href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracheal_lungs" shape="rect" coords="46,4,60,23" alt="3:tracheal lungs" title="3:tracheal lungs"><area href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudimentary_left_lung" shape="rect" coords="1,29,13,45" alt="4: rudimentary left lung" title="4: rudimentary left lung"><area href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_lung" shape="rect" coords="44,42,57,63" alt="4: right lung" title="4: right lung"><area href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart" shape="rect" coords="14,9,28,26" alt="6: heart" title="6: heart"><area href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver" shape="rect" coords="37,93,52,114" alt="7: liver" title="7: liver"><area href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stomach" shape="rect" coords="96,64,114,82" alt="8 stomach" title="8 stomach"><area href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_sac" shape="rect" coords="93,102,111,123" alt="9: air sac" title="9: air sac"><area href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallbladder" shape="rect" coords="136,28,157,49" alt="10: gallbladder" title="10: gallbladder"><area href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancreas" shape="rect" coords="165,32,185,51" alt="11: pancreas" title="11: pancreas"><area href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spleen" shape="rect" coords="113,93,134,113" alt="12: spleen" title="12: spleen"><area href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intestine" shape="rect" coords="176,52,197,70" alt="13: intestine" title="13: intestine"><area href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testicles" shape="rect" coords="135,93,155,111" alt="14: testicles" title="14: testicles"><area href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidney" shape="rect" coords="122,116,144,136" alt="15: kidneys" title="15: kidneys"> </map></p> <div class="thumb tright"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 202px;"> <div style="position: relative;"><img alt="Anatomy of a snake. 1 esophagus, 2 trachea, 3 tracheal lungs, 4 rudimentary left lung, 5 right lung, 6 heart, 7 liver, 8 stomach, 9 air sac, 10 gallbladder, 11 pancreas, 12 spleen, 13 intestine, 14 testicles, 15 kidneys." longdesc="/wiki/Image:Snake-anatomy.svg" class="thumbimage" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Snake-anatomy.svg/200px-Snake-anatomy.svg.png" usemap="#ImageMap_1" height="197" width="200" /></div> <div class="thumbcaption"> <div class="magnify" style="float: right;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Snake-anatomy.svg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" height="11" width="15" /></a></div> Anatomy of a snake. 1 esophagus, 2 trachea, 3 tracheal lungs, 4 rudimentary left lung, 5 right lung, 6 heart, 7 liver, 8 stomach, 9 air sac, 10 gallbladder, 11 pancreas, 12 spleen, 13 intestine, 14 testicles, 15 kidneys.</div> </div> </div> <p style="text-align: justify;">The left <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lung" title="Lung">lung</a> is very small or sometimes even absent, as snakes' tubular bodies require all of their organs to be long and thin. To accommodate them all, only one <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lung" title="Lung">lung</a> is functional. This lung contains a vascularized anterior portion and a posterior portion which does not function in gas exchange. This 'saccular lung' may be used to adjust buoyancy in some aquatic snakes and its function remains unknown in terrestrial species. Also, many organs that are paired, such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidneys" title="Kidneys">kidneys</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reproductive_organs" title="Reproductive organs">reproductive organs</a>, are staggered within the body, with one located ahead of the other. Snakes have no <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urinary_bladder" title="Urinary bladder">urinary bladder</a>.</p> <p><a name="Locomotion" id="Locomotion"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Locomotion">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Locomotion</span></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">Snakes utilize a variety of methods of movement which allows them substantial mobility in spite of their legless condition. All snakes are capable of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateral_undulation" title="Lateral undulation">lateral undulation</a>, in which the body is flexed side-to-side, and the flexed areas propagate posteriorly, giving the overall shape of a posteriorly</p> <p><a name="Reproduction" id="Reproduction"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Reproduction">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Reproduction</span></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">A wide range of reproductive modes are used by snakes. All snakes employ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_fertilization" title="Internal fertilization">internal fertilization</a>, accomplished by means of paired, forked <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemipenis" title="Hemipenis">hemipenes</a>, which are stored inverted in the male's tail. Most snakes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_%28biology%29" title="Egg (biology)">lay eggs</a>, and of those most species abandon them shortly after laying; however, some species are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovoviviparity" title="Ovoviviparity">ovoviviparous</a> and retain the eggs within their bodies until they are almost ready to hatch. Recently, it has been confirmed that several species of snake are fully <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivipary" title="Vivipary">viviparous</a>, such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_anaconda" title="Green anaconda">green anaconda</a>, nourishing their young through a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placenta" title="Placenta">placenta</a> as well as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yolk_sac" title="Yolk sac">yolk sac</a>, highly unusual among reptiles, or indeed anything else outside of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placental_mammals" title="Placental mammals">placental mammals</a>. Retention of eggs and live birth are commonly, but not exclusively, associated with cold environments, as the retention of the young within the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female" title="Female">female</a> allows her to control their temperature more effectively than if the developing young were in external eggs.</p> <p><a name="Venom" id="Venom"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Venom">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Venom</span></h2> <dl><dd><span class="boilerplate seealso"><i>See also: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_venom" title="Snake venom">Snake venom</a></i></span></dd></dl> <p style="text-align: justify;">A <b>venomous snake</b> is a snake that uses modified saliva, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venom_%28poison%29" title="Venom (poison)">venom</a>, delivered through <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fang" title="Fang">fangs</a> in its mouth, to immobilize or kill its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predation" title="Predation">prey</a>. Venomous snakes include several <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_%28biology%29" title="Family (biology)">families</a> of snakes and do not constitute a formal <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxonomic_classification" title="Taxonomic classification">classification</a> group used in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxonomy" title="Taxonomy">taxonomy</a>. The term <b>poisonous snake</b> is false - poison is inhaled or ingested whereas venom is injected. (In contrast, a few non-venomous species are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constrictor" title="Constrictor">constrictors</a> such as pythons, anacondas, and boa constrictors which <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffocate" title="Suffocate">suffocate</a> their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prey" title="Prey">prey</a>.) Snake venom can contain many different active agents, and can potentially be a mix of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotoxin" title="Neurotoxin">neurotoxins</a> (which attack the nervous system), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemotoxin" title="Hemotoxin">hemotoxins</a> (which attack the circulatory system), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytotoxin" title="Cytotoxin">cytotoxins</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bungarotoxin" title="Bungarotoxin">bungarotoxins</a> and many other toxins that affect the body in different ways. Snake venom is never a single type of toxin<sup class="noprint Template-Fact"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources since April 2007" style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i>citation needed</i>]</span></a></sup>.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Venomous snakes that use hemotoxins usually have their fangs to secrete the venom in the front of their mouths, making it easier for them to inject the venom into their victims. Snakes that use neurotoxins, such as the mildly venomous mangrove snake, have their fangs located in the back of their mouths, with the fangs curled backwards. This makes it both difficult for the snake to use its venom and for scientists to milk them.<sup class="noprint Template-Fact"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources since April 2007" style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i>citation needed</i>]</span></a></sup></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">It has recently been suggested that all snakes are in fact venomous to some degree.<sup class="noprint Template-Fact"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources since February 2007" style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i>citation needed</i>]</span></a></sup> Snakes all evolved from a common lizard ancestor that was venomous, from which venomous lizards like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gila_monster" title="Gila monster">gila monster</a> and beaded lizard also derived. The research suggests that snakes all have venom glands, even species thought totally harmless such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_Snake" title="Corn Snake">Corn Snake</a>, commonly kept as a pet. What differentiates 'venomous' from 'non-venomous' is the evolution of a venom delivery system, the most advanced being that of vipers, with fangs that are hinged to prevent self envenomation, and curl out as the snake strikes.</p> <p>Venomous snakes are generally classified in four <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxonomy" title="Taxonomy">taxonomic</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_%28biology%29" title="Family (biology)">families</a>:</p> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elapid" title="Elapid">Elapids</a> - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_%28snake%29" title="Cobra (snake)">cobras</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Cobra" title="King Cobra">king cobras</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krait" title="Krait">kraits</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamba" title="Mamba">mambas</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrelaps" title="Austrelaps">Australian copperheads</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_snake" title="Coral snake">coral snakes</a>.</li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viperidae" title="Viperidae">Viperids</a> - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viper" title="Viper">vipers</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rattlesnake" title="Rattlesnake">rattlesnakes</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agkistrodon_contortrix" title="Agkistrodon contortrix">copperheads</a>/<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agkistrodon_piscivorus" title="Agkistrodon piscivorus">cottonmouths</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adder" title="Adder">adders</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushmaster" title="Bushmaster">bushmasters</a>.</li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colubrid" title="Colubrid">Colubrids</a> - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boomslang" title="Boomslang">boomslangs</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tree_snake&action=edit" class="new" title="Tree snake">tree snakes</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vine_snake" title="Vine snake">vine snakes</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiga" title="Boiga">mangrove snakes</a>, and many others, though not all <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colubrid" title="Colubrid">colubrids</a> are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venomous" title="Venomous">venomous</a>.</li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrophiidae" title="Hydrophiidae">Hydrophiidae</a> - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_snake" title="Sea snake">sea snakes</a></li></ul> <p><a name="Snakes_biting_humans" id="Snakes_biting_humans"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit§ion=9" title="Edit section: Snakes biting humans">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Snakes biting humans</span></h2> <dl><dd> <div class="noprint"><i>Main article: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_bite" title="Snake bite">Snake bite</a></i></div> </dd></dl> <div class="messagebox cleanup metadata plainlinks"> <table style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; width: 100%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="width: 60px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Gnome-globe.svg" class="image" title="Globe icon"><img alt="Globe icon" longdesc="/wiki/Image:Gnome-globe.svg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Gnome-globe.svg/40px-Gnome-globe.svg.png" height="40" width="40" /></a></td> <td>This article or section deals primarily with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a> and does not represent a <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Countering_systemic_bias" title="Wikipedia:WikiProject Countering systemic bias">worldwide view</a></b> of the subject.<br /><small>Please <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit" class="external text" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit" rel="nofollow">improve this article</a> or discuss the issue on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Snake" title="Talk:Snake">talk page</a>.</small></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> <p style="text-align: justify;">Documented deaths resulting from snake bites are uncommon (about 1/1000 in most areas of the world. Only about 450 species of snakes are venomous (with only about 250 that are able to kill a human), and among the 7,000 Americans bitten by venomous snakes every year, fewer than fifteen die. See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakebite_%28bite%29" title="Snakebite (bite)">snakebites</a> for more information, including prevention of snake bites and first aid treatment.</p> <div class="messagebox cleanup metadata"> <table style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; width: 100%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <tbody><tr> <td width="60"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Broom_icon.svg" class="image" title=""><img alt="" longdesc="/wiki/Image:Broom_icon.svg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Broom_icon.svg/40px-Broom_icon.svg.png" height="40" width="40" /></a></td> <td><b>The remainder of this article may require <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Cleanup" title="Wikipedia:Cleanup">cleanup</a> to meet Wikipedia's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Wikipedia_style_guidelines" title="Category:Wikipedia style guidelines">quality standards</a>.</b><br /><small>Please discuss this issue on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Snake" title="Talk:Snake">talk page</a>, or replace this tag with a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Template_messages/Cleanup" title="Wikipedia:Template messages/Cleanup">more specific message</a>. This article has been tagged since <b>October 2006</b>.</small></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> <div class="thumb tright"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 252px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Brown_snake_-_victoria_australia.jpg" class="internal" title="Brown Snake"><img alt="Brown Snake" longdesc="/wiki/Image:Brown_snake_-_victoria_australia.jpg" class="thumbimage" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Brown_snake_-_victoria_australia.jpg/250px-Brown_snake_-_victoria_australia.jpg" height="167" width="250" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <div class="magnify" style="float: right;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Brown_snake_-_victoria_australia.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" height="11" width="15" /></a></div> Brown Snake</div> </div> </div> <p><a name="Snake_charmers" id="Snake_charmers"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Snake charmers">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Snake charmers</span></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">In some parts of the world, especially in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India" title="India">India</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan" title="Pakistan">Pakistan</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_charming" title="Snake charming">snake charming</a> is a roadside show performed by a charmer. In this, the snake charmer carries a basket that contains a snake which he seemingly charms by playing tunes from his flute-like musical instrument, to which the snake responds. However, snakes lack ears, either external or internal. Therefore they are unable to hear the music from the flute.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Researchers have pointed out that many of these snake charmers are good sleight-of-hand artists. The snake moves corresponding to the flute movement and the vibrations from the tapping of the charmer's foot which is not noticed by the public. They rarely catch their snakes and the snakes are either nonvenomous or defanged cobras. Sometimes these people exploit the fear of snakes by releasing snakes into the neighbourhood and then offering to rid the residence of snakes. Other snake charmers also have a snake and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongoose" title="Mongoose">mongoose</a> show, where both the animals have a mock fight; however, this is not very common, as the snakes, as well as the mongooses, may be seriously injured or killed.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Snake charming as a profession is now dissuaded<sup class="noprint">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style" title="Wikipedia:Manual of Style"><i><span title="You can help --" style="white-space: nowrap;">unclear</span></i></a>]</sup> in India as a contribution to forest and snake conservation. In fact in some places in India snake charming is banned by law.<sup class="noprint Template-Fact"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources since February 2007" style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i>citation needed</i>]</span></a></sup></p> <p><a name="Snake_trapping" id="Snake_trapping"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Snake trapping">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Snake trapping</span></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">Despite the existence of snake charmers, there have also been professional snake catchers or wranglers. The tribals of "Irulas" from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradesh" title="Andhra Pradesh">Andhra Pradesh</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Nadu" title="Tamil Nadu">Tamil Nadu</a> in India have been practicing this art for generations. They generally don't use gimmicks and with the help of a simple stick catch the snakes from the fields or houses. They are also known to eat some of the snakes they catch and are very useful in rat extermination in the villages.<sup class="noprint Template-Fact"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources since February 2007" style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i>citation needed</i>]</span></a></sup> Their knowledge of snakes and their behaviour is uncanny. Modern day snake trapping involves a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpetologist" title="Herpetologist">herpetologist</a> using a long stick with a "V" shaped end. Some like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Irwin" title="Steve Irwin">Steve Irwin</a>, Bill Hasst, Joel La Rocque, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Corwin" title="Jeff Corwin">Jeff Corwin</a> prefer to catch them using bare hands. At least one tribe of natives uses a specialized form of snake catching as a rite of passage to manhood.<sup class="noprint Template-Fact"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources since February 2007" style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i>citation needed</i>]</span></a></sup> The young man of interest will wrap his leg heavily in some type of cloth all the way to the inseam. He will then stick his leg in a burrow containing a large python, typically a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reticulated_python" title="Reticulated python">reticulated python</a>. After the snake swallows most of his leg several other members of the tribe will pull him out of the hole along with the snake. The snake is then killed and the man's leg removed from the snake. These snakes can be over 20 ft long and it is possible for the man to have his leg dislocated. The scent of a prey animal may be used to help convince the snake to swallow the leg. Snakes have a single-track digestive system, but the digestion process actually takes longer.</p> <p><a name="Human_consumption_of_snakes" id="Human_consumption_of_snakes"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Human consumption of snakes">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Human consumption of snakes</span></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">In some cultures, the consumption of snakes is acceptable,<a href="http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=1487714" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=1487714" rel="nofollow">[3]</a> or even considered a delicacy,<a href="http://www.asiatour.com/x-librar/dining/chinese.htm" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.asiatour.com/x-librar/dining/chinese.htm" rel="nofollow">[4]</a> prized for its alleged pharmaceutical effect of warming the heart. Western cultures document the consumption of snakes under extreme circumstances of hunger.<a href="http://skyways.lib.ks.us/kansas/ksevents/rsru" class="external autonumber" title="http://skyways.lib.ks.us/kansas/ksevents/rsru" rel="nofollow">[5]</a> However, human consumption of snake meat, especially when eaten raw, may lead to dangerous parasitic infections. Cooked rattlesnake meat is an exception, which is commonly consumed in the Western United States. In Asian countries, drinking the blood of snakes, particularly the cobra, is believed to increase sexual virility. The blood is drained while the cobra is still alive when possible, and is usually mixed with some form of liquor to improve the taste.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In some Asian countries, the use of snakes in alcohol is also accepted. In such cases, the body of a snake or several snakes is left to steep in a jar or container of liquor. It is claimed that this makes the liquor stronger (as well as more expensive). One example of this is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habu" title="Habu">Habu</a> snake sometimes placed in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawa" title="Okinawa">Okinawan</a> liquor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awamori" title="Awamori">Awamori</a>.</p> <p><a name="Symbolism" id="Symbolism"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Symbolism">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Symbolism</span></h2> <dl><dd> <div class="noprint"><i>Main article: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpent_%28symbolism%29" title="Serpent (symbolism)">Serpent (symbolism)</a></i></div> </dd></dl> <p style="text-align: justify;">In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Egypt" title="History of Egypt">Egyptian history</a>, the snake occupies a primary role with the Nile cobra adorning the crown of the pharaoh in ancient times. It was worshipped as one of the Gods and was also used for sinister purposes: murder of an adversary and ritual suicide (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleopatra_VII_of_Egypt" title="Cleopatra VII of Egypt">Cleopatra</a>).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Mythology" title="Greek Mythology">Greek Mythology</a> snakes are often associated with deadly and dangerous antagonists. The 9 headed Hydra Hercules defeated and the three Gorgon sisters are literary examples. Medusa was one of the three Gorgon sisters who Perseus defeated. Medusa is described as a hideous mortal, with snakes instead of hair and the power to turn men to stone with her gaze.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Two medical symbols involving snakes that are still used today are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowl_of_Hygieia" title="Bowl of Hygieia">Bowl of Hygieia</a>, symbolizing pharmacy, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caduceus" title="Caduceus">Caduceus</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_of_Asclepius" title="Rod of Asclepius">Rod of Asclepius</a>, which are symbols denoting medicine in general.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India" title="India">India</a> is often called the land of snakes and is steeped in tradition regarding snakes. Snakes are worshipped as gods even today with many women pouring <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk" title="Milk">milk</a> on snake pits (despite snakes' aversion for milk). The cobra is seen on the neck of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva" title="Shiva">Shiva</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu" title="Vishnu">Vishnu</a> is depicted often as sleeping only on a 7 headed snake. There are also several temples in India solely for cobras sometimes called <i>Nagraj</i> (King of Snakes) and it is believed that snakes are symbols of fertility. There is a Hindu festival called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nagpanchami&action=edit" class="new" title="Nagpanchami">Nagpanchami</a> each year on which day snakes are venerated and prayed to. See also <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C4%81ga" title="Nāga">Nāga</a></i>.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity" title="Christianity">Christianity</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism" title="Judaism">Judaism</a> the snake makes its infamous appearance in the first book (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genesis" title="Genesis">Genesis</a>) of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible" title="Bible">Bible</a> when a snake appears before the first couple <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_and_Eve" title="Adam and Eve">Adam and Eve</a> and tempts them with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_fruit" title="Forbidden fruit">forbidden fruit</a>. It is also seen in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exodus" title="Exodus">Exodus</a> when <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses" title="Moses">Moses</a>, as a sign of God's power, turns his stick into a snake; snakes are similarly produced by the pharaoh's magic-practicing priests, but Moses' snake devours them. Later Moses made <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nehushtan" title="Nehushtan">Nehushtan</a>, a bronze snake on a pole that when looked at cured the people of bites from the snakes that plagued them in the desert. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus" title="Jesus">Jesus</a> instructed his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus%27_disciples" title="Jesus' disciples">disciples</a> to be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouroboros" title="Ouroboros">Ouroboros</a> is a symbol that is associated with many different religions and customs, and is also claimed to be related to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemy" title="Alchemy">Alchemy</a>. The Ouroboros or Oroboros is a snake eating its own tail in a clock-wise direction (from the head to the tail) in the shape of a circle, representing manifestation of one's own life and rebirth, leading to immortality.</p> <p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_%28zodiac%29" title="Snake (zodiac)">Snake</a> belongs to one of the 12 celestial animals of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Zodiac" title="Chinese Zodiac">Chinese Zodiac</a>, in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_calendar" title="Chinese calendar">Chinese calendar</a>.</p> <p><a name="See_also" id="See_also"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: See also">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">See also</span></h2> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_snakes" title="List of snakes">List of snakes</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakebot" title="Snakebot">Snakebot</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake-arm_robot" title="Snake-arm robot">Snake-arm robot</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakebite_%28bite%29" title="Snakebite (bite)">Snakebite</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_oil" title="Snake oil">Snake oil</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_scales" title="Snake scales">Snake scales</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_skeleton" title="Snake skeleton">Snake skeleton</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_venom" title="Snake venom">Snake venom</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_%28zodiac%29" title="Snake (zodiac)">Snake (Zodiac)</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_snake" title="Exploding snake">Exploding snake</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_worship" title="Snake worship">Snake worship</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_Shyam" title="Snake Shyam">Snake Shyam</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmful_snakes" title="Harmful snakes">Harmful snakes</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Serpentes_families" title="List of Serpentes families">List of Serpentes families</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_on_a_Plane" title="Snakes on a Plane">Snakes on a Plane</a></li></ul> <p><a name="Footnotes" id="Footnotes"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: Footnotes">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Footnotes</span></h2> <div class="references-small"> <ol class="references"><li id="_note-serpent"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#_ref-serpent_0" title="">^</a></b> <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serpent" class="external text" title="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serpent" rel="nofollow">Definition of serpent - Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary</a>. <i>Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary</i>. Retrieved on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_12" title="October 12">12 October</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006" title="2006">2006</a>.</li><li id="_note-0"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#_ref-0" title="">^</a></b> <a href="http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/abstract/207/4/579" class="external text" title="http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/abstract/207/4/579" rel="nofollow">The thermogenesis of digestion in rattlesnakes</a>. <i>Journal of Experimental Biology 207</i> 579-585. The Company of Biologists (2004). Retrieved on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006" title="2006">2006</a>-<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_26" title="May 26">05-26</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006" title="2006">2006</a>.</li></ol> </div> <p><a name="References" id="References"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snake&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: References">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">References</span></h2> <cite class="book" style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romulus_Whitaker" title="Romulus Whitaker">Romulus Whitaker</a> (English edition); Tamil translation by O.Henry Francis (1996). <i>நம்மை சுட்ரியுள்ள பாம்புகள் (Snakes around us, Tamil)</i>. National Book Trust. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Booksources&isbn=8123719051" class="internal">ISBN 81-237-1905-1</a>.<br /><br />(Fr:<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"> Wikipedia</span>)<br /></cite>boyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923291031218849658noreply@blogger.com0