North American lizard with a worm-like body 5 letters. Worm-like lizards are. The smallest lizard in the world

You go into nature and, therefore, you probably know that not only wasps, mosquitoes and ticks are waiting for you there. There are also snakes there. They are not as harmless as they seem at first glance. Your task is to know about those species that pose a real danger. Are you sure you know everything about snakes?

Don't know if snakes bite? Would you like to know more about them? Today we will tell you about these common reptiles. In our article you will learn everything about the snake, how to distinguish a snake from another snake and much more.

Where do their different species live?

In nature, near a lake or in a forest in summer or autumn, how can you recognize a snake? By yellow “ears”, but not all species of snakes have them. This melanistic species has no markings and is completely black. If you encounter a snake on the water, make sure it is not poisonous. Did you know that snakes feel free in water? They are especially fond of lakes, ponds and swamps. Here's where to find this reptile to show your kids.

Why are snakes dangerous?

Are they poisonous to humans? We answer: no, these snakes are not poisonous. Can it bite a person? Yes, and the wound after a bite can become inflamed. Even though snakes bite, basic caution will help you avoid unpleasant consequences. These reptiles are kept at home.

How to catch a snake safely? To avoid being bitten, protect your hands. This one is not poisonous snake can pretend to be dead. If he has already rolled over on his back, carefully pick him up. No special devices are needed.

How do snakes differ from vipers?

Most snakes belong to the family Colubridae. They are found on all continents. Among the colubrids there are snakes that live in water.

The viper is larger and longer. The color of a venomous snake is usually gray or black. The characteristic pattern on the skin is a zigzag all over the body, diamonds, and the belly is yellow. There are two teeth on the front edge of the jaw. In the viper they are poisonous.

This snake is not aggressive and rarely bites. You can safely pick it up. The yellow-eared one is also useful; it hunts small rodents. Poisonous snakes compete with non-venomous ones, so where these reptiles live, as a rule, there are no vipers. The only thing to be afraid of is tiger snake– there is poison on his back teeth, which are located deep in the mouth.

Watch a video on Youtube about snakes and vipers, the differences are clearly visible. We'd love your advice on how to tell this harmless snake apart from the venomous snakes of your friends. So that when they relax in nature in the spring, they feel calm.

Or maybe some of you would like to get a snake at home? We promise to write articles on how to keep snakes at home. Expect it soon. It is very fashionable to have such exotic animals at home. Snakes are unpretentious, especially non-venomous ones. And they feed mainly on small rodents. If you find this advice useful, share it on in social networks and write below in the comments, have you ever had any unusual situations with snakes?

In chapter Other about health and beauty to the question How dangerous is a grass snake bite? What are the consequences and what first aid? given by the author Yanya The best answer is Is a grass snake bite dangerous? A snake bite does not pose any danger to humans; it occurs if the wound is not disinfected in time, blood poisoning can occur. The snake's bite is not dangerous due to the fact that this reptile does not have poisonous teeth, but the snake's mouth contains pathogenic microbes that can cause infection in the wound. If you are bitten, you must go to a hospital where they will provide the necessary medical care. Snakes are rare in the city. Never try to kill or catch a snake; it will crawl away on its own. When you see a snake, you should stomp your feet as loudly as possible; if you are with a child, you should pick him up in your arms. If a person steps on a snake, then most likely it will attack. When a snake bites, two pinpoint wounds appear on the body, which have redness and possibly slight swelling at the site of the bite. No other serious external disturbances are observed. The danger is nausea, profuse vomiting, numbness of the limbs, and the development of gangrene at the site of the bite. This only means that the bite was caused by another snake. Even if you are bitten by a harmless snake, measures must be taken as if bitten by a poisonous snake.

Meeting a snake is a pleasant event for few people. In rare cases, reptiles bite a person in defense, however, not in all cases this poses a threat.

Most members of the snake family do not pose any danger, but there are some species with which you need to be extremely careful. Many people know that a snake bite will not cause harm, but whether this is true or not, the reader can find out by reading this article.

This type of snake is found everywhere, preferring to settle on river banks, marshy areas, forests and field plantings. It is a frequent visitor near villages and summer cottages, where it lives in little-used agricultural buildings or garbage heaps. It, like any other reptile, is attracted by the presence of food, so there are more snakes where small rodents, lizards, frogs and toads are found.

Snakes are diurnal animals; at night they mostly stay in shelters. Since they do not have poison and are quite weak, they are hunted by small mammals, for example, hedgehogs, cats, foxes, snakes and others. The size of reptiles depends on gender - females are slightly larger than males and can reach up to a meter in length.

The note. The longest snake seen in the forests of Russia reached almost three meters in size.

They reproduce in early summer, hiding the laid eggs in burrows. Animals love warmth; they can often be found basking in clearings, stumps, and various heaps.

On sunny days, the reptiles are quite active, hunt among grassy vegetation, avoid meeting people, and upon contact, as a rule, they flee. Snakes are good swimmers and can spend long periods of time under water; for example, water snakes are good at fishing.

In spring and autumn they are less active due to cold air. In winter, several individuals gather, forming clubs, trying to find shelter under stumps and in hollows, but they can also be under floor niches, in basements, if these rooms are rarely visited by people.

Difference between vipers (black - Nikolsky, gray - steppe) from snakes (water and common)

The color of the common grass snake can vary from light gray to tarry, so it is not surprising to confuse it with a viper, which often happens during an unexpected encounter. But distinguishing the first from the second is quite simple.

Just pay attention to the distinctive characteristics below:

1. The presence of yellow or orange spots on the back of the head, but this only applies to the common grass snake (see photo in the table below).
2. Snakes, unlike poisonous snakes, do not have triangular shape heads because they do not have poison glands. The head is oval, does not stand out much and blends smoothly into the body.
3. All grass snakes have round eye pupils. Among the representatives of vipers they are cat-like - narrow and vertical.
4. Color. Snakes are distinguished by a shiny tint, while vipers are matte (with the exception of Nikolsky’s black viper).

Table. Types of snakes in Eurasia:

Danger to humans

Of the three species presented in the table, the tiger snake can be dangerous; the rest, although they can bite, do not contain poison. All these snakes can live close to a person, but they themselves never attack first.

The most common individual is one that has two yellow spots or “ears,” as people most often say. This is the most widespread species, representatives of which are found in significant numbers in forests and coastal areas.

The animal avoids humans, and when they meet, they try to hide. If he fails to do this, then most likely he will take a defensive position - he will curl up in a half ring, hiss and throw himself.

In this case, you are more likely to get a bite. If his actions are not successful, the animal will begin to pretend to be dead, turning its belly up, opening its mouth wide, and will lie motionless for some time, and then again try to run away.

The snake is easy to catch. To do this, you can lightly press it down with a stick or grab it by the tail. As soon as he calms down and stops behaving aggressively, you can pick him up.

Note. The common one has an unpleasant, persistent odor. When caught, it releases even more foul-smelling substances, and it is also possible for the snake to defecate on a person. All this is natural defense mechanisms, produced by nature. Without soap, it will be difficult to get rid of the smell, which must be taken into account if you want to play with the animal.

In the water, until it is picked up, it will not be able to bite, since there is no support for this, but if it ends up on the shore or is squeezed in the palm of your hand, then the animal, depending on its disposition, can cause trouble, which does not happen often. In all cases, the snake bites a person through his fault. If you do not touch the reptile, then it will not attack.

Peculiarities of tiger snake behavior

The pattern of behavior of representatives of this species is similar to its relatives, but with the difference that its aggressiveness will depend on its nutrition. Toxic substances from poisonous frogs that an individual feeds on can accumulate in the glands, so the more such animals in the diet, the higher the degree of aggression.

When encountered, the tiger snake takes a defensive position, hisses, and a small hood is blown out in the chest part of the body, like a cobra. These snakes have small teeth, unlike vipers and other dangerous crawling reptiles, they do not have poisonous fangs.

When bitten, as a rule, the front teeth penetrate the skin, which does not cause significant harm, but if toxins from the back teeth enter the bloodstream, severe swelling, dizziness and nausea develop. In essence, the symptoms will be the same as with a viper bite, however, death is unlikely. In this case, the victim should move less (preferably lie down), drink as much fluid as possible to reduce the concentration of harmful substances and remove them from the body as quickly as possible.

Important. The administration of an antidote in the form of serum is recommended only in exceptional cases, for example, with bites in small children, weak old people, or if a person develops a severe allergic reaction. For a healthy person, this will not be necessary, because the medicine itself is a foreign protein, which can provoke an increase in the negative reaction.

If the clinic does not have serum against tiger snake bites, the patient will be prescribed symptomatic therapy:

• anti-inflammatory drugs;
• analgesics;
• diuretics;
• medications to eliminate the negative effects of poison on internal organs, which the doctor prescribes according to indications.

As a rule, negative manifestations do not last more than three days; the affected person recovers completely within 4-5 days.

Common grass snake bite

The yellow-eared snake is not poisonous or aggressive. To get a bite, you need to try hard, because when a person approaches, she makes herself visible (hissing, warning stance) and tries to hide.

An animal rarely bites, as a rule, if it is in pain, or the person’s behavior is extremely careless. Even if you are already caught and treated gently, a bite most likely will not occur. But if a reptile is treated roughly, it will begin to defend itself, which is natural.

If you do get bitten, then characteristic symptoms appear:

• small marks remain on the skin;
• blood will be released depending on the depth of the wound; if the snake makes a jerk or a sharp turn when biting, then the wounds may be deep and bleeding is possible;
• slight redness of the skin around the penetration of the teeth;
• Swelling and itching are possible, which is quite rare.

Usually there is no need to do anything, since the person is in nature, as a rule, in this case there is nothing at hand. You can apply a cloth to the skin, and once the bleeding stops, use celandine or plantain leaves.

If the victim has access to medicine or is at home, first aid instructions will be as follows:

1. Rinse skin clean water. You can use soap, preferably baby or laundry soap.
2. Dry the wound with a sanitary napkin and treat with hydrogen peroxide or rub with a swab soaked in a 70% solution of ethyl alcohol;
3. If you have ice, applying it to the bite can reduce inflammation and pain. Instead of ice will do any frozen product wrapped in a clean cloth or plastic bag.
4. After all procedures, lubricate the skin around the wound with a cotton swab dipped in iodine and apply a bactericidal patch.

As a rule, this is where the troubles end. Complications are possible when an infection occurs, which may be due to dirty skin or the penetration of microbes present on the snake’s teeth.

In this case, the following symptoms develop:

• the skin around the wound becomes very red and warms up;
• an inflammatory process develops, there may be suppuration or an unpleasant odor;
• a temperature appears, which depends on the degree of the negative process;
• Signs of dyspepsia and intoxication may appear.

If these symptoms occur, you should immediately go to the hospital to provide medical assistance to the victim.

How to Avoid a Bite

To avoid causing harm to a person, you just need to not touch him.

To do this, you should be careful when being in natural conditions:

• do not walk barefoot on tall grass, especially along river banks or wetlands;
• do not pick up branches and leaves with bare hands;
• when picking mushrooms and berries, you need to use a stick to rake the forest floor;
• do not create garbage heaps in the garden plot from trimmed cultivated plants that lie for a long time without disposal;
• fight frogs and rodents;
• Do not provoke the discovered animal with a stick or other objects, trying to get a better look at it.

Important. The surest way to encounter a snake is to move a few meters away from it. A snake or another reptile never attacks first, but only for the purpose of its own protection.

Conclusion

In Eurasia you can find three types of snakes: common, water and tiger. The latter has toxic substances, and its bite in rare cases can be toxic, like a viper.

Snakes are usually very peaceful; in order to show aggression, they need to be provoked (inflicted pain or forced to defend themselves by improper behavior). Medical attention may be required if you are bitten by a tiger snake. In other cases, it is enough to disinfect the wound and apply an antiseptic plaster. If an infection occurs, it is recommended to go to the hospital.

The tiger snake, in terms of the structure of the skull and the location of the poisonous teeth, belongs to the posterior sulcatated snakes; it’s just that the large teeth are located in the depths of the oral cavity.

External signs of a tiger snake

The body structure is similar to an ordinary grass snake and reaches a length of 1 meter. In the back of the head, under the skin, 10-19 pairs of nucho-dorsal glands are visible, hidden under a small skin ridge.

The scales are covered with longitudinal ribs, which are clearly defined. Large eyes with round pupils. The last two teeth in the upper jaw are large, curved backwards, separated from the remaining teeth by a small gap. The color of the tiger snake's skin is distinguished by its variegated shades.

This is one of the most beautiful reptiles from the collection of Russian herpetofauna. The upperparts are bright green, sometimes dark green or dark olive in color, grading to light brown or almost black tones. On the main background there are black stripes located across them, which are divided into lateral and dorsal spots. The edges of the scales located in front of the body are colored intensely red or orange-red. This feature of the skin is characteristic only of adult individuals. The sides of the head are decorated with 2 noticeable black spots. The first is on the temple, and the second is in the shape of a triangle, extending through the lower edge of the eye to the very upper jaw.

Distribution of the tiger snake

The tiger snake in Russia lives only in the Khabarovsk Territory and Primorye. It is found in Eastern China, on the islands of Japan, and lives in Korea.

Habitats of the tiger snake

The tiger snake sticks to wet habitats. Selects areas close to swamps, ponds, wet lowlands with thick grass cover. In the absence of water bodies, it inhabits deciduous and mixed forests, as well as damp meadows. In such areas this reptile species is quite numerous and widespread; On a permanent 3 km route, up to 44 individuals are caught.

Tiger snake nutrition

The basis of the tiger snake's diet consists of amphibians: toads and frogs, and sometimes fish.

Peculiarities of tiger snake behavior

Tiger snakes spend the winter in abandoned burrows of mouse-like rodents or in voids underground, forming aggregations of several hundred snakes.

They react to danger by raising their upper body vertically. This flat-necked defensive posture is similar to that of a cobra opening its hood.

In addition, tiger snakes make body throws towards the enemy, accompanying these body movements with a loud hiss. The caustic substance produced by the nucho-dorsal glands irritates the predator’s oral cavity, and it immediately abandons its prey. However, tiger snakes are not such harmless snakes and can inflict bites themselves, but the short teeth usually do not penetrate too deeply, the poison does not enter the blood. Posterior grooved snakes seem to chew the victim. But if the skin is scratched by the long back teeth, hidden deep in the oral cavity, the poison enters the bloodstream and causes severe poisoning of the body.

Keeping a tiger snake in a terrarium

The conditions for breeding tiger snakes in captivity are the same, as are the features of breeding common snakes. The temperature in the terrarium is maintained within 28-30 degrees. Reptiles reproduce well in captivity, possibly without wintering, although experts recommend not disturbing the natural cycle of snakes. Mating usually occurs in February or March, but may occur later if wintering is prolonged.

After 48 days, the female lays 8-22 eggs; they differ in size 2.7-3.5 X 1.6-2.0 mm and weigh twenty grams. Embryos in eggs develop at a temperature of 27-30 degrees and ninety percent humidity. The incubation period is 34-38 days. Young snakes have a body length of 15-20 cm. A week after birth, the supper offspring molt. Young snakes grow quickly, and at the age of one and a half years they are able to give birth.

Poisonous properties of the tiger snake

Tiger snakes do not have real glands with poison, that is, developed from the upper jaw. And the poisonous properties of reptiles are determined by the Duvernois gland, into which it has turned salivary gland.

But, despite the obvious difference, the poisonous secretion has not lost its properties. Although the strength of the poison is less pronounced than that of other poisonous reptiles: copperheads, cobras, vipers. Therefore, the tiger snake is called a “conditionally poisonous” snake, meaning that its poisonous teeth are hidden deep inside the mouth.