The tiger snake is a dangerous and poisonous snake. The tiger snake is a dangerous and poisonous snake. Habitats of the tiger snake.

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Description

Appearance

A snake with a bright color - the upper side of the body is green with dark stripes. On the neck and in front of the body, the green color gives way to red-orange, which resembles the coloration of a tiger. Body length - up to 110 cm.

Distribution and habitat

Extended to Far East Russia, as well as in neighboring countries. Inhabits damp biotopes, near water bodies, both in forests and outside them.

Behavior

In defense, the tiger snake takes a characteristic pose: it raises the front part of its body almost vertically, hisses, and lunges towards the enemy. A caustic secretion is secreted from the nucho-dorsal glands located on the upper side of the neck, which forces the predator that has grabbed the tiger snake to immediately release it. This secretion contains polyhydroxylated steroids, similar in structure to the cardiotonic bufodienolides from toad venom.

Nutrition

Tiger snake and man

Poisoning from a bite

There is a known case in which a 50-year-old man was bitten by a tiger snake and was poisoned. Symptoms: bleeding from the wound, thrombocytopenia, increased prothrombin time, hypofibrinogenemia. Treatment for a tiger snake bite is symptomatic.

Kept in approximately the same conditions as real snakes, only at slightly higher high temperature(28-30 °C). They reproduce easily in captivity, producing up to two clutches per year. To stimulate reproduction, artificial wintering is desirable.

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Literature

Kudryavtsev S.V. Frolov V.E. Korolev A.V. Terrarium and its inhabitants. - M.: Timber Industry, 1991. - P. 319-322.
Orlov B. N. Gelashvili D. B. Ibragimov A. K. Poisonous animals and plants of the USSR - M.: graduate School, 1990. - P. 122. - ISBN 5-06-001027-9

Notes

An excerpt characterizing the Tiger Snake

– We’ll spend the night in Tsnaim.
“And I loaded everything I needed onto two horses,” said Nesvitsky, “and they made me excellent packs.” At least escape through the Bohemian mountains. It's bad, brother. Are you really unwell, why are you shuddering like that? - Nesvitsky asked, noticing how Prince Andrei twitched, as if from touching a Leyden jar.
“Nothing,” answered Prince Andrei.
At that moment he remembered his recent clash with the doctor’s wife and the Furshtat officer.
-What is the commander-in-chief doing here? - he asked.
“I don’t understand anything,” said Nesvitsky.
“All I understand is that everything is disgusting, disgusting and disgusting,” said Prince Andrei and went to the house where the commander-in-chief stood.
Passing by Kutuzov's carriage, the tortured horses of the retinue and the Cossacks speaking loudly among themselves, Prince Andrei entered the entryway. Kutuzov himself, as Prince Andrei was told, was in the hut with Prince Bagration and Weyrother. Weyrother was an Austrian general who replaced the murdered Schmit. In the entryway little Kozlovsky was squatting in front of the clerk. The clerk on an inverted tub, turning up the cuffs of his uniform, hastily wrote. Kozlovsky’s face was exhausted - he, apparently, had not slept at night either. He looked at Prince Andrei and did not even nod his head to him.
– Second line... Wrote it? - he continued, dictating to the clerk, - Kiev Grenadier, Podolsk...
“You won’t have time, your honor,” the clerk answered disrespectfully and angrily, looking back at Kozlovsky.
At that time, Kutuzov’s animatedly dissatisfied voice was heard from behind the door, interrupted by another, unfamiliar voice. By the sound of these voices, by the inattention with which Kozlovsky looked at him, by the irreverence of the exhausted clerk, by the fact that the clerk and Kozlovsky were sitting so close to the commander-in-chief on the floor near the tub, and by the fact that the Cossacks holding the horses laughed loudly under window of the house - from all this, Prince Andrei felt that something important and unfortunate was about to happen.
Prince Andrei urgently turned to Kozlovsky with questions.
“Now, prince,” said Kozlovsky. – Disposition to Bagration.
-What about capitulation?
- There is none; orders for battle have been made.
Prince Andrei headed towards the door from behind which voices were heard. But just as he wanted to open the door, the voices in the room fell silent, the door opened of its own accord, and Kutuzov, with his aquiline nose on his plump face, appeared on the threshold.
Prince Andrei stood directly opposite Kutuzov; but from the expression of the commander-in-chief’s only seeing eye it was clear that thought and concern occupied him so much that it seemed to obscure his vision. He looked directly at the face of his adjutant and did not recognize him.
- Well, have you finished? – he turned to Kozlovsky.
- Right this second, Your Excellency.
Bagration, short, with an oriental type of hard and motionless face, dry, not yet an old man, went out to get the commander-in-chief.
“I have the honor to appear,” Prince Andrei repeated quite loudly, handing over the envelope.
- Oh, from Vienna? Fine. After, after!
Kutuzov went out with Bagration onto the porch.
“Well, prince, goodbye,” he said to Bagration. - Christ is with you. I bless you for this great feat.
Kutuzov's face suddenly softened, and tears appeared in his eyes. He pulled Bagration to him with his left hand, and with his right hand, on which there was a ring, apparently crossed him with a familiar gesture and offered him a plump cheek, instead of which Bagration kissed him on the neck.
- Christ is with you! – Kutuzov repeated and walked up to the carriage. “Sit down with me,” he said to Bolkonsky.
– Your Excellency, I would like to be useful here. Let me stay in the detachment of Prince Bagration.
“Sit down,” said Kutuzov and, noticing that Bolkonsky was hesitating, “I need good officers myself, I need them myself.”
They got into the carriage and drove in silence for several minutes.

The tiger snake has some distinctive features related to protection from predators. The reptile has glands on the back of its neck with a special secretion that allow the snake to defend itself from attack. When a predator goes on the attack, the snake deliberately lowers its head so that the enemy bites precisely at these glands. The secretion ends up in the animal's mouth, forcing the snake to release. This unique trait makes the individuals of the group under discussion the most courageous of their kind. But let's talk about everything in more detail.

Description

Sexual characteristics are distinctive, that is, females are distinguished by their overall characteristics. Male individuals are slightly smaller. There are snakes that grow up to 3.5 meters in length. They are slender in body format, elongated and not too thick. The head is medium, protected by paired shields on both sides.
The pupils are round, but may be oval or cleft-shaped. The tail is not too long; it is 3-5 times shorter than the body. The tail format varies, ranging from abrupt to sharp or rounded. The body is covered with scales, which can stand out or smooth out, it all depends on the individual.
The upper part of the body does not have the color characteristic of absolutely all snakes. Typically, pigmentation varies between greenish and brownish tones. Snakes can be olive, emerald, gray with an ash tint, as well as dark gray and brown-red. There are reddish individuals and pure black ones. The final color can be variegated or plain with or without spots.
The ventral section is pigmented white, more dirty than pure and uniform. In this area, spots or oblong stripes may be visible, located in the middle and extending all the way to the tail. The number of teeth is ambiguous, and there is also no uniform size and format. Mostly the teeth are small and sharp.
Due to the fact that this species has been studied quite thoroughly, experts have been able to establish that there are dense and large teeth on several sides. Also, when a snake swallows food, these same teeth bend, that is, they are mobile against the background of the rest of the fixed row.
The teeth grow from the middle of the jaw to its depth. The largest specimens are located closer to the throat. In some individuals they are located separately from the rest. The tongue is forked, as is the case with all reptiles of this kind.

Danger to humans

Snakes in all their diversity do not cause damage to humans. They do not have the ability to attack; generally, snakes try to avoid people or defend themselves when they approach. Often individuals do not even know how to bite, they only grab and immediately release.
When an individual of the species in question sees an approaching threat, it tries to hide out of sight. If such a maneuver was not possible, the reptile behaves quietly and does not move. He can hiss, jump out in a lunge and do a stance, but this is all feigned.
If a person tries to get closer, the snake will still bite, but it will do it weakly, without much damage. In the worst case, there will be barely noticeable scratches. Let us repeat, this type of snake is relatively calm and will not attack without warning in the form of a hiss.
The main means of protection is considered to be the liquid ejected from the cloaca, which smells very unpleasant. If a person manages to catch a snake, he will eventually stop resisting, completely relax and open his mouth slightly. The tongue will fall out, and the snake itself will look like a rope.

Habitats

It is worth noting amazing fact that the individuals in question are distributed throughout almost all of Europe and up to the Arctic Circle. Such snakes live in different parts Africa, except in the driest areas and deserts. It is also not uncommon in Central and North America. Snakes are also found in Cuba.
Reptiles are common in Asia, Australia, South America and various islands. Where such individuals are not found, they are replaced by a very closely related genus of cross-eyed snakes. Concerning Russian Federation, then such snakes predominantly inhabit the entire European part.
In general, individuals live in places where there is water and sufficient humidity. Much also depends on the type of reptile. Snakes can be found in mountains, steppes, floodplains, near the sea, ponds, lakes, swamps and similar wet places.
There are quite a lot of snakes that live in arid and sandy places where there is practically no moisture and water. Often individuals prefer to be active during the daytime. During the day they bask in the sun, and in the morning and evening they go hunting.
It is worth noting that such snakes are excellent at climbing trees. They can move among the branches without any problems. Snakes spend a lot of time in the water. They love to swim and dive. With all this, snakes can stay in water for a long time and sometimes hunt in such an environment.
Reptiles often swim along the shore without climbing onto land. However, it is not uncommon for such snakes to be spotted several kilometers from the shore in lakes and seas. While swimming, individuals raise their heads above the water. Such snakes swim well underwater and can spend a long time at the bottom.
Some species of snakes are classified as burrowing reptiles. Most often, such snakes live on the forest floor. In case of danger, they hide under stones. Individuals living in arid regions most often burrow into sand and loose soil, heaping it onto themselves. At night, the majority of snakes prefer to hide in their homes.

Tiger snakes are not much different from ordinary ones. The individuals in question have a beautiful appearance and are widely distributed throughout the world. They lead an ordinary lifestyle. They hunt during the day and hide in burrows at night.

Video: Tiger snake (Rhabdophis tigrinus)

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.

Photo by Vladimir Mikheev

Description

This is a slender snake, reaching a meter in length, with a physique similar to real snakes. Under the skin of the back, behind the head, it has from 10 to 19 pairs of nucho-dorsal glands, visible from the outside by small ridges on the skin. Scales with pronounced longitudinal ribs. The eyes are large, the pupil is round. In the mouth, the last two maxillary teeth are greatly enlarged, bent back and separated from the remaining teeth by a clear gap. The tiger snake is one of the most beautiful, and, of course, the most elegant of the species of snakes found in Russia. The upper side of its body is dark green, dark olive, light brown, blue or almost black, but most often bright green. This background usually has clearly defined black transverse stripes, sometimes divided into transverse dorsal and lateral spots. In the anterior part of the body, the edges of the scales in the spaces between the stripes are bright red or orange-red. These orange and red spots only appear on adults. On the sides of the head there are two bright black spots: one is located in the temporal region, the other, triangular, connects the lower edge of the eye with the upper jaw. The eyes are large and black.

The tiger snake is common in Korea, Eastern China and the Japanese Islands. In Russia it is found only in Primorye and the south Khabarovsk Territory. This snake loves moist habitats. It lives near bodies of water, in swamps or in damp lowlands with dense vegetation. Far from water bodies, it settles in mixed and deciduous forests, as well as in meadows. In such places the species is already quite numerous; encountered up to 44 specimens along a permanent three-kilometer route.

For the winter, it takes refuge in rodent burrows or in vast underground chambers that serve for the collective wintering of Far Eastern snakes.

In case of danger, it vertically raises the front part of the body. At the same time, his neck becomes flat, like that of a cobra unfolding its hood. The defender hisses and lunges towards the enemy. The nucho-dorsal glands secrete a caustic secretion, which, when it gets into the mouth of a predator who has carelessly grabbed a tiger snake, forces it to immediately release the prey. On occasion, a tiger snake can itself bite an enemy. Its saliva is poisonous, but its short teeth usually do not bite deep enough into the human body for the poison to enter the bloodstream. However, if the grass snake manages to bite with its long back teeth, located deeply, severe poisoning can occur, accompanied by the same symptoms as with a viper bite.

This snake is similar in its biology and conditions of detention to real snakes, only its temperature should be slightly higher (28-30°C). Like common grass snake, the tiger breeds easily in captivity; wintering, although desirable, is not required. Depending on the duration and timing of wintering, the mating dates can be shifted to any month of the year, but usually it is February-March. The duration of pregnancy is 48 days. The second clutch from snakes can be obtained in June-July. The number of eggs in clutches ranges from 8 to 22, their dimensions are usually 27-35 mm x 16-20 mm, with a weight of about 20 g. The duration of incubation of eggs at a temperature of 27-30 ° C and 90% humidity is 34-38 days. The young hatch with a body length of 150-200 mm. Their first molt occurs a week after birth. The young grow quickly and at one year of age begin to show signs of sexual activity, and at 18 months they become sexually mature.

Like the common snake, the tiger snake is a true “frog-eater”; it feeds mainly on black-spotted and Far Eastern frogs, as well as toads and other tailless amphibians. However, it can also eat fish.

The tiger snake is a “conditionally poisonous” snake

The tiger snake belongs to the group of “conditionally poisonous” snakes, that is, its poisonous teeth are located not in front, but deep in the mouth. Unlike many other poisonous snakes (vipers, copperheads, etc.), the poisonous teeth of the tiger snake are located behind - at the rear edges of the upper jaw and are separated from the others by a toothless gap. Therefore, a bite with these teeth is not always applied even in the case of successful throws on the enemy. Since the teeth are located deep in the mouth on the posterior edge of the maxillary bone, the Tiger Snake can only bite the victim that is in the mouth. All this should be taken into account by beginning terrariumists. They feed, as a rule, on lizards and frogs, injecting poison into them during ingestion. Although tiger snakes do not pose a direct danger to people, since a normal bite uses non-venomous teeth located in the front. However, if a bite by poisonous teeth does occur, typical poisoning with snake venom occurs, sometimes with fatal outcome. For a long time This snake in Russia was considered non-venomous. However, in Japan, statistics on poisoning by its poison have been kept for a long time, and deaths are known.

According to their anatomical features (structure of the skull and venom-bearing apparatus), tiger snakes belong to the posterior grooved snakes, that is, they have teeth that increase in size towards the pharynx, in other words, large teeth are located in the depths of the mouth. When biting, retrosulcated snakes seem to chew the victim. This family of snakes does not have true, that is, phylogenetically derived from the upper jaw, venom glands, but have the Duvernois gland, anatomically developed from the salivary gland. The secretion of this gland also has a poisonous effect, but less pronounced than that of other types of snakes.

A - Colubridae (Tiger snake), B - Asps, C - Vipers

1 - poisonous gland, 2 - duct of the gland, 3 - poisonous teeth, 4 - drainage cavity of the poisonous tooth, 5 - groove for the drainage of poison, 6 - channel of the poisonous tooth