Sea snakes

Sea snakes belong to a group of snakes related to Cobras. However instead of being terrestrial they prefer water. They are rather clumsy when brought ashore stressing how well adapted they are to an aquatic environment.

They cannot stay submerged for extended periods so they will often be close to the surface to breathe.

Appearance

They seldom exceed a length of 6 feet and their heads are relatively small compared to other snakes at the same size. The head of sea snakes are compressed to offer less resistance to moving in water as possible. The sea snakes can be divided into two subfamilies, the Laticaudinae and Hydrophiinae.

Members of the former group are amphibious, that is that they are also able to live on land. They are also called Sea kraits and true sea snakes respectively.

Diet

They mainly feed on fish and it seems like there's a difference in feeding habits when it come to sexes. A study showed that male sea snakes had a more varied diet than female sea snakes¹. In the study it was found while male sea snakes had an average of 16 different species in their stomachs females had only an average of 6 different species. The explanation to this is unknown.

Habitat

Sea snakes are confined to relatively temperate water like that found in the Tropical Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the western parts of the Pacific Ocean. There are however also sea snakes in the Eastern Pacific. Some species prefer to live in reefs while other prefers to live close to the shores vegetation.

Life Cycle

Hydrophiids (the true sea snakes) give birth to live young. The gestation period ranges from 4-11 months. There is no parental care at all and young snakes must take care of themselves immediately after birth. To begin with they have to swim to the surface to get some air.

Venom

The venom from a sea snake is generally more toxic to humans than venom from land snakes. Their fangs are however only 1 inch to 1½ inch long and sea snakes are less efficient at penetrating human skin than terrestrial snakes. They are however more inclined to humans if felt threatened than land snakes. It is possible to get antivenin against all sea snake bites.

Rattle snakes

Rattlesnakes belong to a genus named Crotalus a genus consisting of numerous subspecies. The name rattlesnakes of course has its origin in the rattle at the tip of their tails. The rattle is primarily used as a warning device when threatened.

Envenomations from rattlesnakes account for a significant portion of all poisonings in North America (Schaper et al., 2004)1.

Even in Europe the number of rattlesnake bites increases due to more and more people having rattlesnakes in their homes as pets (ibid).

Rattlesnake Bites

The purpose of the rattlesnake bite is to stun or to put an immediate end to its prey. If a potential prey escapes a bite a rattlesnake will hunt it down and eventually swallow it. Usually the snake is helped by its prey gradually weakening due to the toxicity of its venom.

Rattlesnakes are capable of regulating the amount of venom they inject when biting. If the rattlesnake only feels threatened it may not deliver a full dose of venom into the perceived attacker. However, a frightened or injured snake may not be able to, or in the mood to, exercise such a control. The same goes with young, inexperienced rattlesnakes.

If you are bitten by a rattlesnake you should seek medical attention immediately.

Bites on humans usually occur when the snake is provoked or disturbed. One should not underestimate the range and speed of rattlesnakes, which when coiled are much faster than most people believe. They can also strike without coiling first. If you are hiking in known rattlesnake land you should consider wearing long pants reinforced with leather. If you encounter a rattlesnake on a trail keep distance and allow the snake to escape - and keep pets away from the snake.

Rattlesnakes feed on almost any kind of small animals, from rodents to other snakes, small lizards, frogs, and birds.

Life Cycle

Rattlesnakes give live birth and the female even looks after their newborns several days (1-1½ week) after birth.

Rattlesnake Venom

Most species have hemotoxic venom, which works quickly by degenerating tissue and preventing blood from clotting. The venom in itself might not be as toxic as the venom of other snakes, but with the amount of venom the rattlesnake is capable of injecting it becomes extremely dangerous.

Loss of limbs or permanent scarring are some of the consequences of rattlesnake bites if not death. Around 0.5 percent of people receiving a bite from a rattlesnake will die, even when antivenom is applied. A normal Diamondback rattlesnake contains enough venom to cause the end of more than 50 people.

Some tropical species have neurotoxic venom. Prey or people bit by these tropical rattlesnakes will usually die from suffocation due to malfunctioning of either lungs or the circulatory system.

The rattle

The rattle of rattlesnakes is composed of modified scales from the tail. A new segment is added to the rattle every time it sheds it skins, so if the rattle couldn't break, one would be able to determine the age of the snake by looking at the numbers of segment on the rattle. A rough estimate of the age of the rattlesnake is however obtained by merely counting the segments on the rattle. The rattlesnake sheds its skin when it has grown large enough and this will also depend on prey availability, weather conditions etc. Under wet conditions the rattle won't make any noise and newborn rattlesnake can't make a noise with their rattle.

Mojave Rattlesnake

In general rattlesnakes aren't aggressive. There is one, however, the Mojave Rattlesnake that might seem a little aggressive towards humans. It is an extremely dangerous snake. It is larger than most other rattlesnakes ranging from 20 to 50 inches (0.5-1.3 m). Its coloration varies from olive green to yellow green, while its back is lined with some dark grey diamond shaped markings resembling the ones seen in the diamondback rattlesnake. The tail of the Mojave is light grey to white with very short black bands. Its preferred habitat are flat areas of the desert and land with plentiful of shrubs. The Mojave forages during the night and prefers small mammals like mice and rats.

Diamondback Rattlesnake

The Diamondback Rattlesnake is a large rattlesnake (30-84 inches) known from its diamond like gray blotches on its back and side. Its base color is a brown or gray color and its tail has alternating white and black rings. It prefers areas with rocks and shrubs. It feeds on any kind of animals, even eating animals as large as rabbits. They tend to stand their ground when provoked and are both dangerous and venomous. It gives live birth (eggs hatches inside the female body) to small diamondback rattlesnakes with a length of approximately 8-12 inches. They can be found in most western parts of the United States.

Sidewinder Rattlesnake

One of the smallest rattlesnakes ranging in size from 25 to 40 inches (0.6-1 m), it prefers to live in sandy or loamy soil and sand. It tends to hide in the shade of bushes during daytime. A dark stripe is seen from its eyes and the coloring of the body is brownish or grayish. It primarily feeds on small rodents and lizards.

Kraits

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling features the well-known story «Rikki-Tikki-Tavi». In this book a Krait threatens a boy but is defeated by a Mongoose. The story takes place in India, where Kraits (Bungarus spp.) are common.

Kraits are called different names in different regions due to linguistic differences - some of the names are: 

Karait, Kalach, Kala gandait , Kattige haavu, Domnachiti, Shiyar Chanda, Katla paamu, Kala taro, Manyar, kanadar, Chitti , Kattu viriyan, Yennai viriyan, Yettadi viriyan, Velli Kattan, Ettadi veeran, Karawala, and Katta Kadambale.

The Krait, the common Krait Bungarus caeruleus is a relatively small (3 foot) venomous snake and one of the most venomous snakes in India. Kraits have colors that range from black to grey with white stripes that are more prominent on the lower part of the body.

Kraits can be found in a number of habitats. As their preferred food source is rodents, they tend to occupy places where rodents are found such as rat holes, old houses and semi-aquatic environments. Kraits are nocturnal creatures, therefore the risk of being bitten by a Krait is highly increased at night.

Krait bite

Krait envenomation is quite common in India, Taiwan, Vietnam, and other Asian countries. In a study by Ha (2009)1, 60 krait envenomations were studied. The results showed that the mortality rate was 7% out of all those bitten, with a mean age of the victims being 33 and 71% of the victims being males. The average duration of time that passed between the bite and the first sign of symptoms ranged from 30 minutes to 24 hours. The most common symptoms were dropping of the eyelids, and dilation of the pupils. More severe symptoms included: limb paralysis and paralysis of respiratory muscles (ibid). Of the 60 people, 52 needed mechanical ventilation for 8 days as a consequence of the Kraits venom.

King snake

Red and black is safe for Jack is the first thing that springs to mind when speaking about the kingsnake. Some king snakes (the Scarlet King Snake) looks very similar to the coral snake, although kingsnakes has their yellow band on them surrounded by black bands. The rhyme for the Coral Snake is if read touches yellow, kills a fellow. Kingsnakes are harmless and closely related to milk snakes, which are in fact king snakes.

Kingsnakes are called king snakes because of their habit of eating other snakes. The phenomenon is referred to as ophiophagy in the biological literature. King snakes are constrictors and non-venomous, and their preferred diet, besides other snakes, is rodents, frogs, birds and their offspring (also as eggs.).

Kingsnakes are curious and makes an excellent pet. They should be fed with dead rodents to avoid them being damaged by the rodents teeth.

Cottonmouth Snakes

The Cottonmouth Snake is a fairly common snake found in wetland areas such as rivers and lakes, as well as other aquatic environments It is larger than its close relative, the Copperhead Snake, and normally it reach a length of 30 to 48 inches (75-125 cm).

Another name often used instead of Cottonmouths Snake is Water Moccasin. The name cottonmouth originates from the cotton like color in the snakes mouth.

It is a common misunderstanding that the Cottonmouth Snake, with the Latin name Agkistrodon piscivorus is a particularly aggressive snake compared to other snakes. This misunderstanding was challenged in a study by Gibbons and Dorcas (1998)1.

Gibbons and Dorca demonstrated that when the Cottonmouth was threatened it would try to escape in more than 50 percent of the provoked incidences. Most of the snakes used threat displays to avoid the danger (an artificial hand) and less than one out of three snakes tried to attack the artificial hand. These data suggest that the Cottonmouth isn't as aggressive as people commonly believe they are.

The Cottonmouth snake is black, brown or olive colored with lighter bands on its side.

Diet

The cottonmouth eats a lot of different prey. The diet includes other snakes, fish, lizards, turtles, frogs, small birds and alligators and mammals. It doesn't swallow its prey until it is dead, a behavior seen when the prey is held in the snake's jaws until it finally succombs to the venom. Prey that is likely to bite back is first struck and then released to avoid eventual attacks. Howeveer, if the prey flees the cottonmouth is able to track and hunt down the escaped prey.

Cottonmouth Snake Bite

The cottonmouth produces its venom in glands close to where the jaws join. In the case of a bite the muscles around the glands squeeze venom from the glands through channels to the fangs. The venom is able to destroy blood cells and reduces the normal coagulation and clotting abilities of the blood. This results in what is called hemorrhaging in the parts of the prey's body penetrated by the poison.

Life Cycle

The eggs of a cottonmouth mature inside the females body and hatch within the parent before birth. Sometimes the egg hatch immediately after laying. The size of the Cottonmouth litter range from 6-12 living young snake and can be anywhere from 8-10 inches long (10-25 cm) and 0.75 inches (2 cm) in diameter.

Most female cottonmouth reproduces every other year. The percentage of females reproducing depends on prey availability, temperature and the size distribution of females in the given population. Small female cottonmouth snakes are less likely to give birth to new young snakes. In a Virginia survey of cottonmouth (Blem & Blem, 1995)2 it was found the winter mortality during hibernation had a huge impact on fertility rates.

Coral Snake

Coral snakes are easy to recognize with their distinctive coloration. They have alternating red, yellow and black bands starting with black - yellow - black - yellow - red - black - yellow - red.

The yellow bands are shorter than the black and red bands. However, imitation Coral Snakes exist who have alternating yellow and red bands that are not flanked by black bands, proving that they are not true North American Coral snakes.

The Coral Snakes belongs to genus with the Latin name Micrurus.

Usually they are shorter than 40 inches (1 meter) and have smaller mouths and fangs compared to e.g. the Cottonmouth or the Copperhead. This makes envenomations of humans more difficult.

Habitat

The Coral Snake occupies a variety of habitats. Usually they are found beneath debris or under flatwood in all sorts of places like very dry areas, or areas with a lot of scrub that offer protection from wet areas on the borders of swamps, etc.

Coral Snake Venom

The venom from a Coral Snake will cause weakness and paralysis in severe cases (Heard et al., 1999)1. The paralysis often happens in the respiratory system, but serious injuries from the Coral Snake haven't been reported lately. According to an article by Norris MD (2006)2, less than 1 percent of snake bites in the United States are from Coral Snakes.

Diet

The favorite prey of the coral snake is primarily other reptiles and small lizards, amphibians like frogs and small mammals. It's cannibalistic and doesn't refrain from eating other coral snakes. Young birds and insects are also a part of its daily diet.

Coral Snake Bite

To release its venom into a prey, it has to squeeze its venom containing glands by chewing on its prey. Because it is very secretive in its habit bites on humans are very seldom reported. Prey usually die from either shock or from respiratory paralysis (essentially suffocation) caused by the neurotoxic venom. The smaller you are the more likely a bite from a coral snake will make you pass away. Children tend to be attracted to the snakes bright colors - so keep an eye on those teenagers!.

Life Cycle

Coral snakes lay eggs which hatch out in the open. A female will usually lay 3 to 5 eggs in June or July. Young snakes, at the size of earthworms, hatches 2-3 months later. At the time of hatching the young coral snakes bears the same color pattern as adult snakes.

A saying to help identify the Coral Snake

There's a rhyme that can help you identifying a Coral Snake.

If red touches yellow - it kills a fellow ... or ... are no friend of mine

This means what it says, but the likelihood of actually dying from a Coral Snake bite is very small.

If red touches black, it is a friend of Jack ...

Then it's not a Coral Snake but another snake.

Copperhead Snake

In the eastern parts of the US, the Copperhead Snake is the most commonly encountered venomous snake. The snake, which by the way has the Latin name Agkistrodon contortrix, has dark colored bands of different widths across most of its body aside from the top of its tail which has a green or yellow hue.

It can reach a size of 40 inches (1.05 meter) but the normal size of the Copperhead is in the range 24 to 36 inches (61-91 cm).

A Copperhead Snake eats small rodents, cicadas, birds, lizards, other snakes, frogs and other amphibians, spiders and all sorts of insects. The snake serves an important role in the ecosystem by controlling the population density of its prey. Without the Copperhead Snake and other snakes the population size of several species would reach inexpedient levels.

Habitat

Copperheads can be found in many different types of habitats, but they do prefer to live close to water. The abundance of the Copperhead snakes in wooded areas or suburban areas is also relatively large. Copperheads have the habit of lying completely still when threatened, and so they are eradicated in large numbers on roads due to their habit of freezing when danger approaches.

This habit of freezing originates from its behavior in nature, where it is an advantage to remain motionless and wait for a threat to pass by.

Copperhead Snake Bite

Usually copperheads don't bite. However, if you grasp or get very close to one, it can and will bite you as a last line of defense. The Copperhead was responsible for approximately 37 percent of venomous snake bites in the US in 2001 (Lavonas E.J. et al., 2004)1

It is assumed that this percentage has remained constant over the years. Most bites from the Copperhead Snake are in the eastern parts of the US, so here the percentage is probably higher.

Venom

The venom from a Copperhead Snake bite is toxic, extremely painful, and requires immediate medical treatment yet is very seldom fatal. In fact, it is one of the least venomous snakes of the venomous snakes in the USA

It may however cause serious damage to your tissue and leave scars. Also there's always a risk of catching secondary infection caused by bacteria from the snake's mouth.

Therefore, there is no point in trying to handle these snakes unless you have formal training, regardless if a Copperhead Snake bites you or not. As the guy in the video says «Its not string venom but it put you to the hospital».

Behavior prior to a bite

When agitated, the snake will shake its tail to warn you. It has been noted that Copperhead snakes have a habit of lashing out after people. This initial warning will probably not inject large amounts of venom into your body if the fangs accidentally penetrate your skin. However, if the snake doesn't reach you, see it as a warning but not an attack. Don't mess with this snake - it's not aggressive but it will bite if felt threatened. Keep away from it unless you are trained in handling snakes.

Life Cycle of Copperhead Snakes
Copperheads breeds from the end of July until September, and females give birth to live, 7-9 inch long, young snakes. The young Copperhead is a bit lighter than the adult Copperhead, with a yellowish tint to the tip of their tails. Some herpetologist thinks that this is to lure lizards and frogs, but that's has never been confirmed.

Black mamba

Black Mamba Snake

The Black Mamba Snake (Latin name Dendroaspis polylepis) is the largest and most deadly snake in Africa. There are a lot of myth about this snake and most if not all of them are not true. It is however clear that the black mamba is a very agile snake and the fastest snake in the world in terms of moving speed.

The Black Mamba snake is not black in contrast to common beliefs. The "black" comes from the fact that the inside of the snake's mouth is black, while the body is actually a light grey. Adult snakes reaches a length of approx. 7 to 13 feet. This snake moves very quickly and it has become a common belief that the snake will occasionally hunt people throughout the woods. This is not the case.

Habitat

The Black Mamba is found throughout South Africa. While it lives in many habitats, the Black Mambas have a habit of returning to a particular place to seek shelter.

Venom and bites

It will defend itself and bite if necessary. If the bite is not a dry bite and venom is injected the victim will die without treatment. The venom acts by paralyzing the nervous system. The venom eventually causes the envenomated prey to die from suffocation so it can be swallowed without offering resistance.

Diet

It is a diurnal predator and hunts both on ground and in trees. It eats all sorts of animals from rats to insects and everything in between.

Life Cycle

The females lay from 10-25 eggs that hatches late in the summer. There's no kind of parental care and the hatchlings are ready to catch and hunt prey right after they hatched.

Cobra

Cobra, scientifically known as Naja naja, is one of the poisonous snake species native to the Indian subcontinent. It grows to an average height of 1 m and has two circular ocelli patterns on the rear of its hood. These patterns seem to be connected by a curved line, giving the look of spectacles. This is why the snake is also known as the Spectacled Cobra of India. A newborn cobra measures between 20 to 30 cm, but has fully functional venom glands.

Mating Behavior
Cobra snake lays its eggs during the period of April to July. The eggs, numbering between 12 and 30 eggs, are laid underground. The incubation period lasts for 48 to 69 days.

Diet
Spectacled Cobra of India survives on a diet consisting mainly of rodents.

Natural Habitat
Cobra is usually found inhabiting open forests and farmlands of India. However, one may also see them in Indian cities, living in the sewers and underground drains.

Relation with Indian Mythology
Cobra snake is widely associated with Indian Hindu mythology. Lord Shiva is often portrayed with a protective cobra coiled around his neck. Lord Vishnu is usually represented as resting on the coiled body of Sheshnag, a snake deity with a number of cobra heads.

Facts about Indian Cobra

Kingdom :	Animalia
Scientific Name :	Naja naja
Class :	Reptilia
Order :	Squamata
Suborder :	Serpentes
Family :	Elapidae
Genus :	Naja
Species :	N. naja

Diet and Nutrition

The preferred diet of the Cobra consists of a mixture of rodents and birds, yet they also eat other snakes. Some particular species, such as the King Cobra, are said to have a preference for other snakes. They kill their prey by injecting their neurotoxic poison into the prey through their fangs. The neurotoxin of a cobrasnake destroys the communication between nerve cells. When this communication is destroyed the victim's muscles cannot be used in any kind of defense.

Bite from a Cobra Snake

Not all cobra bites are venomous; some bites are so called dry bites which may cause serious infections due to bacteria from the cobras mouth. It is estimated that approximately 75 % of people receiving a bite from a cobrasnake will eventually die from the medical complications arising from the bite. A real (not dry) bite from a cobra snake will in the most severe cases cause death within 10 minutes.

Since its neurotoxic venom acts by inhibiting the transfer of transmitter substances across the synaptic cleft, mechanical ventilation of a victim may be a way of increasing the victim's chance of survival. If antivenin is necessary, it is of the upmost importance that the species of snake that caused the bite is correctly identified because the patient must be administered the correct antivenin and monitored properly (Britt & Burkhart 1997)2.

Habitat

Most Cobra snakes are found in desert regions of Africa and Asia.

Life Cycle

Some, but not all cobras, build small nests where the females lay their eggs. The number of laid eggs varies from season to season as well as other natural factors, such as the weather and the amount of available food. Approximately 9 weeks after mating, an average of 20 to 40 eggs are laid. New cobras emerge after two too two and a half months. The mother leaves the eggs, by instinct, just before they hatch. This is a smart trick from Mother Nature because else she will eat the eggs in most cases, even though it sounds like an illogical behavior. The baby cobra snakes are venomous right from the start and their lengths vary depending on the species.

King Cobra

The king cobra has a special preference for other snakes but it will also feed on small lizards and even mammals. It is found in Asia where it prefers to live in tropical forests and grassland. It is 10-12 feet long and will attack if provoked even though it is considered shy.

The king cobra snake can be found in India, southern parts of China, in the Philippines and in Malaysia. The snake occupies a wide range of habitats but prefers areas with access to water. It is, by the way, an excellent swimmer.

Spitting Cobra

Several species of the cobra snakes can spit. Spitting is used as a defence against predators. Generally a human can't die from cobra snake saliva only. The venom in the snake's saliva can however cause permanent blindness and give scars if untreated.

Dog Faced Water Snake

One of the well known watersnake is the dog-faced water snake, a common inhabitant of muddy estuarine creeks, salt pans and brackish ponds and rivers near the sea. It is grey with black marking on the back, and two stripes running behind each eye. It is a rough, dull snake, one of the six species of "rear fanged" swamp snakes in India.


A typical "dog-faced" habitat is near our home where we sometimes go fishing at night. It is brackish tidal creek. At night in flashlight the mud seems to be alive with grey bodies. We have watched "dog-faces" catch and swallow spiny fish and perform elaborate territorial dance in pale moonlight. On land this snake is one of the "side winders". In rapid movement, it does a kind of sideways leap. All brackish watersnakes give birth to about 10 to 30 young at a time.


During the rains when friends tell you that they have seen large number of snakes crossing the road, these are invariably watersnakes. When we are called to catch a snake in somebody’s house it is usually a water snake. And when someone boasts about having killed a venomous snake, it is very often a harmless watersnake. Watersnakes are killed in lakhs for the skin industry once rat snakes and cobra became hard to find.

Sand Boas

Sand Boas are related to the well-known boa constrictor of South America. They are also closely related to the python. All these non-venomous snakes kill their prey by squeezing them in their muscular coils. There are two species of sand boas in India. Both are stocky, thick-bodied snakes, especially suited for underground activities but the common sand boa has a blotched pattern of spots and wavy bands and a very rough, keeled, dull body while the red sand boa is very different: it is reddish brown, smooth and glossy. However, the greatest dissimilarity is in the tail. The red sand boa (which is black in north-west India) has a tail so blunt that it looks as though it has been chopped off. In temperament too they do not resemble each other. The common sand boa is easily irritated and is quick to strike and bite, while the red sand boa has great patience and will never bite. This makes it an ideal snake for a child to be introduced to. Sand boas mostly eat rodents, which makes them another friend of the farmer. We have watched a tiny new-born sand boa catch and kill a little mouse with as much confidence and skill as a giant python might display in catching a wild boar for dinner. Sand boas have live young, usually 6 to 8, and newly hatched boas eat small mice, lizards, birds and insects. Recently, our son heard some birds squawking in alarm and ran out to find a babbler tightly held in the coils of a sand boa which had obviously been lying in wait for an unwary bird to hop by.

Keelback and Olive Keelback

Most of the 20 or more kinds of watersnakes in India are "keelbacks"-which means that each scale has a tiny fold in it. The most common freshwater snakes are the checkered keelback and the olive
keelback. Both are widely found in India but are mostly snakes of the plains and lower hills. The checkered keelback varies in color from back to yellow, with a back-and –white checked pattern. It has black straks on the eye and a long head. It is active both during day and at night. We have seen them flatten their heads and rear up like cobras when frightened. A freshly caught checkered keelback is a real biter. The female lays her 20 to 40 eggs in a hole or tunnel, and stays with them until hatching time.

The olive keelback has a thinner head than its checkered cousin, and its body is dark green. It is a cool-headed snake which almost never bites (unless you are a tadpole or frog!). one of the most interesting thing we know about olive keelback is that it eats mosquito larvae; another friendly service that snakes of free of cost!

Rat Snake

Rat snakes are large, fast moving snakes which grow to a length of 2 ½ metres. Their size and color are similar to the cobras. Rat snakes are found wherever rats are prevalent. So, of course, they are often found in rice fields. As hill forests are cleared and agriculture spreads to the slopes, rat snakes too are spreading "upwards". We recently saw one 2,000 metres up in palnis. Formerly they were rarely seen above 1,000 metres.

The rat snake is active during the day, hunting for rodents, frogs and birds along fields and in bushes. Large rat snakes can give a painful bite and are quick to  defend themselves. We have heard them growl throatily, like the king cobra, when first caught. The color varies from jet black all the way to yellowish or brown. The female lays about 8 to 16 eggs and the young start their diet on frogs. During the breeding season, male rat snakes perform a combat dance. This is actually their way of protecting the area they live in and preventing other male snakes from coming into their territory.


Many other snakes also perform this wrestling match in which the contestants don’t get hurt. But it is always between males and has nothing to do with mating, as people claim. Because rat snakes are the most frequently seen large Indian snakes, myths and stories about them are common.

Burrowing Snakes

Burrowing snakes live underground. Of course, there are also other snakes that go underground to escape the heat of the sun and to hide from predators. But burrower’s are the only ones that can dig their own holes. The other has to depend on the holes made by crabs, rats and termites. The  burrowing snake’s skull is as powerful as the point of a crowbar. Its stocky body and strong neck muscles make it easy for the snake to bulldoze its  way through soft soil. The species from the hills are so dependent on remaining cool that they often die in a human hand (Which usually has a temperature of about 37º C).

There are three groups of burrowing snakes in India: the small worm snakes (often mistaken for worms), the sheildtails or uropeltids, and the sand boas.

Land Sankes

Many different kinds of large land snake are found in the plains of India. The rat snake or dhaman is one of these, as is the famous python. Others like the trinket and the royal snakes are common, but we don’t see them as often. There are also a number of smaller land snakes, which are widespread like the kukri,  the wolf snake and the racer.

Sheild tails

while looking for snakes in the hills of southern India we often come across these small stubby snakes. Their scales are smooth and glossy. It is interesting that shieldtails have very colorful bellies, while the back is usually a dull color. This combination helps the snake greatly in its survival against predators. The back is an effective camouflage, while the bright color of the belly mislead snake-eaters into thinking it is distasteful. Shieldtails have a special shiny iridescence, which prevents dirt and mud from sticking to their bodies. There are over 40 of these remarkable snakes in the hill of south and central India. They have living young, generally 3 to 5, and feed on earthworms and larvae.



Each hill range has at least one distinct species, which has evolved completely separately from its cousins. These snakes are therefore of great interest to scientists studying the evolution of animals. Each group develops its special characteristics so that it can survive in its specific environment. Just as the giraffe developed a long neck in order to eat the leaves that the other grazing animals of Africa could not reach, each species of sheildtail has developed its own specialties to help it feed and escape from predators.


Shieldtails are forest snakes and the cutting down of thousands of acres of trees every year has made them rare in many areas. When large forest trees are cut down, the soil and air underneath heat up immediately, killing all the small animals and plants that can only live in cool, shady  laces.

Worm Snakes

There are 14 species of worm snakes, all of which belong to the genus Typhlina. It is easy to mistake most of them for worms, until you see the shiny eyesand minute shiny scales. The commonest one is reddish brown and found throughout India. Scientists were startled to find that they could locate males in this genus and discovered that worm snakes are "parthenogenic". That is, a female can fertilize her own 5 to 8 eggs without the help of a male.


Worm snakes are found in moist, wet earth or under leaves. They feed on worms and maggots, which they hunt underground. When handled, like burrowers, these snakes poke with their tails in defence. This gives people the idea that they are stinging with their tails-which of course no snake is capable of doing.

Sheildtails

while looking for snakes in the hills of southern India we often come across these small stubby snakes. Their scales are smooth and glossy. It is interesting that shieldtails have very colorful bellies, while the back is usually a dull color. This combination helps the snake greatly in its survival against predators. The back is an effective camouflage, while the bright color of the belly mislead snake-eaters into thinking it is distasteful. Shieldtails have a special shiny iridescence, which prevents dirt and mud from sticking to their bodies. 

There are over 40 of these remarkable snakes in the hill of south and central India. They have living young, generally 3 to 5, and feed on earthworms and larvae.


Each hill range has at least one distinct species, which has evolved completely separately from its cousins. These snakes are therefore of great interest to scientists studying the evolution of animals. Each group develops its special characteristics so that it can survive in its specific environment. Just as the giraffe developed a long neck in order to eat the leaves that the other grazing animals of Africa could not reach, each species of sheildtail has developed its own specialties to help it feed and escape from predators.

Shieldtails are forest snakes and the cutting down of thousands of acres of trees every year has made them rare in many areas. When large forest trees are cut down, the soil and air underneath heat up immediately, killing all the small animals and plants that can only live in cool, shady places.

Python

Pythons are among the largest snakes in the world. They grow to 8 or 9 metros in length and have enough muscle power to overcome and swallow a full-grown leopard. The two species of python found in India are the Indian rock python, which lives in both scrub forest and dense jungle throughout the country, and the regal python, which is found in north-east India and Nicobar islands. The one there is possibility of your seeing is the rock python although the snakeskin industry has all but wiped it out in many areas.

Rock pythons grow to 6 metres in length and are heavy bodied, smooth snakes with a brown blotchy pattern much like that of the common sand boa. An interesting feature of pythons is that they have "spurs". Snakes have evolved from lizard-like reptiles with legs, and the python and boas are the only snakes which has not completely lost their legs. They live in cool, damp caves, tree stumps and hollows. They hunt at night for small mammals and other prey. They can go for days without eating, but must have water. One specimen in a zoo didn’t eat for two years.


Female rock pythons lay up to 100 eggs between March and June and stay with them for the 80 days till they hatch. When herpetologists (those who study snakes) first discovered that pythons stay with their eggs, they thought that the snake was safeguarding the eggs from predators like the mongoose and the wild pig. We know that the mother python also keeps the eggs free from fungus, maintains them at the right dampness, and protects them from ants. But most wonderful of all, she can control the temperature at which they are incubating. She can raise her own body temperature by jerking her muscles. The faster she jerks the warmer she gets, thus warming up the eggs.

Discoveries like this are constantly being made about snakes, because there is still a lot to be learnt about these fascinating creatures. Studying snakes isthus not only interesting but there is also great scope for making newdiscoveries in the field.

Rat Snake

Rat snakes are large, fast moving snakes which grow to a length of 2 ½ metres. Their size and color are similar to the cobras. Rat snakes are found wherever rats are prevalent. So, of course, they are often found in rice fields. As hill forests are cleared and agriculture spreads to the slopes, rat snakes too are spreading "upwards". We recently saw one 2,000 metres up in palnis. Formerly they were rarely seen above 1,000 metres.


The rat snake is active during the day, hunting for
rodents, frogs and birds along fields and in bushes. Large rat snakes can give a painful bite and are quick to defend themselves. We have heard them growl throatily, like the king cobra, when first caught. The color varies from jet black all the way to yellowish or brown. The female lays about 8 to 16 eggs and the young start their diet on frogs.

During the breeding season, male rat snakes perform a combat dance. This is actually their way of protecting the area they live in and preventing other male snakes from coming into their territory.

Many other snakes also perform this wrestling match in which the contestants don’t get hurt. But it is always between males and has nothing to do with mating, as people claim. Because rat snakes are the most frequently seen large Indian snakes, myths and stories about them are common.