The word "snake", no doubt, causes different reactions in people: someone is simply afraid of them, someone comes to mind a snake-tempter, and someone is ready to have a snake as a pet, showing off to friends. What are these animals? These long legless predatory creatures live all over the world, in equatorial forests, deserts, mountains. Snakes come in different colors and sizes, from a few meters to several centimeters. There are individuals that are completely harmless, and there are those that are deadly, and it is better not to encounter them either in the wild or at home. In this article, we will introduce you beautiful snakes, their features, characteristics, habitat, appearance and distinctive properties.
King snake appearance
Royal snake (Lampropeltis) belongs to the genus of non-venomous and the family of already-shaped. There are about 14 species of these individuals, which mainly live in North and Central America and Mexico. Another name "Sparkling Shield" was due to the presence of specific dorsal scales. "And why did they call her royal?" - you ask. She was nicknamed due to the fact that in the wild she eats other types of snakes, including poisonous ones. This feature is due tothat the king snake resists the poison of its relatives.
To date, only seven subspecies that belong to the genus Royal have been well studied. All of them differ not only in color and color, but also in size. The body length can vary from 0.8 m to 1.5-2 m. As a rule, the scales of this genus are smooth, painted in bright and contrasting colors, and the main pattern is presented in the form of numerous multi-colored rings. Most often come across combinations of red, black and white colors.
Existence in the wild
Ordinary beautiful snakes live in the desert areas of North America. Often they can be found in Arizona, Nevada. Reptiles lead a terrestrial life, they do not tolerate heat well. Therefore, when dry and hot weather sets in, they hunt exclusively at night.
Varieties
Below we present you the top most common types of king snakes that belong to the genus of non-venomous:
- Mountain snake 1.5 meters long. It has a triangular, black, steel or gray head and a strong, massive body. His drawing is presented in a combination of gray and orange.
- A beautiful snake 2 meters long, has a somewhat elongated, laterally compressed head and a slender, strong body. Its color is gray or brown with quadrangular patches of red or black and white.
Arizona - up to one meter in length. It has a short, rounded black head and a thin, slendertorso, with a tricolor pattern of red, black, yellow and white stripes
I would like to add that the following species are also quite scrupulously studied: common, Sinaloy, California and striated snake.
List of the most interesting snakes on earth
- The Honduran Dairy is black and bright red.
- A beautiful white snake lives in Texas and is not poisonous, its bite is no more dangerous than a simple bee sting.
- Indian Eastern Rat - Unofficially the longest in America, individuals over 9.2 feet in length have been observed. The difference from other snakes is that it has its own shiny black color. There are even brilliant blue colors.
- The emerald tree boa is the brightest and most unforgettable snake on the planet. Lives in South America and the Amazon.
- The Iridescent Shieldtail is the rarest and most beautiful snake in the world. For all the time of its discovery in nature, only three specimens were caught. There is little to no information on how it behaves in the wild. But what we know for sure is that this snake is extremely beautiful and rare.
- Brazilian rainbow python - so named because of its bright, juicy and iridescent colors. The main coloring of the snake is in brown and orange tones. Lives in America and throughout the Amazon. The snake is medium in size, in comparison with others it prefers damp terrain and the river. Lives for about twenty years.
- Eastern snake is the most beautiful snake, but at the same time the most poisonous, like all coral snakes. It bites extremely rarely, no more than 20 bites a year, but all of them are almost deadly, there is no antidote. If for several minutes the bitten person is not taken to the hospital, then it is already impossible to help him.
- The green python is an incredibly beautiful animal. Lives in New Guinea, Indonesia and Australia. This species is under the threat of extinction due to deforestation in its habitats. This snake is the most beautiful on our list.
Grape snake
The vine sharp-headed snake (Oxybelis fulgidus) is an arboreal species of the Colubrid family. Lives in the tropical forests of Central and North America. The reptile has a thin graceful body, about 2 cm thick and 2 meters long. The tail is elongated and thin, the head is pointed, the mouth is large and stretches almost across the entire head. The tongue is green and moves up and down. The grape snake is unpretentious and peaceful enough, so they like to keep it at home. The bite is toxic, but not fatal if treated in time, but despite this, it is quite painful. Can immobilize a person's finger for several months. She usually feeds on mice. But it is important to remember that if you decide to have such a snake in the house, make sure that the mice are not large, otherwise the snake will not even eat them.
White snake
White rat snake, or Texas snake (Elaphe obsolete Lindheimeri). This is one of the rarest species of snakes with white skin and large blue eyes. It reaches 1.8 meters in length. inhabitsthis species in America and southern Canada. Sometimes you can meet near the cities. The rat snake feeds on rodents, birds, and frogs. The snakes are not poisonous snakes, but still very aggressive, especially during molting. Aggression is shown at the moment when they feel danger and are cornered. These individuals live an average of 17 years.
Interesting facts
- Poisonous snakes on the planet are three times less than non-poisonous ones.
- These individuals no longer use their poison for defense, but for hunting.
- All reptiles periodically molt throughout their lives.
- The largest living snake is the anaconda, which reaches a length of five to seven meters and weighs more than a hundred kilograms.
