Snakes, the characteristics of which are given in the framework of this article, without exception, are predators in nature. You will not find a single herbivorous species among them. The menu of these reptiles is quite diverse: they eat almost everything that moves. But even among snakes there are gourmets who prefer … other snakes! You heard right: snakes eating snakes are not the exception, but the pattern.
Who are snakes?
Snakes are usually called a peculiar group of animals representing the class of reptiles, or reptiles. They are represented by a single detachment - Scaly. All of them are predators. However, among the huge variety of these animals, there are both harmless and cute creatures, as well as creatures that pose a serious danger to other animals and, of course, people.
Where do snakes live?
Snakes that eat snakes, as well as all their other species, have been found by man on almost all continentsthe globe. The exceptions are Antarctica, some large (New Zealand, Ireland) and small islands of the Atlantic Ocean and the Central Pacific Ocean. Currently, more than 3,000 species of all kinds of snakes live on our planet. Of these, about a quarter are poisonous. By the way, they all come together in 14 families.
What do they need poison for?
As we noted above, non-venomous snakes are represented by more species than poisonous ones. Nevertheless, it is not at all worth writing off snakes dangerous to humans. As the name implies, poisonous reptiles use a certain toxic substance - poison. They need it primarily for hunting this or that victim, and not for self-defense, as is commonly believed. The poison of some of them is so toxic that it can easily kill a person. That's why snakes in nature are real creepy deadly weapons!
Snakeskin
As a rule, the entire body of a snake is covered with skin, or scales. Here it is worth making a very important remark. Contrary to popular belief, the skin of these creatures is absolutely dry, and not mucous and moist, as is commonly believed by the people. Perhaps such confusion arose due to the conditional similarity of snakes with slippery and wet earthworms.
The vast majority of snakes have a specific structure of the skin on the abdomen. This is necessary for them to better grip the surface on which they crawl. Some people believe that these reptiles do not have eyelids. This is not true. They are, but not the same as in many animals. The eyelids of snakes are represented by transparent scales and alwaysclosed.
Are there white snakes?
They exist. But not as an independent species, but as genetically unique individuals. In other words, the white snake is the most common albino. The most famous are Californian albinos. Scientists say that soon they may occupy about 70% of the entire inhabited territory in the Canary Islands.
The white snake is a rather rare specimen in nature. It can be found in any of the families of these reptiles - from the harmless snake to the black mamba or king cobra! These albinos should not be confused with milk snakes, as the latter have completely different body colors.
What do snakes eat?
As we noted above, snakes in nature feed on almost everything that only moves. They professionally hunt frogs, rats, shrews, mouse-like rodents, grasshoppers, birds, antelopes, wild boars, crocodiles, etc. When the snake begins to swallow the prey, it spreads the so-called branches of the lower jaw quite widely. If the prey is large, the reptile can swallow it for a whole hour.
For example, large snakes (reticulated python, anaconda, water boa) first strangle their prey with the help of their body rings, and only then swallow them whole and gradually. One of the most favorite treats of these reptiles are bird eggs. Small snakes, on the contrary, do not use strangulation techniques, and even more so do not wait until their prey dies. They eat small vertebrates and invertebrates.animals are still alive.
No wonder they say that any exception proves the rule. Here and among the snakes there are exceptions. Although they eat everything, some of them are very picky in their choice of food. For example, the green North American snake eats only spiders, caterpillars, fish and birds. This creature would not touch mice or lizards for anything in the world. And small water snakes devour only frogs and fish, and they prefer not to touch land mammals at all.
Snakes eating snakes
The most famous cannibal is the most dangerous of all snakes - the king cobra. The diet of its diet, in addition to small mammals and amphibians, also consists of its own relatives. The king cobra enjoys eating smaller snakes. She first kills the victim with poison or strangulation, and then swallows it.
Not so long ago, scientists discovered another fact of cannibalism among snakes, in particular, rattlesnakes. The fact is that these creatures eat their own offspring. Scientists believe that this phenomenon cannot be attributed to the pathology of rattlesnakes and should not be considered as infanticide, because they feed exclusively on dead cubs. That is, some rattlesnakes are not only cannibals, but also scavengers.
Many people do not believe that cannibal snakes exist in nature. However, in nature, what just does not exist! Snakes that feed on snakes are not at all uncommon or even an exception. This is a regularity. If, for example, lizards can eattheir young, why can't snakes taste their own kind? Even the well-known to all of us, on occasion, can feast on … a viper! That's natural selection.
