Video: Poisonous snake species
2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:43
According to scientists, out of three thousand species of poisonous snakes, 450 are dangerous for humans. Poison for them is a defense, a hunting tool and even a means for digesting food. Species of poisonous snakes are distributed mainly in the warm tropical regions of the planet. There they pose a real danger to people due to their large numbers. The sad statistics of fatal bites puts Africa, Indochina and South America in the first place. Cases of death from snake bites in Europe and the CIS are rare. In the CIS, most of them occur in the Caucasus and Central Asia. In total, 11 species of snakes dangerous to humans live in the CIS.
Different types of snakes have poison of different composition, action and strength. But, despite the differences, there is a unit for measuring the strength of the poison. This is DL50, where the letters are an abbreviation of Latin words meaning “lethal dose” in translation. It is expressed in the concentration of dry snake venom (mcg / g - micrograms per gram), which is enough to kill a mouse. Oxyuranus microlepidota from Australia is now considered the most venomous.
Poisonous are not only land-dwelling snakes, there are also poisonous marine species of snakes. The degree of danger of a bite dependsnot only on the strength of the poison itself, but also on its amount, which the snake can introduce into the body. The record here belongs to the king cobra and the bushmaster. Types of snakes have been discovered that do not have poisonous teeth, which usually introduce poison. Their saliva is poisonous, it is just as dangerous to humans.
Some snakes have venomous glands, such as the king snake, common in Southeast Asia. Its entire body is covered with glands up to the tip of the tail. The king asp comes out to hunt at night and moves under the fallen leaves, making it very hard to spot.
But not all venomous snakes lead such a secretive lifestyle. Russell's viper, also known as a spectacled snake, does not hesitate to crawl even into a person's dwelling. Although her food is rats, frogs, poultry, she has caused the death of so many people. She has a frightening appearance, on the opening hood there is a bright pattern resembling glasses in shape.
How does snake venom work? Types of snake venoms differ in the nature of their effects. Some coagulate blood in the vessels, others cause paralysis and convulsions, affecting the nervous system and brain. Interestingly, the poison does not harm the snake itself. This is the result of evolution, because poisonous species of snakes did not appear overnight. The poisonous glands that are in the mouth appeared from the altered salivary glands, in the course of natural selection, which lasted for millennia, the most poison-resistant specimens remained.
Poisonous snakes have enemies that feed on them: the brave, agile mongoose, Africansecretary bird and, finally, our usual hedgehog. These animals also adapted and became less susceptible to poison, although it does affect them, but much weaker. Therefore, when hunting, they dodge the bite.
But snakes are only immune to their own venom. If a viper and a viper meet in a deadly duel, one of them will die.
Snake venom for humans is not only evil, it has long been used in medicine as a valuable medicine. Many nurseries have been created for breeding snakes, where the so-called milking takes place periodically. So the existence of poisonous snakes is necessary both from the point of view of biological balance and benefit to humans.
Recommended:
The most poisonous creature in the world (photo). What is the most poisonous creature on the planet according to the Guinness Book of Records?
Many inquisitive people, most likely, wondered which creature is the most poisonous on earth. Interestingly, for a long time it was believed that these were snakes and spiders. But research scientists have painted us a different picture. And now we will consider what, in their opinion, is the most poisonous creature in the world. The top 10 below may surprise some nature lovers
Veh poisonous - medicinal plant, but poisonous
Poisonous weh, also known as hemlock, is a perennial herb that belongs to the Umbelliferae family. The branched stalk of hemlock can reach 150 centimeters in height. The medicinal plant has a large poisonous rhizome, the numerous branches of which are half a centimeter thick, and small white flowers. Hollow rhizome is a "diagnostic" sign of hemlock
African snakes: species diversity, top 10 most poisonous, description, habitat, species features, reproduction, life cycle, characteristics and features
Africa is a mysterious continent where there is a lot of "very-very" things on our planet. From the driest place, the fastest mammal (the cheetah) to one of the world's most venomous snakes, the African black mamba. According to official statistics, the snakes of Africa have killed more than 100 thousand people and continue to kill today. The ten most poisonous reptiles, their features and the presence of an antidote are described in this article
Bellena is a poisonous plant. Poisoning by poisonous plants. Henbane black
The poisonous plant Henbane black is considered a weed and grows near houses, on roadsides, in gardens and orchards. What are the benefits and harms of the plant - the article will tell. You can also find some useful recipes of traditional medicine
Description, photos and interesting facts about the existence of a poisonous moth snake
Today we will talk about a snake, the existence of which scientists do not recognize. However, the population of the northern regions of our country, and even some of its southern parts, insists that the reptile is quite real. It's about the fire snake