In the summer, on the banks of reservoirs or even directly in the water, frightened vacationers sometimes find a chess snake. Unfortunately, most of these meetings end in failure: someone complains about a spoiled vacation, someone hastily evacuates children and property away from cursed places, and some daredevils engage in battle with a creeping enemy, throwing stones and everything at hand at him horrible.
Even many experienced tourists, when they meet a snake decorated with cells, are sure that they face a dangerous enemy. In our time, there are many common fictions about these creatures. Our article will tell you how things really are.
Common misconceptions
Serpentologists have long studied and described this species. However, many stubbornly continue to call a snake a chess viper, which is not even a relative of a dangerous poisonous predator. The stereotype is so common that even the name has taken root along with the scientific one.
Even those who are sure that the viper does not bite in the water, when they meet with a chess amphibian, they start to panic. After all, it floats not only on the surface, but also dives beautifully. Many people think that this cunning variety is capable of attacking even at depth. BUTbecause they are right in many respects: vipers do not actually dive and do not attack in the water.
Any living being in case of danger, and even when he only thinks that danger is close, tries to defend himself. Man is also driven by this instinct. That is why many advise to get rid of the reptile without waiting for the attack.
Is the chess snake poisonous or not? The question is simple only for those who are familiar with this animal. Most prefer to just deal with it. Many chess snakes die at the hands of frightened tourists due to banal ignorance.
Already and a viper: what's the difference
Specialists who are well versed in the subject know that it is not so difficult to distinguish between these two species. Of course, even children can recognize the common snake with yellow-orange spots on the cheeks. But his checkerboard counterpart was less fortunate.
However, there are a few signs that can help you identify these snakes.
The head of a viper has a spear-like shape. The snake is oval, with a sharp nose. On the back of the steppe viper there is a pattern with a pronounced central zigzag stripe, which is often confused with checkerboard spots located separately from each other.
These snakes have completely different pupils: the viper has thin vertical ones, like a cat, and the snake has round ones. Of course, it is difficult to compare the eyes, the shape of the spots and the head from a distance, but these differences are not the only ones.
That's why it is named so that it tapers along the entire length. The viper has a shorter tailtapers sharply.
But the main feature is that the steppe viper lives in the steppe, and not near water bodies. But chess simply cannot live without them. In the next photo - a steppe viper, and in all others - water snakes.
External Features
Illustrations will help us evaluate appearance. A photo of a chess snake clearly demonstrates its smoothly tapering body shape, round pupils, and head shape.
This proves once again that this is not a viper at all. In length, this thin snake usually reaches 1-1.3 meters, but there are also larger specimens. The color of these amphibians is very spectacular, dark spots are located in almost perfect order on a light background. As for the color scheme, it can be from olive to chocolate. The tones are warm.
If you are lucky enough to quietly observe the hunt of this predator, try to look into his mouth: there are no long viper fangs. But a nimble forked tongue, like most of its brethren, is available. But you should not be afraid of him, he is not a sign of toxicity.
Species
So, we already know that a checkerboard snake is a real snake. Scientists call it water, which once again reminds of the way of life. This is a predatory non-poisonous animal that belongs to the family of already-shaped.
Area
The heat-loving chess snake lives in the southern regions of Eurasia, as well as in Central Asia and the Transcaucasus. Water snakes settle inbasins of large water bodies. You can meet them on the banks of the rivers Don, Dnieper, Volga, Kuban; Black and Azov seas; many reservoirs and estuaries.
But the viper with zigzag spots, which is often confused with the water snake, lives in the steppe, forest-steppe and mountain zones of the southern part of Europe, Ciscaucasia, the Caucasus, Siberia. She prefers shady ravines, ruined buildings, bushes, mountain slopes. You can encounter such a snake in the mountains up to 2.5 thousand meters high, as well as in alpine meadows. Ponds are not of interest to a dangerous snake.
Features of behavior
When meeting a human, the merman already behaves quite typically: writhing, releasing a fetid secret, trying to escape, and sometimes even pretending to be dead. Watching him is funny, but you should not abuse it. Loud noise frightens the chess snake.
The behavior of this amphibian is non-aggressive. It will not attack. In June-July, when chess water snakes breed, they may show increased anxiety when meeting a person. You should not be afraid: the snake is not trying to harm you, it is just afraid for the kids.
Daytime these cold-blooded animals prefer not to fuss once again. They rest on the stones heated by the sun or wait out the heat in the thickets of coastal vegetation. Hunting begins with the advent of coolness. They feed on small fish that they catch in the water. The diet may include frogs, small rodents, insects.
How to behave at a meeting
If you happened to settle down on vacation wherewater snakes live, do not forget that they are not dangerous. Try to explain to others what the "chess viper" really is.
Photos of snakes taken on vacation will take their place in the album. But when shooting, try not to use a flash, it scares many animals. In addition, during the day, when the snake is calmly resting and the chance to meet it is large enough, and so there is sufficient lighting so that all the beautiful spots are clearly visible in the picture.
You should not catch snakes in the water. They breathe with lungs and, resisting, can choke. And in general, it’s better not to take them in your hands - an unpleasant protective smell is not so easy to wash off.
Precautions
Going on a long hike, the route of which runs along the coast and across the steppe, you should think about the safety of the group. After all, frightened, it will not be easy for anyone to distinguish an ordinary chess snake from a poisonous steppe viper.
It is worth saying that even poisonous amphibians are unlikely to take in head to have breakfast with someone from the tourist group. But if the most unpleasant thing happened and the snake still bit, you should immediately take action. At the site of the bite of the steppe viper, two obvious punctures from poisonous teeth will appear, swelling and numbness will begin. There may be nausea, dizziness, a feeling of intoxication. In this case, the victim must be taken to the hospital. If this is not possible, it is necessary to cool the affected area, provide a drinking regimen (up to 3 liters in small portions), and give an antihistamine. Burning, drinking alcohol and burning the wound will aggravatestate, there is no benefit from these methods. In the absence of an antidote, the condition is stabilized with the help of Prednisolone, but this drug cannot be used intuitively - medical supervision is necessary. The bite of the steppe viper is not deadly, but it's not worth the risk. For example, the victim may have personal intolerance, and in addition, bacteria from viper teeth get into the wound channel.
But you don't need to be afraid of the bite of a chess snake. The merman is simply incapable of such a thing. It can only frighten an ignorant person. But someone who knows that this snake is not actually dangerous is unlikely to waste time and energy on unreasonable panic.
