All Types Snakes
A Little Bit About Boa Constrictors:
Boa constrictors are non-venomous boa species found in mostly Central
America, South America and some islands in the Caribbean. As unusual as it sounds, the common name is the same as the scientific name. Its color pattern is highly variable depending on the location of the sub-species. Boa Constrictors may grow to become quite large, some even as large as 20 feet. Among all of the snakes on SnakeEstate.com you'll find that our Boa Constrictor database offers the most valuable information. Adult sizes vary between the subspecies, although those found in northern South America reach the greatest lengths among all of the subs.
The tail is slightly prehensile and there are no thermoreceptive labial pits around the mouth, boas tend to move rather slow on the ground.
The color pattern consists of a ruddy brown ground color, becoming a rich brick red on the tail. Dorsally, the ground color is overlaid with a series of large tan-colored saddles that become lighter towards the tail. Here, the saddles break up into half rings of a pale cream color in vivid contrast with the red.
@End
Pythons Snake
Pythons are among some of the most beautiful snakes. Many python subspecies are kept captive and can live for well over 15 years. It's common for most python terrariums to have branches for the snakes to dwell on due to the fact that pythons love to climb. Pythons are found all over the world. If you view some of the subspecies below you'll find specific geographical pythons.
Pythons contain one of the most captive snake species: The Ball Python - a simple python who curls into a ball when threatened. Pythons growth ranges from as small as 2-3 feet to as large as 20-25 feet.
Common Name: Kingsnake
Scientific Name: Lampropeltis getulus
Scientific Name: Elaphe guttata guttata
The cornsnake (Elaphe guttata guttata), is a North American species that subdue their small prey with constriction much like boa constrictors. The name "cornsnake" comes from the fact that they have a maize-like pattern on their bellies that resembles corn. You'll notice that a lot of people will write the name as "corn snake." In today's day and age both "cornsnake" and "corn snake" are acceptable but when following tradition the common name is spelled: "cornsnake." Their docile nature, reluctance to bite, moderate adult size (1.2-1.8 meters or 4-6 ft), attractive pattern, and comparatively simple care make them excellent and popular pet snakes. In the wild, they usually live around 10-15 years, but may live as long as 23 years in captivity. Cornsnakes are non-venomous and extremly friendly.
Scientific Name: Colubrid
Previously most were assigned to the genus Elaphe but many have been since renamed. The validity of some genera is debatable but for the purpose of this article a more liberal taxonomic stance will be taken. Rat snakes have traditionally been divided into two groups, New World and Old World species.
Figure 1
Identifying a poisonous snake by its pupils.
Figure 2
Identifying a poisonous snake by its tail.
Figure 3
You can learn to distinguish poisonous snakes from nonpoisonous species by their color and pattern.
Banded Sea Snake
Description : Smooth-scaled snake that is a pale shade of blue with black bands. Its oarlike tail provides propulsion in swimming.
Characteristics : Most active at night, swimming close to shore and at times entering tide pools. Its venom is a very strong neurotoxin. Its victims are usually fishermen who untangle these deadly snakes from large fish nets.
Habitat : Common in all oceans, absent in the Atlantic Ocean.
Length : Average 75 centimeters, maximum 1.2 meters.
Distribution : Coastal waters of New Guinea, Pacific islands, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, and Japan.
Yellow Bellied Sea Snake
Description : Upper part of body is black or dark brown and lower part is bright yellow.
Characteristics : A highly venomous snake belonging to the cobra family. This snake is truly of the pelagic species--it never leaves the water to come to shore. It has an oarlike tail to aid its swimming. This species is quick to defend itself. Sea snakes do not really strike, but deliberately turn and bite if molested. A small amount of their neurotoxic venom can cause death.
Habitat : Found in all oceans except the Atlantic Ocean.
Length : Average 0.7 meter, maximum 1.1 meters.
Distribution : Throughout the Pacific Ocean from many of the Pacific islands to Hawaii and to the coast of Costa Rica and Panama.
Species diversity and distribution : There are approximately 70 species of sea snakes living in our modern oceans. They account for 86% of marine reptile species alive today. Other marine reptiles include 7 species of sea turtles, the salt water crocodile and the marine iguana.
Sea snakes are cold blooded reptiles and are found primarily in warm tropical waters of the Indo-West Pacific. They are not found in the Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea.
The area of highest species diversity is between Singapore and Borneo, with 27 species. Australia.s coastal waters also has a high species diversity that ranges between 17 to 21 species, and the Great Barrier Reef has 14 species of sea snakes. Although sea snakes need warm tropical waters to survive, they are occasionally blown south by storms and have been recorded in Sydney harbour.
Marine fouling and shedding of skin : All snakes shed their skins. Sea snakes shed every two to six weeks, which is more frequently than land snakes and more often than needed for growth alone. The process involves rubbing the lips against coral or other hard substrate to loosen the skin. The snake then catches the skin against something to anchor it and crawls forward leaving the skin turned inside out behind it.
Skin shedding allows sea snakes to rid themselves of fouling marine organisms such as algae, barnacles and bryozoans. Otherwise they would be covered with fouling organsims like the hull of a boat that needs to be cleaned and this would interfere with the snakes ability to swim efficiently and may also cause disease.
Olive sea snake starting to shed its skin. The old skin is turned inside out along the snakes body behind the head.
Courtship, mating and reproduction : Like all snakes and lizards, male sea snakes have two penises. They are called hemipenes, but each is an autonomous independently functioning penis and only one is used during mating. Mating takes place for long periods and sea snakes must surface for air during that time. The female controls breathing and as she swims to the surface the male is pulled along attached via the hemipenis. At the surface the male needs to gulp for air or he has to wait til the next time the female comes up the the surface to breathe. Males are unable to disengage until mating is finished.
In species where courtship has been studied, eg olive and turtlehead sea snakes, one or more males follow the female very closely and occasionally prod the head and neck of females.
All sea snakes except the latidcaudids give birth to live young after gestation periods that range from four to eleven months, depending on the species. Most species reproduce every year. The timing of the reproductive cycle varies enomously between species and also differs between geographical locations for the same species.
Young are born underwater and must be independent immediately to swim to the surface to breathe. There is no parental care. In some species look quite different to the adults eg juvenile olive sea snake are strongly banded while the adults are not.
A Little Bit About Boa Constrictors:
A Little Bit About Boa Constrictors:
Boa constrictors are non-venomous boa species found in mostly Central
America, South America and some islands in the Caribbean. As unusual as it sounds, the common name is the same as the scientific name. Its color pattern is highly variable depending on the location of the sub-species. Boa Constrictors may grow to become quite large, some even as large as 20 feet. Among all of the snakes on SnakeEstate.com you'll find that our Boa Constrictor database offers the most valuable information. Adult sizes vary between the subspecies, although those found in northern South America reach the greatest lengths among all of the subs.
The tail is slightly prehensile and there are no thermoreceptive labial pits around the mouth, boas tend to move rather slow on the ground.
The color pattern consists of a ruddy brown ground color, becoming a rich brick red on the tail. Dorsally, the ground color is overlaid with a series of large tan-colored saddles that become lighter towards the tail. Here, the saddles break up into half rings of a pale cream color in vivid contrast with the red.
@End
Pythons are among some of the most beautiful snakes. Many python subspecies are kept captive and can live for well over 15 years. It's common for most python terrariums to have branches for the snakes to dwell on due to the fact that pythons love to climb. Pythons are found all over the world. If you view some of the subspecies below you'll find specific geographical pythons.
Pythons contain one of the most captive snake species: The Ball Python - a simple python who curls into a ball when threatened. Pythons growth ranges from as small as 2-3 feet to as large as 20-25 feet.
A Litt Bit About Kingsnakes:
Common Name: Kingsnake
Scientific Name: Lampropeltis getulus
Kingsnake, one of the most beautiful snakes and are very popular and easily kept in captivity. Mediocre sized and usually quite docile, these snakes appeal to the beginner as well as to the experienced herpetoculturist. kingsnakes or "king snakes" are commonly kept in captivity due to the share factor that they are gorgeous snakes which are easy to take care of. SnakeEstate.com has done its best to provide the world with a kingsnake database for all. If you have any comments/reccomendations please feel free to utilize our sudjestion tool to submit your information.
A Little Bit About Cornsnakes
Common Name: CornsnakeScientific Name: Elaphe guttata guttata
The cornsnake (Elaphe guttata guttata), is a North American species that subdue their small prey with constriction much like boa constrictors. The name "cornsnake" comes from the fact that they have a maize-like pattern on their bellies that resembles corn. You'll notice that a lot of people will write the name as "corn snake." In today's day and age both "cornsnake" and "corn snake" are acceptable but when following tradition the common name is spelled: "cornsnake." Their docile nature, reluctance to bite, moderate adult size (1.2-1.8 meters or 4-6 ft), attractive pattern, and comparatively simple care make them excellent and popular pet snakes. In the wild, they usually live around 10-15 years, but may live as long as 23 years in captivity. Cornsnakes are non-venomous and extremly friendly.
Rat Snake Introduction
Common Name: Rat snakeScientific Name: Colubrid
Rat snakes are a large, polyphyletic, group of snakes from the Colubrid subfamily Colubrinae. Many species tend to be very skittish and sometimes aggressive but the genus is nonvenomous and bites are usually superficial. A variety of species like Elaphe guttata guttata are known for the ease with which they are tamed and are common in the pet trade. There is considerable variation between different types of rat snake but most are medium to large, rodent eating snakes.
Previously most were assigned to the genus Elaphe but many have been since renamed. The validity of some genera is debatable but for the purpose of this article a more liberal taxonomic stance will be taken. Rat snakes have traditionally been divided into two groups, New World and Old World species.
Snake habitat
Snakes like to live in damp, dark, cool places where food is abundant. Likely places to find snakes around homes include- Firewood stacked directly on the ground,
- Old lumber or junk piles,
- Gardens and flower beds with heavy mulch,
- Untrimmed shrubs and shrubs growing next to a foundation,
- Unmowed and unkept lawns, abandoned lots and fields with tall vegetation,
- Pond and stream banks with abundant debris and trash,
- Cluttered basements and attics with a rodent, bird or bat problem, and
- Feed storage areas in barn haylofts where rodents abound.
Identification of poisonous snakes
All of Missouri's poisonous snakes are members of the pit viper family, and you easily can distinguish them from harmless snakes. Three ways exist to distinguish poisonous snakes in Missouri:Figure 1Identifying a poisonous snake by its pupils.
- Pupil shape
Harmless snakes have round pupils (the black part in the center of the eye). Poisonous snakes have egg-shaped or cat-like (elliptical) pupils (Figure 1). In good light, you easily can see the pupil shape from a safe distance because snakes cannot jump, nor can they strike, from more than one-third of their body length. - Pit
Poisonous snakes in Missouri also have a conspicuous sensory area or pit (hence the name "pit viper") on each side of the head. The pit looks somewhat like a nostril and helps the snake locate warm-bodied food. It is located about midway between and slightly below the eye and nostril (Figure 1). Harmless snakes do not have pits.
Figure 2Identifying a poisonous snake by its tail.
- Scale arrangement
The underside scales of a poisonous snake's tail go all the way across in a single row from the anal plate (Figure 2). The tip of the tail may have two scale rows. Nonpoisonous snakes have two rows of scales from the vent to the end of the tail. This characteristic also can be seen on skins that may have been shed.
Other features may help you identify a poisonous snake at a distance
- Head shape
Usually, poisonous snakes have a triangular (wide at the back and attached to a narrow neck) or "spade-shaped" head. Be aware that many other harmless snakes flatten their heads when threatened and may appear poisonous. - Distinctive sound
Usually, rattlesnakes sound a warning rattle (a buzz or a dry, whirring sound) when approached. However, many nonpoisonous snakes (black racers, corn snakes, rat snakes, milk snakes and pine snakes) and several poisonous snakes (copperhead and cottonmouth) often vibrate their tails when threatened. The sound produced by this vibration often imitates a rattle or hissing sound when the snake is sitting in dry grass or leaves.
Figure 3You can learn to distinguish poisonous snakes from nonpoisonous species by their color and pattern.
- Color patterns and markings
Snakes with lengthwise-striped markings are nonpoisonous (Figure 3). Most solid-colored snakes also are nonpoisonous, except the adult western cottonmouth, which has dark crossbands that often are indistinct. If a snake is marked in any other way, use other characteristics for identification. - Tail
You easily can recognize young cottonmouths and copperheads by their bright yellow or greenish yellow tails.
Description : Smooth-scaled snake that is a pale shade of blue with black bands. Its oarlike tail provides propulsion in swimming.
Characteristics : Most active at night, swimming close to shore and at times entering tide pools. Its venom is a very strong neurotoxin. Its victims are usually fishermen who untangle these deadly snakes from large fish nets.
Habitat : Common in all oceans, absent in the Atlantic Ocean.
Length : Average 75 centimeters, maximum 1.2 meters.
Distribution : Coastal waters of New Guinea, Pacific islands, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, and Japan.
Description : Upper part of body is black or dark brown and lower part is bright yellow.
Characteristics : A highly venomous snake belonging to the cobra family. This snake is truly of the pelagic species--it never leaves the water to come to shore. It has an oarlike tail to aid its swimming. This species is quick to defend itself. Sea snakes do not really strike, but deliberately turn and bite if molested. A small amount of their neurotoxic venom can cause death.
Habitat : Found in all oceans except the Atlantic Ocean.
Length : Average 0.7 meter, maximum 1.1 meters.
Distribution : Throughout the Pacific Ocean from many of the Pacific islands to Hawaii and to the coast of Costa Rica and Panama.
Species diversity and distribution : There are approximately 70 species of sea snakes living in our modern oceans. They account for 86% of marine reptile species alive today. Other marine reptiles include 7 species of sea turtles, the salt water crocodile and the marine iguana.
Sea snakes are cold blooded reptiles and are found primarily in warm tropical waters of the Indo-West Pacific. They are not found in the Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea.
The area of highest species diversity is between Singapore and Borneo, with 27 species. Australia.s coastal waters also has a high species diversity that ranges between 17 to 21 species, and the Great Barrier Reef has 14 species of sea snakes. Although sea snakes need warm tropical waters to survive, they are occasionally blown south by storms and have been recorded in Sydney harbour.
Marine fouling and shedding of skin : All snakes shed their skins. Sea snakes shed every two to six weeks, which is more frequently than land snakes and more often than needed for growth alone. The process involves rubbing the lips against coral or other hard substrate to loosen the skin. The snake then catches the skin against something to anchor it and crawls forward leaving the skin turned inside out behind it.
Skin shedding allows sea snakes to rid themselves of fouling marine organisms such as algae, barnacles and bryozoans. Otherwise they would be covered with fouling organsims like the hull of a boat that needs to be cleaned and this would interfere with the snakes ability to swim efficiently and may also cause disease.
Olive sea snake starting to shed its skin. The old skin is turned inside out along the snakes body behind the head.
Courtship, mating and reproduction : Like all snakes and lizards, male sea snakes have two penises. They are called hemipenes, but each is an autonomous independently functioning penis and only one is used during mating. Mating takes place for long periods and sea snakes must surface for air during that time. The female controls breathing and as she swims to the surface the male is pulled along attached via the hemipenis. At the surface the male needs to gulp for air or he has to wait til the next time the female comes up the the surface to breathe. Males are unable to disengage until mating is finished.
In species where courtship has been studied, eg olive and turtlehead sea snakes, one or more males follow the female very closely and occasionally prod the head and neck of females.
All sea snakes except the latidcaudids give birth to live young after gestation periods that range from four to eleven months, depending on the species. Most species reproduce every year. The timing of the reproductive cycle varies enomously between species and also differs between geographical locations for the same species.
Young are born underwater and must be independent immediately to swim to the surface to breathe. There is no parental care. In some species look quite different to the adults eg juvenile olive sea snake are strongly banded while the adults are not.
No comments:
Post a Comment