World Snakes Day 2022: Unknown Facts About Snakes

Add as a preferred source on Google

Known as the most enigmatic and ferocious reptile species, a snakes can be your friend or a deadly foe. While most of the snakes chase small creatures such as rodents, some of the bigger serpents swallow animals as big as monkeys and small sized deers.

Although on the surface, they sport a very mysterious elegant look, practically speaking, they prefer to live in the wild, and hunt animals that can fit into their jaws. A venom spitting mouth with a separated jaw is the only armour that Snakes possess. These differently abled animals, surprisingly are not found in Ireland, Iceland, New Zealand, North Pole, and South Pole.

Believed to have appeared about 98 million years ago, they are living proofs of life, that coexisted with humans from the ancient era. Snakes, held captive, can still survive up to 170 years, whereas wild snakes can live up to 100 years. The shiny scales on their bodies, mainly serve as traps for moisture and reduce the friction as the snake slithers around. Snakes are inexplicable bundles of mysteries that surprise us from time to time, with their unpredictable moves and an agility that beats the yoga experts in their game. Read the rest of the article for more information

• With time, some species of snakes have developed infrared vision/heat vision. This helps the snake to track the heat from the preys body, so that it can advance on the prey to kill it..
• The olfactory sense of snakes lies in their tongues. They seize chemical compounds from air, water and ground to determine the smell.
• Not all snakes give rise to eggs; some snakes give birth to well-developed little ones. Russell's viper is a shining example for this.
• King Cobra, is the only snake variety that wants the comfort of the nest to lay eggs.
• Some snakes can fly. Although they are unable to fly like birds, they can still glide down from trees effortlessly by trapping air under their bodies.
• Snakes have their ears in the lower jaw bones that pick up the sound from the ground beneath them.
• In spite of being limbless, they climb smoothly by using their scales.
• Snake venom is actually their saliva that is modified to freeze the prey and to defend themselves when needed.
• Certain snake venoms are used to prepare drugs used to relax the muscles, to ease pain and to cure neurodegenerative disorders.
• Out of the 3,500 different snake species, around 725 snake types carry venom.
• They have Inarguably the best hunting mechanism as they use all their sense organs to detect and nab their prey.
• Snakes, instead of chewing, swallow their meal as they can separate their jaws with ease and swallow them whole.
• A snake keeps growing its entire life, but this is not the case with their scales. They shed their skins frequently throughout the year and every time they shed their skin, it takes days for the skin to grow back.
• As per statistics, people have died more due to the bee stings than the serpent bites/
• A snake that is beheaded, does not immediately lose its stinging ability. It it carries some amount of venom in its mouth which it can use to bite, even after beheading.
• The saw-scaled viper, is believed to be the most dangerous as it kills a sizeable number of people every year.
• The fear of snakes is inherent in human beings. Most of us are mortally afraid of snakes.
• The eastern brown snake, the coastal taipan, the inland taipan, the black tiger snake, and the tiger snakes lead the list of the deadliest lethal vipers in the serpentine kingdom.
• Mongoose is the only animal that is immune to the effects of snake venom.
• Some snakes can stay without food upto 2 long years.
• King snakes devour the smaller snake varieties.
• Snakes keep on growing till they last.
• The smallest snake measures about 4 inches and is as big as your noodle strand.
• Snakes sleep with their eyes open as they have no eyelids.

Disclaimer: The information is based on assumptions and information available on the internet and the accuracy or reliability is not guaranteed. Boldsky does not confirm any inputs or information related to the article and our only purpose is to deliver information. Kindly consult the concerned expert before practising or implementing any information and assumption.

Image sources: Wikimedia Commons