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Snakes
There are about more than 300 species of snakes in INDIA
out of which only 20 % are poisonous and 80 % are non-poisonous.
Poison Michenism :
Poisonous Snakes
1. Cobra
called Nag
2. Crait
called Kalotro
3. Russels
Viper called Chitado or Khad Chitado
4. Saw Scaled
Viper called Paidku or Phurso.
Our country
produces anti venom serum from four poisonous snakes and hence if we are
bitten by any of them, we can survive only if proper treatment is taken.
Apart from these the King Cobra which is found only in South of India
and the Sea Snakes or Salt Water Snakes which are found in mid seas are
also poisonous snakes. Anti venom of King Cobra and Sea snakes are no
produced in India and hence if we are bitten by either of the two, then
the death is inevitable.
The rest of
non-poisonous snakes consist of following, which are very commonly found
in urban and rural areas.
1. Rat
Snake called Dhaman
2.
Checkered Keelback fresh water snakes called Dendu are totally harmless
3. Wolf
Snake lives on wall lizards
4. Trinket
called Roop Sundari
5. Green
Keelback
6. Striped
Keelback called Sita Ni Odhan
7.
Bronzeback tree Snake
8. Red
Sand Boa desert Snake called Andhali Chaklan
9. Common
Sand Boa called Kankarakot or Bhamphodi
10. Banded
Racer
11. Cat
Snake
12. Moitor
Lizard etc. are all harmless .
Some
facts about Snakes
All the Snakes
have nostrils but these are useful only for respiration. Smelling is
done by their forked tongues which comes out around 20 times in a second
during which molecules of scent in the air stick to the sticky tongue
and when it is taken inside of its mouth the tongue dispatches the smell
molecules to an organ called Jacobson’s organ which analyses the scent
and the snake behaves accordingly. They can also feel the minor
vibrations from the ground and keeps away from humans. Vision of the
Snakes is not binocular like us. It is Monocular and so they see only
black and white shadow and can not judge the depth and hence can not
strike accurately. Snakes moult their skin which is sign of their
healthiness. Their skins are made of calcareous material and after each
3 to 4 months growth of its body as the skin doesn’t grow, it has to be
shed. Poisonous Snakes kill their prey poison and eat it while non
poisonous Snakes constrict their prey and when it dies they swallow it.
Only flexible muscles join the jaws of the snakes so that they can eat a
prey 3 to 4 times bigger than itself. All the Snakes strike on movement.
Snakes kill only when they are hungry. Snakes eat every 15 day in a
month and if it had had a large prey it may not eat even for a months as
then thy don’t have to utilize their energy. Snakes do not drink milk as
they are not mammals and when juvenile they feed on small insects and
frogs are independent right from their birth. Poison is their digestive
enzyme and if milked, it will regenerate after some time and if the
poison gland is removed permanently they will starve to death as then
they can’t kill or digest properly. The Snake Charmers do exactly this.
Snake is the only animal that is cruelly and un-hesitantly killed animal
due only to fear and ignorance. People generally try to beat it to death
but this kind of injuries don’t kill snake as its brain and heart keeps
it alive and it can’t move and dies a slow and agonizing death.
The poison of
COBRA and
KRAIT
is Neurotoxic which affects the human brain the bitten person dies of
paralyses.
The poison of
RUSSELS VIPER
and SAW SCALED VIPER
is Haemotoxic and the bitten person dies of internal as well external
haemorrhages. |
