| Chelonian (183) |  |
| Crocodilian (177) | |
| Reptile (66) | |
| Saurian (180) | |
| Snake (376) | |
Every spring in southern Manitoba, tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) emerge from their underground hibernation dens
. When a female garter snake emerges, she releases a pheromone that attracts hundreds of male snakes towards her.
As if that isn't enough, scientists discovered that some male snakes"cross dress Â; they release female-like pheromones to attract other males.
One common assumption has been that pheromone-releasing males gain a reproductive advantage by diverting fellow male snakes attention from the female.
But Australian and US researchers think this solves a more mundane purpose oe male snakes pose as females to warm up quicker
and to reduce their exposure to predators. The mourning cuttlefish (Sepia plangon) takes its cross dressing even further.
but for all the world it looked suspiciously like some kind of python. Slice it and package it in the right way
It simply doesn't have information about many creatures, like pythons from Southeastern Asia, for instance.
a trend it shares with other perilous beasts from wasps to snakes. And it occurs to me,
5. Pythons which are capable of eating goats and crocodiles and could eventually pose a major threat to children, pets and livestock.
Rounding out the bottom five are killer bees, starlings, mountain pine beetles, brown tree snakes and Asian mongooses.
#A Caterpillar That Pretends to be a Fearsome Snake This small caterpillar with bold yellow
At first glance it may look like a fearsome snake but this rearing creature is actually a small caterpillar with a cunning means of defence.
Some animals that are afflicted sometimes include cows, snakes, lizards, turtles, dogs, cats and chickens. This past week, a two-headed pig with one eye, was born on Xiao Jintu s pig farm,
Mosquito#An estimated 2-3 million fatalities a year Venomous Snakes#An estimated 50,000-125,000 fatalities a year Deer-An estimated 2, 000-4, 000
The assembly line here is made up of dozens of glass cages housing robots made by Adept Technology that snake around the factory floor for more than 100 yards.
and mistaken by villagers as a deadly, miniature snake. But this legless amphibian s time in obscurity has ended,
with farmers and villagers chopping them in half out of the mistaken belief that they are poisonous snakes.
and vegetables Marriage is like putting your hand into a bag of snakes in the hope of pulling out an eel.#
like snakes shedding their skin periodically. Scientists have discovered recently that this is not the case: An alligator s tooth will grow back automatically to replace a lost one.
#7 Science Careers You Never Knew Existed Snake venom handler? Sex scholar? A career in science doesn't have to mean a job in a dank lab or cubicle.
Snake milkers are animal care specialists who extract the venom of poisonous snakes. Snake venom while not exactly milk is nevertheless a life-giving substance (when used correctly.
Snake milkers have the job of extracting or milking the toxic substance from a snake's fangs.
The venom can be made into a freeze-dried powder that research laboratories use to produce drugs for blood clots heart attacks and high blood pressure.
although not as well understood as for insects mammals birds and even in snakes. The recent study published in the Journal of Zoology shows that for crocodiles almost a quarter of the fruits consumed were of the oefleshy kind.
The expedition also turned up five other potentially new frog species many insects and one snake.
>If a snake eats a monkey in the forest and no one sees it does it make a difference?
</p><p>For the first time scientists have witnessed a boa constrictor attacking and eating a howler monkey. The finding and boa-eating-monkey video is noteworthy
since reports of primates being eaten by predators are relatively rare according to the study published this month in the journal Primates.</
<a href=http://www. livescience. com/39172-boa-constrictor-eats-howler-monkey. html target=blank>Boa constrictor Seen Eating Howler monkey in a First</a p></p><p
</p><p>The Sunshine state already home to man-eating sinkholes invading Burmese pythons swarming sharks tropical storms
Tasmanian devils eat meat from snakes birds fish and insects. Their prey can reach up to the size of small kangaroos.
Emily Dondero lives in Sonora Calif. and witnessed the Great Rim fire that has devastated the Sierra nevadas and part of Yosemite Park.
A chimera is the name of a creature from Greek mythology that mixed together features of a lion a goat and a snake.
The first were marine reptiles including lizards and snakes. The second were the archosaurs which would give rise to crocodiles dinosaurs and birds.
Crocodiles lizards turtles pythons and other reptiles also thrived during this period. As for vegetation it was limited fairly in many areas.
Rattlesnake Sliders & Goat Penis: Photos of Exotic Food However one true tale of a Pleistocene repast comes from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Paleontologist Dale Guthrie
and could be depicted as a serpent or two-headed reptile. Other Maya deities included the sun god K inich Ajaw the rain and storm god Chaak and the lightning deity K awiil among many others.
#Will poisoned Mice Solve Guam's Snake Problem? In a desperate bid to reduce Guam's population of poisonous brown tree snakes officials with the U s. Department of agriculture believe they've hit on a foolproof plan:
airdropping dead mice onto the Pacific island. It gets weirder: Before the airdrop the dead mice will have stuffed their bodies with Tylenol (acetaminophen)
which is toxic to the snakes according to the Guardian. Wait it gets weirder still. Each mouse will be fitted with a tiny parachute
so they'll be more likely to get snagged in trees where the snakes live.
But the snakes have wreaked havoc on the ecosystem of Guam decimating the island's native bird population.
Additionally the brown tree snakes which can reach 10 feet (3 meters) in length have the unfortunate habit of climbing onto electric poles
And Florida's attempts at controlling another invasive snake the Burmese python have met with limited success. The state recently sponsored a much-ballyhooed Python Roundup with rewards offered for the biggest snake
and the most snakes caught. Their total haul? Just 68 snakes out of several thousand according to ABC News. The poison-mouse trick has been used before in Guam:
In 2010 the USDA airdropped mice at military installations on the island according to CNN. com. That program's effectiveness led to the current airdrop program
and how to recognize predators such as snakes birds and wildcats. Learning from watching a video
When they aren't snacking on bigger prey they will eat snakes insects fruit and grass.
It seems to overlook the fact that many of the most important classes of prescription drugs like ACE inhibitors for high blood pressure (first developed from Brazilian snake venom) beta blockers (from hallucinogenic Mexican fungi)
#Corn snakes: Facts, Food & Bites Corn snakes are nonvenomous snakes found primarily in the southeastern United states. They are medium-size snakes brightly colored with individual patterns.
Corn snakes are fairly calm and easy to care for. They are popular as pets; in fact they are the most commonly bred snake species in the United states
. But watch out corn snake owners these elegant serpents are skilled at escaping from their homes. There are two stories behind how the corn snake got its name.
According to one tale corn snakes belly markings look similar to the kernel pattern on Indian corn. Others say the name came from back
when Southern farmers stored corn in wooden crates. Rodents would feed on the corn and corn snakes would come to eat the rodents.
Corn snakes are closely related to rat snakes and sometimes known as red rat snakes.##Corn snakes are slender and range from 18 to 44 inches (45 to 112 centimeters) with the record at 72 inches (1. 8 meters).
Their red rat snake#nickname comes from their coloring which is usually reddish-orange or orange-brown. Snakes at higher elevations tend to be browner.
Corn snakes have edged large black red orange or brown blotches on their backs and a spear-shaped pattern on their heads and necks.
Their bellies usually have a black-and-white checkerboard pattern occasionally with orange accents and two black stripes under the tail.
They have keeled weakly (mid-ridged) scales and round pupils. Corn snakes patterns and colorings vary considerably from region to region and the age of the snakes.
Sadly corn snakes are mistaken often for copperheads and killed in the wild. People can tell the species apart by the markings.
Copperheads have hourglass markings whereas corn snakes markings are blotchy and random. Copperheads also do not have checked the black-and-white belly.
There are hundreds of corn snake morphs or color variations including: Albino corn snake Typical albino corn snakes are not actually white.
They are only missing their black pigment so these snakes are whitish with orangey-red markings and ruby-red eyes.
They are called also amelanistic snakes because they lack melanin. Okeetee corn snake This is a regional locality morph.
Okeetees are found mostly in South carolina. They have wonderfully bright coloration and bold patterns in vibrant oranges reds and blacks.
Snow corn snake These stunning snakes lack both black and red pigment leaving them with pale coloring in shades of white pink green and yellow.
They have red eyes. Black corn snake These are also known as anerythristic corn snakes. Unlike amelanistic (red albino) corn snakes these snakes lack red pigment called erythrin.
They have gray bodies with dark gray blotches outlined in black. Adults usually have yellow splotches on their chins
and necks and sometimes their blotches fade to brown. Their eyes are brownish gray. Blood-red corn snake This is a selectively bred corn snake designed to produce an almost solid red animal.
The hatchlings patterns fade as they age and by adulthood these snakes have deep red backs.
Their eyes are dark and their bellies are white lacking any markings. Corn snakes are found in the eastern United states from southern New jersey to Florida.
They live west as far as Louisiana and parts of Kentucky. They are most abundant in Florida Georgia South carolina North carolina and Virginia.
Corn snakes may be especially active during the warmer months. They climb trees slither into abandoned buildings
and invade rodents nests looking for prey. Nevertheless these snakes are generally quiet and shy.
They dwell in woodlands tree groves rocky hillsides swamps fields and meadows when they live in natural environments.
Corn snakes are mostly nocturnal and like to hide under rotting bark logs and rocks during the day.
They enjoy man-made habitats too such as woodlots abandoned buildings and barns. Image Gallery: How Snakes Slither Up Trees Corn snakes enjoy a diet of rodents lizards frogs small birds bats and bird eggs.
Rodents are their favorites. Not being venomous these snakes don t just bite their prey to kill it they constrict it.
First they bite the prey to get a firm grip on it and then they quickly wrap their muscular bodies around the victim in tight coils.
Corn snakes squeeze their victims tightly until they suffocate and die. Then corn snakes swallow their dinner whole usually head first.
Occasionally they will swallow small prey alive. Reproduction Corn snakes typically breed in the spring from March to May.
They are oviparous meaning that the mothers lay eggs. Any time from May to July the mother pops out 10 to 30 eggs.
She lays them in rotting stumps piles of decaying vegetation or other places where there will be enough heat
and humidity for the eggs to incubate. Then she slithers off never to see the babies.
The babies gestate for about 2 months. When born they are 10 to 15 inches long and patterned like adults.
Corn snakes are not venomous and their bite is not dangerous to humans. They do have fangs
because the corn snake s mouth may contain bacteria that can lead to infection f
#German Culture: Facts, Customs and Traditions With a population of more than 82 million Germany is in Central europe bordering Austria Belgium Czech republic Denmark France Luxembourg Netherlands Switzerland and Poland.
Some species of freshwater turtles such as snapping turtles also eat small mammals frogs snakes fish and even other smaller turtles according to Connecticut's Department of energy and Environmental Protection.
#Explorers Eat Fried Tarantulas at Black-tie Gala NEW YORK Goat testicles earthworms python and jellyfish were on the menu here at the Waldorf Astoria hotel Saturday night (March 15).
and leaves they also eat locusts lizards snakes and rodents according to the San diego Zoo. They also eat sand
Why Snakes Don't Slip When Climbing Trees Some snakes seem to be little scaredy-cats as new research finds
when climbing trees they hold on for dear life. The study researchers found snakes use a much greater force to grip tree trunks
and other surfaces they're climbing than is necessary. The finding suggests the reptiles prefer to play it safe rather than conserve energy researchers say.
Snakes also use friction to climb steep surfaces; more specifically they alternate between contracting and extending their bodies in a motion called concertina locomotion.
Until now nobody knew just how much muscular force snakes use while climbing a surface with concertina locomotion Byrnes told Live Science.
Next they measured the forces that 10 snakes from five species boa constrictors brown tree snakes carpet pythons green tree pythons
and a smaller python used as they climbed the cylinder 10 times each. Watch a Carpet Python Climb a Tree
While Gripping Tightly This calculation involved placing the snakes on a flat board covered with the textured tape
and then raising the board until the snakes started slipping. The angle of inclination allowed them to figure out the coefficient of friction between the snakes
and the surface which is related to how much force the snakes must produce to support their body weight Byrnes said.
Their calculations also accounted for the equal and opposite downward force that's produced by the snakes'upward motion while climbing.
The researchers thought the snakes might take the economical approach and use as little force as possible to hold on to the cylinder.
After all climbing is energetically costly and some snakes can control their muscular forces at least while constricting prey.
But this isn't what they found. Sometimes the snakes'safety factor was close to 1 meaning the reptiles were using nearly the minimum force required to grip the cylinder and not slip.
Other times the snakes'safety factor was almost 20 which is about the same amount of force seen during prey constriction
and 20 times the force needed to avoid slipping. In Photos: How Snakes Climb up Trees The vast majority of time the safety factor was between 2. 5 and 5 Byrnes said.
They are using a force that's not at their maximum but not at their minimum either.
A common choice It's a bit unclear why the snakes on average use up to five times the force they actually need to climb.
It may be that arboreal (tree-living) snakes move so infrequently that their energy expenditure while climbing has little overall impact on their lives the researchers suggest.
Or perhaps the benefits of playing it safe simply outweigh the energy costs. Though the topic hasn't been explored much choosing safety over economy may be more common in the animal kingdom than thought Byrnes said.
Byrnes is interested now in conclusively determining why the snakes have such high safety factors and plans to study snakes'gripping patterns
and muscular activity as they climb. He's also interested in other types of behavioral safety factors.
#Facts About Cobras Cobras with their threatening hoods and intimidating upright postures are some of the most iconic snakes On earth.
Cobra is the common name for a group of poisonous snakes in Africa and Southern Asia.
The word comes from the Portuguese cobra de capello which means hooded snake. There is some controversy about
what exactly a cobra is and the number of cobra species ranges from 28 to about 270 depending on how a cobra is defined.
Genetically true#cobras are members of the Genus naja but many other snakes including the black mamba
and king cobra while not members of this genus are considered commonly cobras because they possess hoods poisonous fangs
and the ability to raise the upper part of their body. Cobras are Elapids a type of poisonous snake with hollow fangs fixed to the top jaw at the front of the mouth.
They have an excellent sense of smell and night vision. In addition to their trademark hoods cobras have round pupils and smooth scales.
Colors vary widely from species to species. There are red yellow black mottled banded and many other colors and patterns of cobra.
Cobras are large snakes; many species reach more than 6 feet long (2 meters. The forest cobra is the largest true cobra reaching 10 feet (3 m)
and Ashe s spitting cobra is 9 feet (2. 7 m) making it the world s largest spitting cobra.
The smallest species is the Mozambique spitting cobra which is about 4 feet long (1. 2 m). King cobras the longest of all venomous snakes can reach 18 feet (5. 5 m). Cobras typically live in hot tropical areas
but are also found in deserts grasslands forests and farming areas in Africa and Southern Asia.
They like to spend time underground under rocks and in trees. Cobras have several scary-looking behaviors designed to scare off potential threats.
They spread their famous hoods which are made of flaps of skin attached to long ribs when feeling angry or threatened.
At the same time cobras raise the upper part of their body which in addition to signaling a willingness to attack helps them search for food.
Cobras may hiss loudly at predators and other threats and some species also spit. Countdown:
7 Shocking Snake Stories Cobras reproduce by laying eggs. Females typically lay 20 to 40 eggs at a time
which incubate between 60 and 80 days. Cobras will stay near the eggs and defend them until they hatch.
Wild boars and mongooses are known to steal cobra eggs. The mongoose is the best-known enemy of the cobra.
Mongooses have thick fur to protect against cobra fangs and often defeat cobras in fights using their speed and agility.
They can bite the cobra s back before the snake can defend itself. Cobras are threatened also from other snakes and humans.
Cobras are typically opportunistic hunters chowing down on whatever prey comes their way. Often they eat birds small mammals lizards eggs carrion
and other snakes They slither through the wilderness silently following their prey until they are ready to attack.
Most cobras hunt at dawn or dusk though some species forage during the heat of the day.
Like other snakes cobras have a very slow metabolism that allows them to go for days or even months without feeding.
Cobras are highly venomous and potentially deadly. Many species have potent neurotoxic venom which attacks the nervous system of the prey leading to respiratory paralysis if untreated.
Humans attacked by these cobras may stop breathing within 30 minutes. If no antivenom is available lives can be saved by putting victims on an artificial respirator.
Some cobras including all spitting cobras have cytotoxic venom that attacks body tissue and causes severe pain swelling and possible necrosis (death of cells and tissue).
Spitting cobras also have the ability to shoot venom from their fangs directly into the eyes of the victim with terrifying accuracy.
Venom in the eyes can lead to blindness if not washed out well. These 18-footers are the longest of all venomous snakes.
Their warning hiss sounds similar to a growling dog. Like other cobras they rear up the front third of their body
when threatened and in the case of the king cobra that third can be as tall as a person.
Angry king cobras can literally look you in the eye! Though there are other snakes with more potent venom the amount of neurotoxin that a king cobra can emit in one bite is enough to kill 20 people or one elephant.
Fortunately king cobras are shy and avoid people. King cobras are the only species of snake to build nests for their young
which they guard ferociously. They reside in trees on land and in water and are found in the rain forests and plains of India southern China and Southeast asia.
Their coloring varies from region to region. King cobras are a popular species for snake charmers in South Asia though the cobras cannot actually hear the music (being deaf to ambient noise.
They are enticed by the shape and movement of the flute l
#Coloring Easter eggs with Natural Dyes Fun Science Experiments Easter is the time of year when many of us do something special with our breakfast food.
In this experiment we are going to use science to color eggs using natural dyes. While using natural dyes is a bit more time consuming than those little tablets you buy at the store gathering
and preparing them can be an interesting alternative. Begin by looking through your kitchen for brightly colored materials that stain
when spilled. Coffee tea grape juice and red wine make interesting egg dyes. Plant materials from fruits vegetables
and kitchen spices can also be used to make interesting dyes. To get different colors use these materials:
Other materials that you can try include spices like cayenne pepper dill seed and turmeric. You could also try grated orange or lemon peels.
It is helpful to chop or grate the plant materials into small pieces as you prepare your dye.
#Black mamba Facts The black mamba has quite a reputation. It is one of the world s deadliest snakes;
it is the fastest land snake in the world; and it is Africa s biggest poisonous snake.
This snake s potential danger has been the subject of many African myths and it has been blamed for thousands of human deaths.
The black mamba's reputation is undeserved not. These snakes are fast skittish and highly aggressive when threatened.
Their venom is potentially lethal and though antivenom exists it is not widely available in the black mamba s native habitat of southern and eastern Africa.
For this reason they are considered a top killer in a land where nearly 20000 people die from snake bites every year.
The black mamba is one of four species of mamba. Others are Jameson s mamba eastern green mamba and western green mamba.
Mambas are slender agile and active with smooth scales and powerful venom. They all live throughout Sub-saharan africa.
Contrary to what its name would suggest black mambas are actually brownish in color ranging from olive to greyish tones with paler bellies.
The snake gets its name from the blue-black color of the inside of its mouth
which it displays when threatened. Black mambas have shaped coffin heads and are lithe athletic snakes. They can grow to be 14 feet long (4. 25 meters)
though their average length is around 8 feet (2. 4 m). Black mambas can live up to 11 years in the wild.
Black mambas reside in South and East Africa s savannas rocky hills and open woodlands. They like low open spaces
and enjoy sleeping in hollow trees rock crevices burrows or empty termite mounds. These speedy serpents can move faster than most people can run a fact that partly explains why they are feared so.
Black mambas can reach speeds of up to 12 mph (19 kph) making them the fastest snake on land
but still slower than the myths of them outrunning horses would suggest. Over longer distances they average about 7 mph (11 kph.
They slither quickly in short bursts over level ground and can zoom along with about one-third of their bodies off the ground
and their heads proudly held high. The black mamba racing along with its head nearly 4 feet (1. 2 m) in the air is a terrifying and amazing sight.
However black mambas use their incredible speed to escape threats not to hunt. Black mambas hunt and are active during the day and return to the same place every night to sleep.
They are often found in pairs or small groups though they are fundamentally shy around humans.
They get nervous and will run away quickly if a human approaches unless of course they feel threatened.
In that case they may become aggressive If they feel threatened black mambas will lift the front third of their bodies 3 to 4 feet (0. 9 to 1. 2 m) off the ground open their mouths hiss
and expose the dark foreboding interior of their mouths. They spread their flat cobra-like hoods and shake their heads.
This is a defensive posture aiming to scare away the threat. If black mambas need to attack to defend themselves they will strike quickly several times then scurry away as fast as possible.
The black mamba has no specific predators. Its greatest threat is habitat destruction. Black mambas typically eat small mammals
and birds though there have been reports of mambas found with whole parrots or full-grown cobras in their stomachs.
Black mambas hunt small animals by biting them and holding on until the prey becomes paralyzed.
If hunting a larger animal black mambas strike their prey and then release it. They then follow it until it becomes paralyzed
or dies at which point they eat it. It doesn t usually take prey very long to die after being bitten by a black mamba.
Black mambas devour their food whole. They have flexible jaws that they can dislocate in order to fit food up to four times the size of their head into their mouth.
Black mambas usually mate during the spring or summer. Males fight for the affections of females.
After mating females lay between 6 to 25 eggs in a damp warm burrow. The female then leaves her eggs
and never sees them again. Babies hatch about three months later and are born measuring between 16 and 24 inches.
Just two drops of potent black mamba venom can kill a human. Black mambas have a neurotoxic venom
which shuts down the nervous system and paralyzes victims. Without antivenom the fatality rate from a black mamba bite is 100 percent.
Victims can die within 20 minutes to 4 hours and if antivenom isn t administered within 20 minutes it can be a death sentence.
The World's 6 Deadliest Snakes The other mamba species are all smaller and slightly less venomous than the black mamba though still very poisonous.
These snakes are all brilliant green. They are also all arboreal species residing in trees.
All are solitary snakes. Jameson s mamba This is a slender snake that lives in trees
and actively and speedily pursues its small animal prey during the day. It can grow up to 8 feet long (2. 4 m) and lives in West and Central africa.
Eastern green mamba This is the smallest mamba usually measuring about 4 or 5 feet (1. 2 to 1. 5 m). It is common in the forests throughout East Africa.
Western green mamba The largest green mamba this snake can reach 10 feet (3 m). It is the second-longest venomous snake in Africa after the black mamba.
Snakes of the World Fun Facts About Snake e
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