An indigenous resident of rocky and sandy areas is an arrow snake. The reptile is distinguished by the presence of four stripes on a sandy gray body. Poison or not snake-arrow? This question is asked by many people. This is exactly what we are now trying to figure out.
View description
The arrow snake got its name for its high speed of movement. It inhabits a reptile in the countries of Asia and Kazakhstan and reaches a length of 90 cm. It has the color of the upper body based on a gray palette: olive-gray, sandy or brown. The body has a pointed shape, and the eyes of the arrow are large with a round pupil. Four longitudinal stripes of black color stretch along the entire body.
The abdomen of the snake is usually light, sometimes has small gray spots. It differs from other representatives of the already ugly family by a rather long and slender body. The arrow belongs to poisonous snakes, so you should beware of meeting with a desert resident. Photo snake-arrows presented in the article.
Snake Habitats
This species is widespread in the deserts of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Often you can meet representatives of this species on the rocky slopes of the mountains. Cracks in the soil, hollow spaces on a stone surface usually serve as a shelter. Often, a snake-arrow takes refuge in the burrows of rodents. Most individuals try to stay closer to the few bushes. There they can rest or flee from persecution.
Lifestyle
A fast snake-arrow, the description of which makes it the most interesting and attractive variety of desert creatures, leads a daily life. In the daytime, she is awake and gets herself food. The diet of the reptile is made up of different types of rodents, swift lizards, round heads and agamas. Also, the sandy beauty does not disdain some types of her relatives.
For the night, arrows fit into the burrows of rodents, climb under stones or hammer into cracks in the ground. It is not always possible to detect a snake den right away. Masking color makes this poisonous beauty completely invisible among the sandy terrain.
How does a snake move?
The snake does not behave like the rest of the family. It can often be seen not curled up in a ball, as vipers usually do, but in a straightened form. This is one of the main similarities of the snake with the subject in whose honor it is named. The snake pose is also different during the stance. Its front part is elongated in a vertical position, and the rear is assembled in the form of an accordion.
It is impossible to immediately determine how the snake-arrow moves around the area. Watching the speed of its movement, it may seem that the arrow does not creep, but flies on the sand or stones. Due to its natural protective coloration, it is rather difficult to detect among the branches of trees and shrubs. In the dense foliage of trees, these snakes are saved from the sultry heat and from the chase. They climb beautifully along the branches, they can move by rapid jumps from one tree to another. If you catch a snake, then to the touch it will resemble an elastic solid wire covered with leather. All her muscles immediately tighten, at this moment the arrow does not bite, but is actively trying to break out of captivity.
How an arrow hunts
When hunting, the snake is always in a certain stance. If you do not look closely, then you may not notice it at all, it is so well masked by its color. Once the prey is selected, the snake makes a lightning-fast throw, which takes a split second, and the prey is already in the wide mouth of the predator. Live food is almost always captured in the middle of the body, closer to the head. This can be explained by the fact that so the arrow deprives the victim of the opportunity to resist. First, she bites the prey, injecting poison, then twists and suffocates. After the death of a captured animal or insect, the meal begins.
The hunting process is not always successful. Sometimes you have to go to another place in search of prey. After all, if the snake missed during the throw, then the rodent or lizard instantly retreats, and the arrow rarely rushes in pursuit. It’s easier for her to find a new victim, and for this, the company stand is again accepted.
Is a poisonous snake arrow dangerous?
Snake venom is needed only to kill prey. Her small poisonous teeth are deep in the mouth, and the poison falls into the victim when deeply swallowed. For humans, this is completely harmless for the reason that the arrow refers to peace-loving creatures. If you catch her, the snake will not even make attempts to bite, but only try to break out of his hands. Therefore, if on the way such an interesting representative of the family already found met, one should not be afraid of her. And the arrow itself will try to instantly retire.
Deserts and semi-deserts of many countries are the habitat of a large number of snakes, lizards and other interesting animals and insects adapted to this climatic zone. Not all snakes carry mortal danger to humans, even if they are considered poisonous. The snake-arrow, a creature completely harmless to humans, also belongs to such species.