What people are very interested in is the question of whether the snakes are poisonous, how to distinguish them from vipers. But these reptiles squad of scaly snakes have quite interesting habits, way of life, diet. The family of dinners is very numerous. There are more than 1,500 species. Snakes inhabit all continents except Antarctica; they live in various biotopes, including in deserts. Fans of home terrariums are happy to breed these reptiles. They are unpretentious, and the care for them is very minimal. It is the terrarium people who are most concerned about the question of when and where the snakes lay their eggs, how to get healthy offspring. Let's explore this problem.
Types of snakes
As already mentioned, this is a very large family. It is divided into three groups: real, false snakes and snakes with coppers. Let us first consider the genus Natrix. These are real snakes. There are also several hundred species. The most common of them is Natrix natrix, or ordinary. It is found throughout Europe (except the Far North). It is by this form that we make up the idea of what it really is. A photo of this small snake with yellow “ears” serves as a “photobot” to the whole family. Wrong opinion! There are species of snakes even without yellow spots - for example, Natris tesselata, which lives in water bodies of Western Europe, Moldova and Ukraine. Not to mention snakes, rather large snakes, and coppers. But they also belong to the snakes. Among this diverse family and poisonous species. It's just that their secret is not dangerous to humans and in the worst case can only lead to swelling around the site of the bite.
How to distinguish a snake from a viper
Two bright orange or yellow spots on the sides of the head are not the only distinguishing mark. In at least real snakes, snakes, as well as some false ones, the pupils are round. Whereas in vipers - slit-like, vertically located. Again, this difference is the rule only in our country. In the tropics, there are snake-shaped pupils. The color of the viper - black or dark gray - can be found on the backs and sides of its non-toxic doubles. So what types of snakes are found in our country? The most common in the European part of Russia is Natrix. The northern border of its range is the latitude of Vologda. Water is more heat-loving. In our country it is found only in the Southern Volga, Kuban and Don. And, finally, Rhabdophis tigrina, already brindle, is found in the Primorsky Territory. This species is worth mentioning especially. This is a conditionally poisonous snake 110 centimeters long. If she happens to bite a person with short front teeth, then the wounds are small and no symptoms of poisoning are observed. But putting a finger in the mouth of a tiger snake is not recommended - in the literal sense. In the depths of his pharynx (on the back of the upper jaw) there are poisonous teeth. The secret causes poisoning, not inferior in severity to the consequences of a viper bite.
Where dwells
Already, the species of which inhabit various landscapes, up to desert ones, nevertheless “loves” water. He prefers moist, swampy forests or meadows. The snake keeps near water bodies, and the water snake lives in them. But they eat prey, and even more so, lay these reptiles on land. In tropical latitudes, tree snakes are found. It is interesting that they can only crawl up. Climbing up the trunk, such a person freezes, assuming the semblance of a branch, watching for the birds. To go down, the snake curls up and jumps. In flight, she straightens the body, draws in her stomach and spreads her ribs. It turns out something like a hang glider, slowing down the fall. In these tree snakes, the pupil is also slit-like, but located horizontally, which allows you to see a three-dimensional image. An ordinary one, the description of which we have already given, can reach a length of one and a half meters. It is interesting in that it does not shy away from human habitation. Females even lay eggs in chicken coops.
What eats
The main food of these reptiles are frogs, toads, amphibians. However, whoever eats it completely depends on the biotype of its habitat. In semi-deserts, it feeds on small rodents, eggs, and insects. In the highlands, lizards and even snakes are included in his diet. Wood snakes feed on geckos, skinks, gape birds. The diet of the aquatic species is 60 percent small fish. Young snakes eat tadpoles, insects, larvae of newts. There are types of "narrow specialization." For example, thick-headed snakes living in Southeast Asia can get snails out of their shells. They stick two front teeth into the soft body of the mollusk and begin to spin, like a corkscrew. Egg-eater live throughout Africa. These are small snakes (75 cm maximum). But they can even swallow chicken eggs. The snake just pulls on prey, like a stocking. Inside her esophagus there is a “tooth” - a process of the spine that pierces an egg. The liquid drains into the stomach, and the flattened shell of the snake spits out.
Funny habits
A person is more likely to meet a snake than an adder. But there are fewer opportunities to catch him, because these reptiles are very agile. In addition, they realize that in a fight with a person they have nothing to defend. You can meet these snakes with yellow "ears" near the shelter, as well as in the hayloft, where the snakes lay their eggs. In the springtime, these snakes crawl out to bask in thawed spots, on stumps and even on the road. When meeting with a major enemy, he already uses an interesting tactic called “akinesa” - false death. It turns out that he is very convincing: the body is like a lifeless rope, his eyes are rolled up, his mouth is frantically open, his tongue has fallen out. Some individuals may even drop a few drops of blood from their mouths. For greater persuasiveness, a smelly secret shoots out of the anus. Few will have the desire to pick up a half-decomposed corpse. But as soon as you move a sufficient distance, the creepy "Lazarus" rises and flies.
Snakes
These are large snakes reaching sizes of two or more meters in length. They also have several dozen species. They are found in our country, especially in the south of the Far East. In the kingdom of snakes, snakes are excellent sprinters. Small individuals prefer to flee, but large individuals can also show aggression to humans. Despite the fact that the snakes are not poisonous, their teeth are large, like a dog’s, and can cause wounds. The yellow-bellied snake, which is found in Ukraine, in the countries of the Transcaucasia and in the Lower Volga region to the Ural River, is especially aggressive. Being cornered, he rushes right in the face. Spotted snake does not lag behind him in the desire to stand up for himself. Its habitat is Central Asia. And the largest non-toxic snake (unless, of course, not counting pythons and boas) is a big-eyed snake. It reaches a length of three and a half meters.
Copper
This is a little too. The photo shows a red or brown snake only 50 cm long, with small dark spots visible along its back. A copperfish lives in clearings and forest glades, in meadows and in the steppes. Its habitat is from Scandinavia and throughout Europe. We meet it in the southern part of the country. Viperophobes mercilessly kill coppers, confusing them with poisonous snakes. And in vain. Copper eater themselves eat vipers, and sometimes attack adults. However, they have poison. But it acts only on cold-blooded ones - the bite of a copperfish kills lizards in a matter of seconds. But for humans, it is absolutely harmless. The false snakes of Latin America - the mussurans - feed exclusively on poisonous snakes. This quality is used by farmers in Brazil and Argentina. They breed mussoran to protect their homes and herds from poisonous snakes, which this false one eats.
Breeding
These reptiles mate in spring, usually in April. This must be taken into account by the terrarium workers. “Wintering” - artificially maintaining pets at temperatures below +10 degrees for a month - will increase the chances of success. Matrimonial games at snakes are held without much sophistication. The male, approaching his larger lady, makes rhythmic nods of his head. If she behaves calmly, he approaches her and is pressed by the lower part of the body. Sometimes female candidates are much more than one. Then the snakes form the so-called "mating ball." Males do not fight and do not bite each other. They just try to push the opponent and continue the clan themselves. In favorable conditions (for example, in a terrarium), two litters per year can be achieved. If the early spring gave way to frost, the reproduction of which is not always subject to strict deadlines, it can delay the laying of eggs. In this case, an interesting process of incomplete incubation occurs. Embryos develop in the formed eggs inside the mother’s body.
Pregnancy and birth brood
Pregnancy lasts an average of three months. Snakes lay eggs under lying objects, tree roots, in empty burrows, manure or in rotting plant debris. The amount of shrinking depends on the size of the female. A snake up to 70 cm long lays about 10 eggs, more than a meter - 15-30. Inside the shell is a large yolk surrounded by a thin layer of protein. Ordinary eggs resemble pigeon eggs. But they are sealed “in beads” with gelatinous substance. Between those periods when the snakes lay their eggs and when the calves appear, three weeks pass. Newborns are 15 centimeters in length, but are already fully viable. They feed on worms, snails and various insects. Young growth is easily tamed, takes food from hand.