Are there snakes that eat snakes? A brief description of. Snake - description, characteristics, structure. Where do they live, what do they eat, how do snakes reproduce in nature? Types and names of snakes with photos and descriptions. Poisonous and non-poisonous snakes: Snake list

10.03.2020

Already- a snake belonging to the class of mammals. Many of us are terribly afraid of snakes, but is it worth it? common grass snake? Is it dangerous for humans and does it have poison? Today we will answer these questions, as well as touch on the habitat of the grass snake and find out what it eats in nature, and we will start with its characteristics.

Description of common snake

snake length 1 meter, but some individuals grow up to 1.5 meters. Its main and characteristic peculiarity- bright spots on the back of the head. They can be orange, yellow and whitish. Quite rarely, only black snakes, or mild spots, are found, so it is quite easy to recognize the snake. Leather snakes are dark grey, black or light grey. Gray individuals may be distinguished by dark spots. Belly the snake is light with a dark stripe from tail to neck. snake body slender, and in some individuals you can see paired brushes, but not in all. Eyes the snakes are rounded, but there are snakes with "cat's eyes". Tail much shorter than the body, about 3-5 times, with a variety of shapes - sharp, steep, rounded. Visible throughout the body scales, some individuals have smooth skin, others have ribs. The snake has teeth on the upper part of the mouth, a few teeth increase in the opening of the pharynx, in some teeth small and motionless, while in others they are bent, there is also a bifurcated language. Lifespan of common snake in nature for about 20 years, at home the figure remains the same.

Is the common snake poisonous and is it dangerous to humans?

Generally, snakes safe for humans. They do not know how to bite, but they can scratch the skin, and if there is a bite, then it is insignificant. Yes and common snake, seeing a person, tries to hide as quickly as possible, he flees, and does not attack. But if they are taken by surprise, they hiss, turn their heads as if they want to bite, but it rarely comes to a bite, and the bite itself heals very quickly. Already- a calm snake, but for the purpose of protection, it can shoot a white-yellow liquid from its teeth, which is unpleasant in smell, and if it does not scare away the observer, it opens its mouth and relaxes the body, depicting death. At this moment, you can see droplets of blood from the throat, or he will simply burp food out of fear. But if snake do not touch, but you will not have to see all this.

WHAT IT EATS, WHERE THE CONTENT OF THE COMMON SNAKE AT HOME LIVES AND CONTENTS

What does the common snake eat in nature?

The main diet of snake- Amphibians and fish. It feeds on frogs, tadpoles, and toads. In addition, snakes eat lizards, their eggs, mice, rats, moles, other rodents, insects, small birds, their eggs and chicks, bats, small squirrels, and even their own kind or other snakes. Already swallows prey whole as it lacks teeth or other adaptations to tear prey. If the lunch is small, then he will quickly cope with the food, and if the prey is large, it will take several hours, and after such a meal you can eat nothing for two days. It can already go without food for a long time, but there is no water, and in hot weather, it is easy to meet snakes near water bodies. On the land already pursues its prey, in the water it can sneak up to it for a long time, and then suddenly pounce.

Habitat of common grass snake

Already can be found near bodies of water, under a bridge, near a lake or pond. In addition, they like to settle next to people, choosing quiet and secluded places, like a basement, a haystack, a cellar, a barn, in the roots or hollows of trees, in a garden, in firewood, in a pile of stones, in a garden, and even in a pile of garbage. . snakes they are very fond of warm bedding, and live next to poultry, laying their eggs there, but they will never go to large animals.

Habitat of common grass snake- almost all of Russia, the east of Primorye, the borders of the Komi Republic, the border of Karelia. Almost all of Europe, and some individuals already are also found in Africa, Central, South and North America, Australia, Asia, Cuba, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Oceania.

VIDEO: ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THE COMMON SNAKE

IN THIS VIDEO, YOU WILL SEE AND LEARN HOW TO KEEP A COMMON ALREADY AT HOME

What do snakes eat?

All snakes are predators and therefore never eat plant foods.Since snakes swallow their prey whole, they have very caustic digestive juices.

The jaws of the snake have an unusual structure. They are very weakly connected to other bones of the skull. Tiny teeth grow along the edge of the jaws, and some snakes also grow two additional rows of teeth in the palate. All these teeth are connected to bones, which are set in motion by special muscles.

On the example of a rattlesnake.

Having captured the prey, the snake holds it with the teeth of the lower jaw, and the upper one pushes it into the mouth opening. When the food has already passed halfway into the mouth, the lower jaw also begins to help the upper jaw move the food deeper into the esophagus.

Due to the special structure of the jaw, the snake can swallow large animals. So, for example, pythons sometimes swallow leopards and deer! But, of course, small individuals eat small animals. Most snakes still feed on medium-sized living creatures: grasshoppers, frogs, fish, mice, rats and birds. Some tiny blind snakes only eat termites. And there are also snakes that prey on their own kind.

As for food, these reptiles are very picky. So, the green snake eats spiders, fish, birds, caterpillars, but will not touch lizards and mice, and the water snake is not indifferent to fish and frogs, but will ignore insects and mice.

Anacondas eat a variety of foods.

What do snakes eat?

All snakes are predators and therefore never eat plant foods.Since snakes swallow their prey whole, they have very caustic digestive juices.

On the example of a rattlesnake.

Anacondas eat a variety of foods.

Without exception, all snakes are predators, they eat almost everything from ants to antelopes. The snake is able to swallow an animal that is several times larger than itself, and its stomach can easily digest any large prey, including bones, horns and hooves.

How snakes hunt

Snakes get their food by hunting. They hunt in different ways, it depends on the species. Most poisonous snakes wait for their prey, lying in one place for hours, and as soon as they smell suitable prey, they rush at it and inflict a fatal bite.

If the potential prey managed to dodge, then the snake will not pursue it, but will hide again and will wait for a new victim.

How do non-venomous snakes eat? Most of them themselves look for their prey, crawl into holes and other secluded corners, and finding something suitable for food, they sneak up and grab their prey in a lightning throw.

How do snakes eat

Having caught its prey, the snake kills it. Poisonous species do this with poison, while non-poisonous ones suffocate it in the rings of their body, but there are also those that swallow their prey alive.

All snakes swallow prey whole and send it inside with their unusual lower jaw, which consists of two movable halves that are connected by elastic ligaments.

The snake eats by pulling the right half of the jaw on the prey, while the teeth of the left half hold it tightly, then the right half holds the prey, and the left pulls and so gradually the snake pushes its food down the throat.

What do snakes eat

And what do snakes eat? This also depends on the type.

Most snakes eat everything related to wildlife, i.e. various types of mammals, birds, eggs, insects and even representatives of their own class of reptiles. Aquatic snakes, like those that live near water, also eat fish and aquatic animals.

But there are also species that are only interested in one type of prey, and there are even snakes so promiscuous that they eat representatives of their own suborder or even their own species.

What do snakes drink

Since snakes are practically omnivorous, it is not difficult to figure out what the snake likes from food, the situation is more complicated with the fact that she drinks, since for a long time it was believed that snakes do not drink at all.

Absolutely all snakes, without exception, drink, they do it in different ways, someone takes the liquid in full sips, someone just wets their tongue, but they all need water. Snakes get most of the necessary moisture from the body of their victims, which is why they drink extremely rarely, especially those species that live in the desert, but if the snake is deprived of water, it may even die.

The opinion that snakes love milk is wrong. In the body of reptiles there is no enzyme that breaks down lactose, so milk is not absorbed by snakes and can cause stomach diseases and allergic reactions. The snake will drink milk, but only if it is very thirsty and there is nothing but milk, but in small quantities.

In conclusion, I would like to say that a well-fed snake is less dangerous, it tries to hide in some secluded corner and calmly digests its food.

Snakes occupy a special place among exotic animals, which have recently become popular to keep at home. Both poisonous and non-dangerous reptiles live at home. Next, let's talk about what such pets eat and whether their diet differs from the natural one.

The reptiles in question eat small animals. These reptiles that feed on plants do not exist - absolutely all of them are predators.

Their menu is very diverse and depends on the size and type - it can be both small insects and larger mammals. Some species eat absolutely everything they catch, and some are quite selective. The diet directly depends on the habitat.

Did you know?The oldest snake in the world- boa Popeye lived for almost forty-one years.

In wild nature

The diet of reptiles depends on preferences, habitat and size. It is difficult to list the prey that they can consume, so let's focus on the most common types of it.

Type of food	Note
Insects	Representatives of this class form the basis of the diet of many venomous and non-venomous small snakes. They also begin to feed on snake cubs. Some reptiles, such as blind snakes, can eat ants, termites
mammals	A reptile, if it feeds on mammals, can catch and eat any animal smaller than itself. The food chain begins with a small mouse and ends with an antelope. Snakes don't eat anything too thick or spiky, like hedgehogs.
Birds and their eggs	Those species of reptiles that, as a rule, have adapted to climb trees and hunt there, feast on birds. They also eat feathered eggs
Fish	Fish are also creatures that are eaten by reptiles. They feed on those species that live in or near water.
Amphibians	Many reptiles eat amphibians, which are abundant in their habitat. It can be frogs, salamanders, newts, worms
shellfish	The fat-headed snake, which is found in Asia and America, prefers to feast on snails and slugs. With the help of the lower jaw and teeth in the form of a hook, she removes the mollusk from the shell and eats it.
Other snakes	It is very unusual that some species of reptiles eat their own kind. For some, relatives are a "supplement" to the diet, while others, such as the Brazilian Mussurana, eat only them.

There have been cases when people were found in the stomachs of large snakes, such as pythons and boas. There are even photographs of these events. However, it cannot be said that these reptiles consider humans as potential prey: this is an exception to the rule.

What to feed at home

Feed your reptiles at home the same as they eat in the wild. As a rule, snakes are kept at home, which eat rodents, small birds, their eggs, amphibians and insects. There are few cases when large reptiles are kept, which, accordingly, feed on large mammals.
Reptiles are advised to give food either already inanimate or stunned: it can be fresh or frozen. The terrarium must have water.

Important!This reptilemilk should not be given: their body is not able to digest it, and disorder is possible.

The reptile does not chew its prey, but swallows it whole. The poisonous reptile before this injects poison, which, in addition to the function of killing, also helps the gastric juices to digest the victim. Some species also suffocate it, and some eat it without killing it at all.
The snake swallowing process is very interesting, since in many cases the food is larger than the hunter in size. The upper and lower jaws are very mobile, as they are freely attached to the bones of the skull. In addition, the latter consists of two halves and stretches. With the lower jaw, the reptile holds the prey tightly, and pushes it through the upper jaw.

Important!When feeding poisonous reptiles at home, it is imperative to follow safety precautions and, just in case, have an antidote on hand.

Once food enters the esophagus through the throat, its muscles begin to work, pushing it further into the stomach. It, in turn, contains very caustic juices that contribute to its digestion. This process may take several days. There are times when the snake still cannot push through the food, then it simply regurgitates it.