Tiger already. Tiger already - a description of where it lives, features An excerpt characterizing the Tiger already

The tiger already has some distinctive features associated with protection from predators. The reptile on the back of the neck has glands with a special secret that allow the snake to defend itself from attack. When a predator goes on the attack, the snake deliberately lowers its head so that the enemy bites precisely for these glands. The secret falls into the animal's mouth, forcing the snake to let go. Such a unique feature makes the individuals of the discussed group the most courageous of their kind. But let's talk about everything in more detail.

Description

1. Sexual characteristics are distinctive, that is, females stand out for their overall characteristics. Individuals of male gender are slightly smaller. There are snakes that grow up to 3.5 meters in length. They are slender in body format, elongated and not too thick. The head is medium, protected by paired shields on both sides.
2. The pupils are round, but may be oval or cleft. The tail is not too long, it is inferior to the body by 3-5 times. The shape of the tail is different, starting with a steep, ending with a sharp or rounded one. The body is covered with scales, which can stand out or smooth out, it all depends on the particular individual.
3. The upper part of the body does not have a color characteristic of absolutely all snakes. Usually pigmentation varies between greenish and brownish tones. Snakes can be olive, emerald, gray with an ash sheen, as well as dark gray and brown-red. There are reddish individuals and pure black. The final coloring can be variegated or solid with or without spots.
4. The ventral section is pigmented with white, more dirty than clean and solid. Spots or oblong stripes can be seen in this area, located in the middle and going all the way to the tail. The number of teeth is ambiguous, and there is no single size and format. The teeth are mostly small and sharp.
5. Due to the fact that this species is studied quite carefully, experts were able to establish that there are compacted and large teeth on several sides. Also, when the snake swallows food, these same teeth are bent, that is, they are mobile against the background of the rest of the motionless row.
6. The teeth increase from the middle of the jaw to its depth. Closer to the throat are the largest specimens. In some individuals, they are located separately from the rest. The tongue is forked, as, indeed, in all reptiles of this kind.

Human danger

1. Snakes in all their diversity do not harm a person. They do not have the ability to attack, mostly snakes try to avoid people or defend themselves when they approach. Often, individuals do not even know how to bite, they only grab and immediately release.
2. When an individual of the species under discussion sees an approaching threat, it tries to hide out of sight. If such a maneuver failed, the reptile behaves quietly and does not move. He can hiss, jump out in a lunge and do a stance, but this is all feigned.
3. If a person tries to get closer, the snake will still bite, but it will do it weakly, without much damage. In the worst case, barely noticeable scratches will remain. Again, this genus of snakes is relatively calm, it will not attack without warning in the form of a hiss.
4. The main means of protection is the liquid ejected from the cloaca, which smells very unpleasant. If a person managed to catch a snake, he will eventually stop resisting, completely relax and open his mouth. The tongue will fall out, and the snake itself will look like a rope.

habitats

1. It is worth noting the surprising fact that the individuals in question are distributed almost throughout Europe and up to the Arctic Circle. Such snakes live in different parts of Africa, except for the most arid regions and deserts. It is also not uncommon in Central and North America. Snakes are also found in Cuba.
2. Reptiles are common in Asia, Australia, South America and various islands. Where such individuals do not occur, they are replaced by a very close genus of cross-eyed snakes. As for the Russian Federation, such snakes mainly inhabit the entire European part.
3. In general, individuals live in places where water and sufficient humidity are present. Much also depends on the type of reptile. Snakes can be found in mountains, steppes, floodplains, near the sea, ponds, lakes in swamps and similar wet places.
4. There are quite a lot of snakes that live in arid and sandy places where moisture and water are practically absent. Often, individuals prefer to be active during the daytime. During the day they bask in the sun, in the morning and in the evening they go hunting.
5. It is worth noting that such snakes excellently climb trees. They can move among the branches without any problems. Snakes spend a lot of time in the water. They love to swim and dive. With all this, snakes can stay in the water for a long time and sometimes hunt in such an environment.
6. Often, reptiles swim along the coast without getting out onto land. However, there are frequent cases when such snakes were noticed several kilometers from the coast in lakes and seas. While swimming, individuals raise their heads above the water. Such snakes swim well under water and can spend a long time at the bottom.
7. Some species of snakes belong to the species of burrowing reptiles. Most often, such snakes live in the forest litter. In case of danger, they hide under stones. Individuals living in arid regions most often burrow into sand and loose soil, raking it on themselves. At night, most snakes prefer to hide in their homes.

Tiger snakes are not much different from ordinary ones. The individuals in question have a beautiful appearance and are widely distributed throughout the world. They lead a normal life. They hunt during the day and hide in burrows at night.

Video: tiger snake (Rhabdophis tigrinus)

Long-toothed snakes (Rhabdophis) are snakes from a modest species diversity of the genus of bright, colorful and extremely interesting reptiles in the content, the distribution area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich is the mainland zone of Southeast Asia and adjacent islands. The genus includes about 23-25 ​​species, four of which are found in the Philippines, two inhabit the floodplain forests and lowlands of Sri Lanka and India, four species live in Malaysia

The rest are more widely distributed, but only one species of long-toothed snakes - the brindle snake - reaches the northern border of its distribution zone within Russia. This beautiful and very interesting in content and behavior representative of the family will be discussed in this article.


The tiger snake is a slender snake, reaching more than a meter in length, there were specimens up to one hundred and thirty centimeters long. The external structure of the head and body is similar to real snakes. Under the skin of the back, behind the head, she has from 10 to 19 pairs of nucho-dorsal glands, visible from the outside by small ridges on the skin.

Scales with pronounced longitudinal ribs. The eyes are large, the pupil is round. In the mouth, the last two maxillary teeth are greatly enlarged, bent back and separated from the rest of the teeth by a clear gap.

Of the total number of the snake tribe, the tiger snake is one of the most beautiful, and, of course, the most elegant of the species of snakes found in Russia. In terms of beauty and habits, only Dinodons living in the neighborhood and, perhaps, leopard snakes that are not very closely related, can argue with him. In nature, snakes are most often found with a color of dark green, dark olive, light brown; on this background there are usually distinct black transverse stripes, sometimes divided into transverse dorsal and lateral spots.

In the anterior part of the body, between the stripes, the edges of the scales are bright red or orange-red. These orange and red spots only appear in adults. There are two bright black spots on the sides of the head: one is located in the temporal region, the other, triangular, connects the lower edge of the eye with the upper jaw. In fairness, it should be noted that sometimes, one might even say rarely, and mostly this is a lucky coincidence, snakes with a blue (blue) or black color come across, but this is a very pleasant exception for the one who found such a snake.

Tiger snakes are widespread in Korea, East China and the Japanese islands. In Russia, the habitat is limited only to the Far East region - Primorye and the south of the Khabarovsk Territory. Here the snake is found in places with a constant level of humidity, preferring to stay near water bodies, in swamps or in damp lowlands with dense vegetation. Away from water bodies, it settles in mixed and deciduous forests, as well as in meadows. In such places, the species is quite numerous; you can meet up to fifty copies on a site of one square kilometer. For the winter, it goes into short-term hibernation, hiding in rodent burrows, in small crevices, under stones, snags, fallen trees, or in vast underground chambers that serve for the collective wintering of Far Eastern snakes.

When meeting with a man, the tiger tries to crawl away quickly, but if this fails and the snake feels danger, it vertically raises the front of the body, while its neck becomes flat, like a cobra unfolding its hood. The defender is already hissing and lunging towards the enemy. Nukho-dorsal glands secrete a caustic secret, which, falling into the mouth of a predator that inadvertently grabbed a tiger snake, makes it immediately release the prey.

On occasion, the tiger can bite the enemy himself. Its saliva is poisonous, but the short teeth usually do not bite through a person's body deeply enough for the poison to enter the bloodstream.

However, if the snake succeeds in inflicting a bite with long back teeth located deep, severe poisoning can occur, accompanied by the same symptoms as with a viper bite. This family of snakes does not have true, that is, phylogenetically descended from the upper jaw, poisonous glands, and in the process of evolution they had Duvernoy's gland, which anatomically developed from the salivary gland. The secret of this gland also has a poisonous effect, but less pronounced than in other types of snakes.

1. The snake belongs to the family of long-toothed snakes, which have toxic saliva and two enlarged teeth hidden in the depths of the mouth; when bitten, there may be poisoning of the body, similar to the action of viper venom.

2. This snake is similar in its biology and conditions to real snakes, only the temperature of its content should be slightly higher (28-30 ° C). Like the common grass snake, the brindle snake breeds easily in captivity, although wintering is desirable, but not required.

Depending on the duration and timing of wintering, mating dates can be shifted to any months of the year, but usually this is February-March. The duration of pregnancy is 48 days. The second clutch from snakes can be obtained in June-July. The number of eggs in clutches ranges from 8 to 22, their dimensions are usually 27-35 mm x 16-20 mm, with a weight of about 20 g. The duration of incubation of eggs at a temperature of 27-30 ° C and 90% humidity is 34-38 days . The young hatch with a body length of 150-200 mm. Their first molt takes place a week after birth. The young grow quickly and at the age of one year they begin to show signs of sexual activity, and at 18 months they become sexually mature.

Like the common snake, the tiger is a real "frog-eater", it feeds mainly on black-spotted and Far Eastern frogs, as well as toads and other tailless amphibians. However, it can also eat fish.

Snakes should be fed separately, since when they are kept together, there are quite often cases of "fights" for a food object, and since snakes overtake and grab prey in a quick throw, it may well happen that, together with a frog, a more hungry tiger will already begin to swallow and their compatriots.

Grabbing a toad, a frog, or catching another small animal, it already begins, as it were, to chew on the part of the victim’s body captured in the mouth, trying to put its enlarged poisonous teeth into action. Tiger snakes are rather gluttonous snakes, so when feeding them, the “golden rule” is best suited: it is better to underfeed than overfeed, especially since in nature, unlike terrarium content, the snake does not complete its every hunt successfully.

Therefore, it is quite advisable for a pet to follow a kind of diet: during the period of intensive growth of snakes, up to about six months, they should be fed more often - 2-3 times a week, after seven months, two to three feedings per month are enough, while it is advisable to give along with feed vitamin preparations and calcium supplements, a wide selection of which is presented in pet stores. TETRA vitamins and mineral supplements have proven themselves very well, which include a complete balanced complex of substances and minerals necessary for the animal's body.

The tiger snake is a medium-sized snake, quite unpretentious in keeping, therefore, when kept, it may well be content with a horizontal type of medium-sized terrarium, it is advisable to arrange several secluded shelters, be sure to have a small pool and several branches for climbing. Plants are desirable, but not required, in order to avoid breakage of stems or leaves, it is best to use plant species with strong stems and leaves, or creeping species - mosses, tradescantia, philodendrons, bromeliads.

It is very good for a decorative design to plant a part of the pool with aquatic plants - salvinia, riccia, and some other floating species. In general, the arrangement of a terrarium for your pet, its interior design is a matter of the owner’s taste, but at the same time, one should not forget that the main thing is the combination of beauty in design and comfortable living of the animal, since “we are responsible for those who have tamed.”

Tiger already - "conditionally poisonous" snake

Tiger already belongs to the group of "conditionally poisonous" snakes, that is, his poisonous teeth are located not in front, but deep in his mouth. Unlike many other poisonous snakes (vipers, muzzles, etc.), the poisonous teeth of a tiger snake are located behind, at the posterior edges of the upper jaw and are separated from others by a toothless gap.

Therefore, the bite with these teeth is not always applied even in the case of successful throws at the enemy. Since the teeth are located deep in the mouth on the posterior edge of the maxillary bone, the brindle snake can only bite the victim in the mouth. All this must be taken into account by terrariumists. As a rule, snakes feed on lizards and frogs, injecting poison into them in the process of swallowing. Although tiger snakes do not pose a direct danger to humans, since only the front non-venomous teeth are used in a normal bite, if a bite with poisonous teeth does occur, typical snake venom poisoning occurs, sometimes fatal.

For a long time, this snake in Russia was considered, and even now it is considered non-poisonous, since the snake is exceptionally calm and friendly, even during feeding, having entered the hunting passion, it perfectly sees and understands what can be eaten and what cannot, and does not try to attack the hand person.

However, it should be noted that Japan has long been keeping statistics of poisoning with its poison, and deaths are known, therefore, when keeping a tiger snake in an apartment, you should still not forget that this is some kind of, but still a snake with its own complexes and reflexes laid down by nature. Therefore, do not try to train her, but accept her for who she is, and she will give you many pleasant moments to rest and relax after a busy day at work.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Description

Appearance

A snake with a bright color - the upper side of the body is green with a dark stripe. On the neck and in the front of the body, the green color is replaced by red-orange, which resembles the color tiger. Body length - up to 110 cm.

Distribution and habitat

Distributed in the Far East of Russia, as well as in neighboring countries. Inhabits damp biotopes, near water bodies, both in forests and outside them.

Behavior

Defensively, the brindle already assumes a characteristic pose: it raises the front part of the body almost vertically, hisses, and makes attacks towards the enemy. From the nucho-dorsal glands located on the upper side of the neck, a caustic secret is secreted, which forces the predator that has grabbed the tiger snake to immediately release it. This secret contains polyhydroxylated steroids, similar in structure to cardiotonic bufodienolides from toad venom.

Nutrition

Tiger already and man

Bite poisoning

There is a known case when a 50-year-old man bitten by a tiger snake was poisoned. Symptoms: bleeding from the wound, thrombocytopenia, increase prothrombin time , hypofibrinogenemia. Treatment for a bite of a tiger snake - symptomatic.

kept under the same conditions as real snakes, only at a slightly higher temperature (28-30 °C). Easily breed in captivity, giving up to two clutches per year. Artificial wintering is desirable to stimulate reproduction.

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Literature

• Kudryavtsev S. V. Frolov V. E. Korolev A. V. Terrarium and its inhabitants. - M .: Timber industry, 1991. - S. 319-322.
• Orlov B. N. Gelashvili D. B. Ibragimov A. K. Poisonous animals and plants of the USSR - M .: Higher school, 1990. - S. 122. - ISBN 5-06-001027-9

Notes

Links

• The Reptile Database:

An excerpt characterizing the Tiger already

- We will spend the night in Znaim.
“And so I packed everything I needed for myself on two horses,” said Nesvitsky, “and they made excellent packs for me. Though through the Bohemian mountains to escape. Bad, brother. What are you, really unwell, why are you trembling so? Nesvitsky asked, noticing how Prince Andrei twitched, as if from touching a Leyden jar.
“Nothing,” answered Prince Andrei.
At that moment he remembered his recent encounter with the doctor's wife and the Furshtat officer.
What is the Commander-in-Chief doing here? - he asked.
“I don’t understand anything,” said Nesvitsky.
“I only understand that everything is vile, vile and vile,” said Prince Andrei and went to the house where the commander-in-chief was standing.
Passing by Kutuzov's carriage, the tortured riding horses of the retinue, and the Cossacks, who were talking loudly among themselves, Prince Andrei entered the passage. Kutuzov himself, as Prince Andrei was told, was in the hut with Prince Bagration and Weyrother. Weyrother was the Austrian general who replaced the slain Schmitt. In the passage little Kozlovsky was squatting in front of the clerk. The clerk, on an inverted tub, turned up the cuffs of his uniform, hastily wrote. Kozlovsky's face was exhausted - he, apparently, also did not sleep the night. He glanced at Prince Andrei and did not even nod his head at him.
- The second line ... Did you write? - he continued, dictating to the clerk, - Kyiv grenadier, Podolsky ...
“You won’t be in time, your honor,” the clerk answered irreverently and angrily, looking back at Kozlovsky.
At that time, Kutuzov's animatedly dissatisfied voice was heard from behind the door, interrupted by another, unfamiliar voice. By the sound of these voices, by the inattention with which Kozlovsky looked at him, by the irreverence of the exhausted clerk, by the fact that the clerk and Kozlovsky were sitting so close to the commander-in-chief on the floor near the tub, and by the fact that the Cossacks holding the horses laughed loudly under by the window of the house - for all this, Prince Andrei felt that something important and unfortunate was about to happen.
Prince Andrei urged Kozlovsky with questions.
“Now, prince,” said Kozlovsky. - Disposition to Bagration.
What about surrender?
- There is none; orders for battle were made.
Prince Andrei went to the door, through which voices were heard. But just as he was about to open the door, the voices in the room fell silent, the door opened of its own accord, and Kutuzov, with his aquiline nose on his plump face, appeared on the threshold.
Prince Andrei stood directly opposite Kutuzov; but from the expression of the commander-in-chief's only sighted eye, it was clear that thought and care occupied him so much that it seemed as if his vision was obscured. He looked directly at the face of his adjutant and did not recognize him.
- Well, are you finished? he turned to Kozlovsky.
“Just a second, Your Excellency.
Bagration, short, with an oriental type of hard and motionless face, dry, not yet an old man, followed the commander-in-chief.
“I have the honor to appear,” Prince Andrei repeated rather loudly, handing the envelope.
“Ah, from Vienna?” Good. After, after!
Kutuzov went out with Bagration to the porch.
“Well, good-bye, prince,” he said to Bagration. “Christ is with you. I bless you for a great achievement.
Kutuzov's face suddenly softened, and tears appeared in his eyes. He pulled Bagration to himself with his left hand, and with his right hand, on which there was a ring, he apparently crossed him with a habitual gesture and offered him a plump cheek, instead of which Bagration kissed him on the neck.
- Christ is with you! Kutuzov repeated and went up to the carriage. “Sit down with me,” he said to Bolkonsky.
“Your Excellency, I would like to be of service here. Let me stay in the detachment of Prince Bagration.
“Sit down,” said Kutuzov and, noticing that Bolkonsky was slowing down, “I myself need good officers, I myself need them.
They got into the carriage and drove in silence for several minutes.

According to the structure of the skull and the location of the poisonous teeth, the tiger already belongs to the posteriorly furrowed snakes, just the large teeth are located in the depths of the oral cavity.

External signs of a tiger snake

In terms of body structure, it is similar to an ordinary snake and reaches a length of 1 meter. In the back of the head, under the skin, 10-19 pairs of nucho-dorsal glands are visible, hidden under a small skin roller.

The scales are covered with longitudinal ribs, which are clearly defined. Large eyes with a round pupil. The last two teeth in the upper jaw are large, curved backwards, and are separated from the rest of the teeth by a small gap. The coloration of the skin of a tiger snake is distinguished by its variegated shades.

This is one of the most beautiful reptiles from the collection of Russian herpetofauna. The upperparts are bright green, sometimes dark green or dark olive, fading to light brown or almost black. On the main background, black stripes are located across, which are divided into lateral and dorsal spots. The edges of the scales, located in front of the body, are colored intensely - red or orange-red. This feature of the skin is characteristic only for adults. The head on the sides is decorated with 2 noticeable black spots. The first is at the temple, and the second is in the shape of a triangle, stretching through the lower edge of the eye to the very upper jaw.

The spread of the tiger snake

Already tiger in Russia lives only in the Khabarovsk Territory and Primorye. It is found in Eastern China, on the islands of Japan, lives in Korea.

Habitats of the tiger snake

Already tiger adheres to wet habitats. Selects areas in proximity to swamps, ponds, wet lowlands with a dense grassy cover. In the absence of water bodies, it inhabits deciduous and mixed forests, as well as wet meadows. In such areas, this species of reptiles is quite numerous and widespread; on a permanent 3 km route, up to 44 individuals come across.

Tiger snake food

The basis of the diet of the tiger snake is amphibians: toads and frogs, sometimes fish.

Features of the behavior of a tiger snake

Tiger snakes hibernate in abandoned burrows of mouse-like rodents or in hollows underground, forming clusters of several hundred snakes.

They react to danger by vertically raising the upper body. This defensive, flat-necked posture is similar to that of a cobra opening its hood.

In addition, tiger snakes make body throws towards the enemy, accompanying these body movements with a loud hiss. The caustic substance produced by the nucho-dorsal glands irritates the predator's oral cavity, and he immediately leaves his prey. However, tiger snakes are not so harmless snakes and can inflict bites themselves, but short teeth usually do not stick too deeply, the poison does not get into the blood. Back-furrowed snakes seem to chew on the victim. But if the skin is scratched by long back teeth hidden deep in the oral cavity, the poison enters the bloodstream and causes severe poisoning of the body.

Keeping a tiger snake in a terrarium

The conditions for breeding tiger snakes in captivity are the same, as are the features of breeding common snakes. The temperature in the terrarium is maintained within 28-30 degrees. Reptiles breed well in captivity, possibly without wintering, although experts recommend not disturbing the natural cycle in snakes. Mating usually occurs in February or March, but may occur later if wintering is prolonged.

After 48 days, the female lays 8-22 eggs, they differ in size 2.7-3.5 X 1.6-2.0 mm and weigh twenty grams. Embryos in eggs develop at a temperature of 27-30 degrees and ninety percent humidity. The incubation period is 34-38 days. Young snakes have a body length of 15-20 cm. A week after birth, the supper offspring molt. Growth in young snakes is fast, and at the age of one and a half years they are able to produce offspring.

Poisonous properties of tiger snake

Tiger snakes do not have real, that is, glands with poison developed from the upper jaw. And the poisonous properties of reptiles are determined by Duvernoy's gland, into which the salivary gland has turned.

But, despite the obvious difference, the poisonous secret has not lost its properties. Although the strength of the poison is less pronounced than that of other poisonous reptiles: muzzle, cobras, vipers. Therefore, the tiger snake is called a "conditionally poisonous" snake, meaning that it has poisonous teeth hidden deep inside the mouth.