[SNAKES]

SNAKES: Snakes belong to the reptilian order squamata.  Absence of eyelids, external ear openings, and limbs distinguishes them from their relative, the lizard.  Snakes are carnivorous, with an acute sense of sight and smell.  ‘Serpentine’ (A method of progression by the lateral undulations of the body.) locomotion, ‘sensory pits’(A sense organ sensitive to heat radiation, thus assisting in locating and capturing of prey) and the ‘poison glands’(Modified salivary glands which secret poison, a mixture of cell dissolving proteins.  It’s a weapon for capturing prey, defense and as a digestive aid) are unique to snakes.

 BEHAVIOR:

1. HABITAT: Snakes inhabits paddy fields and open sandy areas to thick rain forests, ‘mangrove’( Plants adapted for living in inter-tidal zones.  They have a great tolerance for saline water) mountains and even seas.  They adapt to several environments in temperate and tropical regions.

2. UNIQUENESS: All snakes possess an acute sense of sight and smell.  Food is smelt by the flickering forked tongue end then relayed to a highly developed organ that inter parts this signal.  External ears are absent, and snakes can only hear vibrations, and carried through the ground.  Sensory pits, and poison glands are also highly developed in snakes.  Shedding of skin (sloughing) is also more prominent in snakes.

3. FOOD: All snakes are carnivorous, depending on the size of the snake and the prey available, frogs and rodents are the most favored.  The ‘King Cobra’ is unique in that it eats only snakes.  Sea snakes eat fish and burrowing snakes eat insects larvae and worms.

4. LOCOMOTION: Snakes have a unique locomotion, characteristic to the species.  This is known as serpentine locomotion, which is a method of progression through lateral undulations of the body.

 FAMILY:

1. BREEDING: Some snakes lay eggs, while others like the viper are ‘oviparous’(Egg laying animals. E.g. Birds) several species of egg laying snakes such as pythons, cobras and water snakes have been found to stay with the eggs until they hatch.  The female king cobra is the only snake in the world that birds a nest for its young.

2. OFFSPRING: Most snakes incubate their eggs.  The female usually coils herself even the eggs to accelerate their hatching.  Female king cobras even prepare a nest of leaves and vegetation.  Mating usually occurs during the winter, with the eggs being laid some 3-4 months later.  The eggs hatch about 6 weeks after being laid.  Flow ever, some snakes like the bamboo pit viper breed during the hot summer months.  

 FACTS:

1. ANCESTRY: Like all reptiles, snakes too are believed to have evolved from ‘amphibians’(Animals that can live on land as well as in water e.g. frogs and toads).  Their ‘serpentine locomotion’(A method of progression by the lateral undulations of the body) rendered their limbs useless.  However, many primitive snakes can still be seen with ‘vestigial’(Organs that have lost their functional ablating over evolutionary time.) hind limbs.

2. NUMBERS: About 238 species of snakes are found in India alone.  The country’s varied climatic conditions provide for ideal snake habitats.  Actual numbers in the wild however are difficult to estimate.  But indirect estimates can be calculated, based on the fact that 10,000 snake bite deaths occur every year.  And about 10 million snake bite deaths every year.  And about 10 million snake skins were traded before the ban in 1976.

3. PREDATORS: Any animal that is large enough or quick enough to escape a snakes venom and agility are considered natural predators.  The most common among them are raptors and the mongoose man is the only other (unnatural) predator, who hunts snakes for their skin, meat, and as a livelihood like south India’s ‘IRULA TRIBE.’  The effects of the skin trade can be seen in the widespread trafficking of snake skins, which has been banned since 1976.  as a result species such as the Indian rock python have become locally extinct.  However, illegal trade continues.

4. MYTHS: Several deities in Hindu Mythology are associated with snakes, such as ‘Seshnaag and Vasuki’. Rural folk lordship as well as fear snakes for their supernatural powers.  In India’s western state of Maharashtra, ‘Naag-Panchami’ is devoted to the worship of cobras.  This snake worship is celebrated as Jhampan in the eastern state of West Bengal.

 TYPES OF SNAKES:

1. PYTHON (Python molurus): The python is easy to identify, because of its large size and glossy grayish yellow skin adorned with large irregular patterns.  This giant snake can be 20 feet ling and weigh up to 90 kilos.  Usually sluggish, they have a peculian method of locomotion termed ‘rectilinear progression’ (body moves in a straight line, pushing forward with its ribs).  Two races, the Indian rock python and the reticulated python are common throughout India.  Eggs vary in number from 8-100 and are laid from March-June.  The eggs hatch about 58 days after being laid.  The oldest python recorded in captivity was 22 year old!

2. KING COBRA (Ophiophagus Hannah): The third largest snake in India, the king cobra is also one of the most courageous, poisonous and aggressive snakes.  Their hood is relatively less inflatable than that of the Indian Cobra.  The body is blackish brown with 32-43 lighter bands running throughout its entire length king cobra have a voracious appetite.  And their staple diet is snakes, poisonous as well as non-poisonous.  They usually eat the lizards and rats also.  Mating has been observed in March, with capulation that lasted for about an hour.  The eggs are laid 5-6 weeks after mating.  A maximum of 51 eggs have been recorded!

3. INDIAN COBRA (Naja naja): One of the most notorious and poisonous snakes found in India, the cobra’s most distinctive features is its hood.  There are three races mainly the spectacled cobra, the monocellate cobra, and the black cobra.  Cobra feed principally on rats, frogs and toads, but can also take in lizards and snakes including other cobras!  They have a weekness for ‘invertebrate’ (organism devoid of a backbone. E.g. earthworm, ants, cockroaches etc.) eggs.  Mating occur in January, and the eggs are laid in April-May.  The eggs between 12-22, hatch within 45 to 69 days.  Hatchlings have active ‘poison glands’(Modified salivary glands which secret poison, a mixture of cell dissolving proteins.  It’s a weapon for capturing prey, defense and as a digestive aid).

4. BAMBOO PIT VIPER (Trimersurus gramineus) all vipers give birth to live young which get hatched inside the mother’s belly.  They can be distinguished from all other groups of snakes by the presence of the loreal pit (Modified sensory pit present as a facial gland in vipers.  It is heat sensitive, enabling the snake to locate and capture its prey).  This beautiful, but poisonous snake has a glossy green back and yellowish white bottom.  It is usually sluggish during the day.  But when it is provoked anchors itself firmly by its ‘prehensile’(Organs other than limbs that can be used to grasp and climb) tail to branch and strikes with an open mouth.  It prefers hilly forests above 450 meters in southern India.  And has a weakness for bamboo forests.  It has 7 to 15 live young at a time.

5. RAT SNAKE or FASCIOLATED RATSNAKE (Argyrogena fasciolatus):    

 This harmless, olive-brown snake is beautifully.  Ornamented with black and white cross bars that gradually disappear along the mid body.  This can be plucky and aggressive if irritated but temperaments very.  It feeds on small mammals and amphibians.  It is found throughout India, although it is fairly common southwest India.  In Maharashtra’s konkan region, it is believed to be the female cobra.  Little is known about breeding habits.  And enacting possibly occurs in January with hatchings being born in July.

6. TREE SNAKE or COMMON INDIAN BRONZEBACK (Dendrelaphis tristis): This harmless snake prefers the tree tops to life on the ground.  It is perfectly camouflaged among the leaves because of its uniform ruddy brown skin.  This active snake is restless and a quick, both on the ground as well as in the trees.  It springs on its prey.  And feeds largely lizards and tree frogs.  It also occasionally raids birds.  Generally lively and plucky snake, its disposition varies from snake to snake.  It is found in southern India and the Himalayan foothills in south India this perfectly harmless snake is considered fatally poisonous.  This oviparous (Egg laying animal e.g. birds) snake lays its eggs between September-February.  The 6-7 eggs in a clutch (number of eggs laid at a time given time) hatch 4-6 weeks after laying.  And the gestation period is 4-6 months.

7. FLYING SNAKE or GOLDEN TREE SNAKE (Chryopelea Ornata): This beautiful and harmless black snake has narrow pale greenish-yellow cross bars.  It is acute during the day, and prefers trees.  But it is also frequently spotted in the grass and on low bushes.  It feeds largely on geckos and other lizards.  The 6-12 eggs are laid in May while hatchlings have been recorded in June.