Snakes

Razor snakes, also known as bladeback wormsnakes, have adaptations such as a sharp blade-like ridge along their backs that aids in burrowing through soil and a streamlined body shape for efficient movement underground. Their reduced eyesight is compensated by highly sensitive heat-sensing pits on their heads, allowing them to detect prey in the dark.

Poisonous asps are not a distinct species, but rather a misconception. Asps are a group of venomous snakes from the Viperidae family, including species like the Egyptian cobra and the puff adder. These snakes deliver venom through their fangs when they bite, which can be harmful or even deadly to humans.

Snakes were originaly large lizards. Have you ever seen large bumps on a ball python? If those bumps you've seen were near the back those were originaly their legs. -L.B.K. Snakes were originaly large lizards. Have you ever seen large bumps on a ball python? If those bumps you've seen were near the back those were originaly their legs. -L.B.K.

Always make sure they have a safe heat source, a cool spot, a place to go hide, and plenty of clean water.

Now, on to feeding... It depends on just how young it is. Start with mealworms when they are just hatched, supplementing with crickets as it grows. Teaching your baby to eat from your hand can be useful in feeding it small pieces of raw meat... stick with lean meats; chopped up rat is a good one. As they grow you can feed them live pinkies, as baby mice are called. You can buy mineral drops to add to their dinner.

Having a pet shop nearby is a necessity, unless you are lucky enough to be able to breed your own mice. Feed it as much as it wants once a week, or several small meals. If it doesn't eat in captivity within three weeks of capture, release it. Nature has designed it to be able to find crickets, spiders and all sorts of grubs and **never** release it during the winter. Most captive kept snakes will go into a type of shock. The temperature difference is too abrupt and what should have been a natural progression of storing body fat in preparation for hibernation... well, that never happened, and they are not properly prepared for it. Keeping a captive snake until late spring is the best time for release. And BTW, Most States don't allow for the native snake population to be depleted by making capturing them anything close to legal. Finding an injured snake and keeping it healthy while it heals is one thing... Taking a baby out of it's environment for no reason other than it is cute... That's just not a great idea.

But if it *is* hurt and won't eat within the three week period, don't despair, you can force feed it. Use a blunt ended pair of tweezers and gently pry the baby's mouth open from the side by lifting up on the top 'lip' making sure you don't injure it's teeth. Place the small chunk of wet meat or mealworm down it's throat just a bit and slowly draw the tweezers out. Ground turkey and chicken are also reasonable substitutes until you can get to the pet shop for those mealworms. You can gauge how big the piece of meat should be by keeping it as small around as the measurement between the snake's eyes. No Way is that gonna be too big. Force feed as much 'stuff' as equals twice the size of the baby's head, wait two days and see if it will eat a live mealworm. If it won't eat in a week, repeat this process. Sooner or later it WILL eat on it's own. One tip, if you are feeding it mealworms, pick them up with the tweezers... some snakes won't eat anything that smells like 'human'.

I found a foot-long black king snake on the side of the road with a three inch gash down it's side where it had been run over by a car. He was eating by himself within a month. He went back to the wild ten months later with nothing more than scars down his side. I still see him out in my garden from time to time... that was two years ago and he is three feet long now.

Good luck with your baby.

it started in Kenya

Yes snakes have two eyes, but they do not have eyelids. A spectacle, a transparent scale that is actually part of the skin, protects each eye. When a snake undergoes ecdysis (shedding if the skin), it sloughs this spectacle off along with its skin. Spectacles turn a light, semiopaque blue as the snake prepares to shed. Herpetologists call this condition "in the blue." This is normal, but snakekeepers who have never seen it happen before may mistake it for a problem. Immediately before the actual shed, spectacles again become clear. This means that the shed is imminent.

Yes, the red-bellied water moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti) is a venomous snake. It possesses potent venom that it uses to immobilize and digest its prey, which primarily consists of fish and frogs. If bitten, seek medical attention immediately.

Sanskrit for snake is "Surp"

My Black Racer eats frogs, worms, spiders, butterfly's, and all sorts of little dirt insects.

Hmmm a strange question that i havent actually heard (in 5 years working in reptile industry). fI the sock is clean, and washed regularly, then i cant see a problem to be honest. Make sure there are no loose threads that he might catch himself on though.

Yes, a common adder's venom can be fatal to humans if not treated promptly. However, the majority of bites result in mild symptoms, and deaths are rare if medical attention is sought promptly.

Common dangerous snakes are the venomous cobras and pit vipers. Both prey on mice and rats are therefore common around houses. Fatal accidents are, however, very rare. The most dangerous snake in the country, the King Cobra, is not found in Cebu.

Sea snakes are another matter. They are common in the seas around Cebu island, but no fatal accidents have been reported so far.

Odors that repel rats can be fresh or dried mint leaves, oils of mints (like peppermint), camphor and pitch pine.

Ferret poop. Really. Try the local pet store. Put the poop somewhere you know the rat likes to hang out or travel along. Will work every time.

No, the adder snake is not currently classified as endangered. However, they are protected in many areas due to declining populations and threats such as habitat loss and fragmentation. Conservation efforts are in place to monitor and protect adder populations.

Viper snakes have structural adaptations such as heat-sensitive pits near their eyes that help them detect prey, long hollow fangs for injecting venom, and a hinged pair of fangs that fold back when not in use. They also have highly flexible jaws that allow them to swallow large prey whole.

Carpet snakes, also known as diamond pythons, primarily eat small mammals such as rats, mice, and possums. They may also consume birds, lizards, and other small animals. Carpet snakes are constrictors, meaning they kill their prey by wrapping around them and squeezing.

The snake that makes a sound like castanets is the rattlesnake. It produces this noise by shaking its rattle, which is made of interlocking segments at the end of its tail.

It is difficult to provide an exact number of deaths caused by Puff Adder bites every year, as data may vary across regions. However, Puff Adders are responsible for a significant number of snakebite fatalities in Africa. Immediate medical attention is crucial in the event of a Puff Adder bite to minimize the risk of fatal outcomes.

Lime is not recommended for snakes as it can be harmful to them. The acidity of lime can irritate a snake's skin, eyes, and respiratory system. It's best to avoid using lime in snake habitats or for cleaning purposes.

I have personally had my California kingsnake for the past 15 years and the person I had bought it from sold it because it was fully grown and "getting too big for him" though as a kingsnake it doesn't get too big as it is....... Near as I can tell, my California kingsnake may be at least 18-20 years old as of right now! 06/09/2009

Mangrove snakes (Bioga dendrophila spp) have a neurotoxic venom. The venom is not generally thought to be of medical significance in human envenomations although is capable of causing swelling, bruising and significant pain to the victim.

The primary purpose of the snake's venom is to take birds as prey. The venom of the mangrove snake is made to target birds and is quite disabling for the avain prey.

Scientists are looking at this venom's application for biomedical applications.

Doug Hotle

Curator of Herpetology

Natural Toxins research Center

Texas A&M University-Kingsville

All reptiles rely on the sun or very hot and humid climates in order to control their body temperature. However, there are some snakes who are amphibians, meaning they lurk in dry or wet areas; sea snakes, for example.

Kirtland's snakes are typically preyed upon by various predators including birds of prey such as hawks and owls, as well as larger snakes and mammals like raccoons and foxes. Juvenile snakes are more vulnerable to predation due to their smaller size.

My understanding of this process is that a snake will shed it's skin when it grows to the point the skin stretches beyond it's limits and is replaced by a new skin that accompanies the new size of the reptile. The frequency of the shedding process is directly linked to the feeding amount done by the snakes owner. Snakes are typically feed every 7 to 10 days but can be feed more to provide "power feeding" and therefore causing the snake to grow more rapidly. Keeping the snakes enclosure humid will help the skinning process as will placing a rough rock or item within the enclosure for the reptile to rub against. Usually the first indication of a snake that is about to shed is what is called eye caps appearing. The eyes will get a dull film look to them and does hamper the snakes vision. Snakes are more apt to strike an owner (on purpose or even accidently) during the eye cap phase due to his inability to properly see and it's nervousness resulting there of.
It varies ! Young snakes will shed more frequently than older ones, as they do most of their growing in the first five years. As they get older, they don't grow as fast so they don't need to shed as often.
When they grow out of it, snakes shed their skin to enable them to grow