Interesting Reptile Facts

If you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more about this subject, be sure to check out the informational resources listed below.

When people think of the desert, they typically think of only the rattlesnake as being present there. In reality, there are a number of snakes that are capable of inflicting harm that live in the desert. They come in various shapes and sizes but all are capable of doing damage if not to an adult then at least to children.

The first type of snake is also the most commonly thought of. The western diamondback rattlesnake is the most famous type of rattlesnake but there are many others that exist. These are the most well known and have earned a lot of respect, with good reason. These snakes are extremely venomous and are also known for being easily annoyed. If one is seen, it is better to just leave it alone and go away.

Another venomous snake found in Arizona is the coral snake. These snakes have venom that is extremely potent; however, due to their small size, adults would have to sustain a prolonged encounter with many bites in order to be affected. The same is not true for children. Children playing outdoors are frequently attracted to the snake’s pretty colors. They then pick it up, which the snake doesn’t like, and get bitten. If a child is bitten by a coral snake, that child needs medical attention immediately. Coral snakes are between 12 inches and 20 inches in length and have alternating bands of red, yellow, and black. To remember which tri-colored snake is safe, just remember “if red touches yellow, it can harm a fellow; if red touches black, it’s okay for Jack.”

The Arizona Mountain Kingsnake is one of a variety of tri-colored snakes that is meant to resemble the coral snake. In this snake, the bands are the same color as the coral snake but the red and yellow portions are always separated by bands of black. Because these snakes are non-venomous, “if red touches black, it’s okay for Jack.” While memory devices are great, if a person can’t remember which is ok and which isn’t, the best safety lies in caution. Stay away from the snake and it can’t possibly hurt you.

The Common Kingsnake, a black and white snake without red or yellow bands, is another snake common to the desert, mountains, and shrublands. These snakes are active during the majority of the year. They are not venomous but rather kill their dinner through constriction. Their diet typically includes lizards, rodents, birds, and other snakes. They can kill venomous snakes because they are immune.

The gopher snake is one of the largest snakes in the Arizona range. They can reach a length of up to 8 feet. Gopher snakes are active in the cooler months during the day and in the warmer months at night. These guys get their name because of their tendency to eat rodents, which is a good thing. When they are not hunting, they will hide under rocks or in animal burrows.

The majority of the other snakes in the desert are harmless. If you don’t know if a snake is harmless or harmful, just stay away. For more information on caring for your desert pet, please visit http://www.phoenixveterinarianclinics.com.

Joseph Devine Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Devine

]]> http://sensationalserpents.com/snakes-of-the-desert/feed/ 0 http://sensationalserpents.com/how-do-snakes-move/ http://sensationalserpents.com/how-do-snakes-move/#comments Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:29:21 +0000 jcbiggar1 http://sensationalserpents.com/?p=736

Snakes do not have limbs. They are just elongated structures. How do they move? Do you know that some snakes can move faster than a human? Did you know that snakes are found everywhere in the world except Anartica? They are found in forests, gardens, rocky areas, deserts, water, islands and everywhere you an imagine! Snakes use their bodies in a special way to get to where they need to. Their senses are specially equipped for the quick actions they need to take to survive.

There are three ways in which snakes use their bodies for locomotion -

Lateral Undulation-
Snakes use this method for motion in water and some snakes use method for movement on land too. In this method, the body of the snake flexes to the left and to the right, resulting in a series of rearward-moving ‘waves’.

Sidewinding-
This method is used mainly by colubroid snakes like the viper. This method of movement is used by snakes when there is no terrestrial imperfection for the snake to push against like a desert region. Sidewinding is a modified form of lateral undulation in which the snake moves the body segments oriented in one direction remain in contact with the ground, while the other segments are lifted up, resulting in a peculiar ‘rolling’ motion.

Rectilinear Locomotion-
This is the slowest method by which snakes move. In this method, snakes lift the scales and move them forward by pulling the body along with the scales. This method is used by pythons, boas and vipers.

Find out more about snakes at Snakes

As summer approaches, grandmothers break out the old ice-cream churn, families gather to celebrate the warm weather, and children run around barefooted in the soft grass. As cookouts and camp-outs commence and the merriment of the warm season continues, many unsuspecting family members are unaware that uninvited guests are approaching from all sides.

Imagine a nice summer camp-out in your backyard. Suddenly, you realize you are not alone in your sleeping bag. Your foot touches something. That something moves! You realize that you are stuck in a sleeping bag with an unidentified serpent! As summer approaches, many different varieties of snakes are out and about, looking for food, water, shelter, and mates.

If you should encounter a snake in or around your home, it is best to leave it alone. Many venomous snakes can easily be confused with non-venomous snakes and it is never a good idea to assume. The presence of snakes might indicate that there are rodents in the area, as many snakes do feed on rodents. Some snakes, however, are insectivores and an insect problem can attract them just as easily.

One South Carolina woman noticed sounds of water flowing coming from her toilet when no one was there. As it was not likely some sort of haunting, the woman went to investigate. As she lifted the lid of her toilet tank to examine the nature of the problem, she was greeted by Pantherophis alleghaniensis, the Eastern Rat Snake, coiled around the inner workings of the toilet tank!

Incidents similar to the one above commonly occur throughout the United States, primarily in the Southern States. If you have encountered a snake or feel that you might have snakes on your property, it is best to contact professionals. If you want to know more about snakes or want professional help with your snake problem, go to: http://www.TrutechInc.com

Trutech Inc. http://www.TrutechInc.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J._Hubbell

]]> http://sensationalserpents.com/slithering-into-summer/feed/ 0 http://sensationalserpents.com/diamondback-rattlesnake-eating-mouse/ http://sensationalserpents.com/diamondback-rattlesnake-eating-mouse/#comments Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:03:36 +0000 jcbiggar1 http://sensationalserpents.com/?p=713

If you happen to come across a snake in your house or garden the first thing to do is to resist the urge to attack it with a broom or stick or any other form of stick for that matter. Snakes can jump quite high and strike you just as well as if they were on the ground. Sometimes if the snake is in the house they may be on a slippery floor surface that reduces it’s ability to move efficiently. If this is the case the best thing to do is to place a heavy object like a big book on top of it. This will limit it’s ability to move still further. Be careful though. Use the book as a shield in approaching the snake.

Please note that I do not advocate killing snakes if you have any way of calling a trained expert to remove it. Snakes are a necessary part of the environment and play a vital role in controlling certain species. Only if you have no other option available to you should you consider killing it.

It is always a very advisable to find out about distinguishing non venomous snakes from the venomous ones in your area so that you don’t kill the non venomous ones by mistake. It is of the utmost importance not to kill non venomous snakes because they actually control the population of venomous snakes by actively preying on them.

If you have decided that there is no alternative other than to kill the venomous snake the next thing to do is to either chop it in two with a long handled, broad bladed garden hoe. I still say it’s best to call the PDSA and get them to send an expert out to collect the snake if at all possible. Usually they will catch it and release it somewhere far away from human habitat.

If the Snake is found in a drawer or somewhere difficult to access leave it alone, move all family members away from the immediate area and most of all do not attempt to interact with it at all. Call the PDSA, or RSPCA, and get them to collect it. If they do not have a snake catcher they will contact a trusted professional snake catcher.

If you come across a venomous snake in the garden the first thing to do is to get everyone away from it. If you actually do need to kill it, do this with a long handled, broad edged hoe simply chopping the snake in half as previously stated. Other tactics include spraying it from a distance with a high pressure hose or opening the garden sprinklers. This will have the effect of ‘persuading’ the snake to leave the area.

The thing to do after that is to find out why the snake came to your area. Do you keep rodents or birds? Are there birds nesting in your garden or in the eves of your house? Do you have a rodent problem on the house or garden. Note that in places like the USA this can be problematic because animals like chipmunks and squirrels are everywhere. Snakes, however, like mice and rats and other small rodents. Again in places like the USA, where buildings are mainly made out of timber, rodents often find easy shelter in the space between the outside and inside walls. If you hear scratchings or find evidence of mouse trails in your kitchen, get an expert to solve the problem. Remember, No mice, No snakes.

A mouse can get through a hole the width of a pencil with no problem at all. Make sure there are no holes in your walls. Fill them immediately. High pitched sound devices are now becoming a popular way to discourage vermin from entering our home. Evidence shows that there is some proof to this claim. Having one installed can be a good idea. Remember snakes always follow their food source.

Snakes do not take any active interest in humans and all contact between them and us in merely coincidental. The threat of snake bite is quite remote exactly for this reason. If, however, somebody in your vicinity is bitten it is important to establish the following procedure; move the person to a safe place and keep them calm. Establish what kind of snake bit the person. If you can safely kill it for identification, do so. If not, make a mental note of it’s markings. Call the emergency services to evacuate the wounded person or evacuate them yourself if they are not critically ill. Meeting the ambulance on the way is another good option. Keep calm and keep the patient calm.

The first thing to know about snakes is that any non-venomous snake will only bite you for 3 reasons. First, if you smell like food. If you have recently handled a warm-blooded animal, such as mice, guinea pigs, even cats, the snake may smell that on you and mistake you for something edible. Second, if the snake feels you are a predator that is trying to harm it. Especially when reaching down towards a snake, the snake can misinterpret you for something trying to eat it. Thirdly, and the most likely reason non-venomous snakes bite, is simply because they are afraid. When given the choice between biting at you (the 5-6 foot tall giant that just stepped into it’s territory) or running away as fast as it can possibly slither…it will choose running away every time. If the snake however, feels cornered, or for whatever reason unable to hide, it will strike out at you, more as a warning to leave it alone than to actually do any damage.

Non-venomous snakes are usually very safe to handle, especially pet snakes or snakes that are used to being handled. Even most species of wild snakes that are non-venomous are perfectly able to be handled without fear of bites (the exception being water snakes and other naturally aggressive species). If you do try to handle a snake, be sure to move slowly, and edge your hand under the belly of the snake near the tail area. If you move suddenly, or from the top, it may mistake you for a predator. Once you have actually lifted the snake and are holding it, do not hold it by the tail, rather support it’s body loosely with your hands (keep a loose but firm grip, if you squeeze too hard it will likely injure the snake), and let the snake explore it’s way around your hands and arms. If the snake seems agitated, or goes into a strike position, it is best to slowly, but gently put the snake back.

You will find that snakes are not slimy, nor nasty in any way. However if they get frightened, they may defecate on you as a way of showing fear. If this happens, be sure to wash the area thoroughly with soap and hot water, as snakes do carry salmonella bacteria in their feces. You must also remember that snakes, while being beautiful and interesting to watch, simply aren’t the brightest creatures in the world, and have about the same thinking power as your average goldfish. Remember when you are holding a snake that it likely sees you as a very odd tree, and does not recognize you as a human being. Snakes react by instinct rather than thought, and as long as you keep this in mind, being around snakes is very easy to do as well as being interesting.

So how do you tell venomous and non-venomous snakes apart? There are several ways to tell, although some species of non-venomous snakes have adapted to be able to look like venomous snakes when they are afraid. If you are ever even slightly in doubt, leave the snake alone! As a general rule, venomous snakes have diamond or triangle shaped heads, instead of rounded heads that most non-venomous snakes have. Also, their eyes are elliptical like a cat’s eye instead of being round as well. Pit vipers have a telltale pit between the eye and the mouth. The pit, a heat-sensing organ, makes it possible for the snake to accurately strike a warm-blooded victim, even if the snake cannot see the victim. Of course rattlesnakes usually rattle, but this is not always the case. Some species of rattlesnakes have evolved without a rattle!

So now that you know more about snake behaviors and facts, I hope you will give snakes a chance. Not only are they fascinating to watch, but they serve a vital function in our ecosystem.

Snakes are probably the most misunderstood, and most illogically feared creatures on the planet. Of the 2,200-plus species of snakes in the world, fewer than 20 percent are venomous. People have an instinctual fear of snakes that stems back for thousands of years. It probably started out as a survival instinct, when there was no literature or way of telling which snakes were harmful or not. On the other hand, biblical literature has encouraged us to fear snakes for an entirely different reason. Other people simply misunderstand snakes, thinking that they are slimy, nasty creatures.

The first thing to know about snakes is that any non-venomous snake will only bite you for 3 reasons. First, if you smell like food. If you have recently handled a warm-blooded animal, such as mice, guinea pigs, even cats, the snake may smell that on you and mistake you for something edible. Second, if the snake feels you are a predator that is trying to harm it. Especially when reaching down towards a snake, the snake can misinterpret you for something trying to eat it. Thirdly, and the most likely reason non-venomous snakes bite, is simply because they are afraid. When given the choice between biting at you (the 5-6 foot tall giant that just stepped into it’s territory) or running away as fast as it can possibly slither…it will choose running away every time. If the snake however, feels cornered, or for whatever reason unable to hide, it will strike out at you, more as a warning to leave it alone than to actually do any damage.

Non-venomous snakes are usually very safe to handle, especially pet snakes or snakes that are used to being handled. Even most species of wild snakes that are non-venomous are perfectly able to be handled without fear of bites (the exception being water snakes and other naturally aggressive species). If you do try to handle a snake, be sure to move slowly, and edge your hand under the belly of the snake near the tail area. If you move suddenly, or from the top, it may mistake you for a predator. Once you have actually lifted the snake and are holding it, do not hold it by the tail, rather support it’s body loosely with your hands (keep a loose but firm grip, if you squeeze too hard it will likely injure the snake), and let the snake explore it’s way around your hands and arms. If the snake seems agitated, or goes into a strike position, it is best to slowly, but gently put the snake back.

You will find that snakes are not slimy, nor nasty in any way. However if they get frightened, they may defecate on you as a way of showing fear. If this happens, be sure to wash the area thoroughly with soap and hot water, as snakes do carry salmonella bacteria in their feces. You must also remember that snakes, while being beautiful and interesting to watch, simply aren’t the brightest creatures in the world, and have about the same thinking power as your average goldfish. Remember when you are holding a snake that it likely sees you as a very odd tree, and does not recognize you as a human being. Snakes react by instinct rather than thought, and as long as you keep this in mind, being around snakes is very easy to do as well as being interesting.

So how do you tell venomous and non-venomous snakes apart? There are several ways to tell, although some species of non-venomous snakes have adapted to be able to look like venomous snakes when they are afraid. If you are ever even slightly in doubt, leave the snake alone! As a general rule, venomous snakes have diamond or triangle shaped heads, instead of rounded heads that most non-venomous snakes have. Also, their eyes are elliptical like a cat’s eye instead of being round as well. Pit vipers have a telltale pit between the eye and the mouth. The pit, a heat-sensing organ, makes it possible for the snake to accurately strike a warm-blooded victim, even if the snake cannot see the victim. Of course rattlesnakes usually rattle, but this is not always the case. Some species of rattlesnakes have evolved without a rattle!

So now that you know more about snake behaviors and facts, I hope you will give snakes a chance. Not only are they fascinating to watch, but they serve a vital function in our ecosystem.

Article Source: http://www.redsofts.com/articles/

Stephanie Davies is a 27 year old Missourian with a loving husband and an 8 year old son. She currently owns her own business, Mystickal Incense & More, and sells handmade candles, incense, bath & body products and more at http://www.mystickalincense.com

Snakes can be scary to deal with. Many people scream or even run away when they are confronted with a snake. For most people finding a snake in their home or around their home is terrifying. Getting rid of the snake is the main objective.

Depending on where you live snakes may be harmless or they could be dangerous. You should find out about the snake sin your area and be able to identify harmful snakes so you can get rid of them right away. You should also learn about how to safely interact with a snake so you do not get bit or hurt. Learning about the snakes in your area may also ease your fears a bit because in many places snakes are completely harmless and nothing to fear.

Know your Snakes

In North America there are only four types of poisonous snakes:

• Cottonmouth Moccasin
• Coral
• Copperhead
• Rattlesnake

They are not found in all areas and usually if you have one of these snakes in your area you will be aware.

The most common snake you will see is the garter snake which is completely harmless and probably more afraid of you then you are of it.

Where They Can Be Found

Snakes prefer cooler shaded areas. Around your home spots you may find them are:

• Bushes
• Tall grass
• Sandy areas
• Leaf piles
• Compost areas
• Under logs
• Under junk or trash

They like to be out of the sun and hidden. They will normally lay coiled up and may not even move unless you specifically mess with them.

What to do About Them

If you have a non poisonous snake you really do not have a major need to get rid of it. If you don’t bother him he will not likely bother you. However, you can make your home less appealing to him by:

- Keeping bushes and shrubs away form your home.

- Cleaning up junk and trash.

- Keeping your lawn mowed.

- Eliminating any hiding spots.

You can also chase away food sources. Snakes like insects like crickets and grasshoppers, as well as small rodents like rats, mice and squirrels. You can get rid of these to make your home less inviting to a snake.

If you do end up with a poisonous snake it is best to call in a professional. You never want to mess with a poisonous snake. The repercussions are dangerous and can be deadly.

Click to Read About This Snake