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11/23/09
Blue Racer Snake
The Blue Racer Snake (Coluber constrictor foxii) is an endangered species of snake and is quite long snake (1.5m). It has gotten its name because of the grey-blue or green-blue colour with smooth scales. It also has a specific white mark on the chin and throat. The natural habitat of these snakes is the savanna, grasslands, open woodland, and similar. This snake likes spending it’s time on the ground, although it is a great climber and it can be seen in trees when they are in danger. The Blue racer snake is often confused with a rattlesnake because of the sound it makes with its tail when threatened.
The Blue racer snake is very similar to the Black Racer snake and it is not unusual to see these two types of snakes interbreed. As a result the small snakes may look like one of their parents or have the characteristics of both.
We have already mentioned that these snakes are endangered, and this happens mostly because of destruction of their habitat degradation, human threat, and due to vehicles where a great number of snakes lose their lives when trying to cross the roads.
Blue racer feed mainly with rats and mice, smaller birds, lizards, frogs, chipmunks and other smaller snakes. When they are young they also eat insects. Although these snakes have the word constrictor in their name they never constrict their prey. They only hold their prey until they defeat it. In most cases they simply swallow their smaller prey while it is still alive.
Although these snakes look great and the benefits of them are excellent, because of rats and mice in the first place, we certainly won’t want to see them in our house. If that happens always contact your local snake removal company. It is always better to let the pros do the job.
11/21/09
Pygmy Rattlesnake
• the Dusky pygmy rattlesnake
• the Carolina pygmy rattlesnake
• the Western pygmy rattlesnake
This snake is hard to see because of its size. It usually hides among burrows, leaf litter and similar hiding spots. However, the habitat of theses snakes are creeks and streams, sand hills, lakes and swamps, pinewoods and hardwoods etc. The Pigmy rattlesnake generally feeds with frogs, birds, lizards, insects and smaller mammals.
The Pigmy snake colour varies from red to orange, but it can have other colours too. In their appearance we have to notice a black stripe which goes from the eyes and continues to the mouth.
This snake is venomous and its venom is not life threatening although it attacks the red blood cells and tissue, but it causes a great pain. Until now there aren’t any records that the bit of this snake has been fatal to people. When this snake bites its prey it lets it go and later it follows the smell to track it and eat it.
Pygmy rattlesnakes belong to the list of protected species in some areas like North Carolina or Tennessee. However, in other areas they are not protected. It can be kept in captivity, but it is not recommended if you are a beginner. The Pigmy rattlesnake gives birth to around 6 young snakes at a time which are 1.5 to 1.7 mm long.
Anacondas Snakes habitat and facts
These snakes are most frequently seen in the areas in South America and the Orinoco Basins. However, they prefer he grasslands, savannas and forests, but they feel most comfortable near water. These snakes are solitary snakes and it is rare to see a few of them at the same place.
A great number of people like keeping these snakes as pets. However, if you decide to keep them please note that you have to be very responsible and serious in your efforts. Besides everyday care and feeding, it is extremely important to prevent these snakes from escaping.
Anaconda Facts
• The Anaconda’s average length is 20 feet and it can weigh up to 300 pounds.
• This snake gives birth to 25-35 live offspring at a time.
• They can stay under the water for 10 minutes.
• Anacondas are not venomous snakes.
• They are constrictors- they squeeze their prey to death.
• They can swallow caimans, fish, jaguars and it has been recorded that they can swallow a small deer, too.
• There are 2 Hollywood movies about this type of snake (Anaconda, and Anaconda 2)
• The Green anaconda is the biggest and also the heaviest snake in the world
• If it has eaten a big animal the anaconda can stay without food for a whole year.
• The eyes and nostrils are placed on the top of their head which is great way to camouflage when you hunt.
All about Snakes
• The body of the snakes is very flexible and without limbs. Depending on their habitat the shape of the snakes can be different. Snakes that live under the ground are generally compact, snakes living in water are flatter than others, while those that spend most of their times in trees are long and slim.
• The colour of the snakes also varies from type to type. Brightly colored snakes are generally poisonous and the reason they have bright colours is because they have to frighten their natural predators. It has been noted that certain types of non-venomous snakes have bright colours for the same reason.Snakes with dull colours need it in order camouflage and catch their prey more easily.
• The difference in size between the longest snake in the world, the green anaconda (38 feet) and the smallest snake, the Brahminy blind snake (2 inches) is unbelievable.
• Snakes can’t generate body heat and keep their temperature constant which puts them in the group of are cold-blooded animals. They depend on the heat of the surrounding area and the sun.
• Snakes need to shed their skin at certain stages of their life. This process is popular as molting. When time comes, snakes rub their head against rocks or trees and their skin peels down from the head and at the end the old skin is completely removed and inside out.
• Snakes do not have eyelids and they can’t hear airborne sounds. They pick up the vibrations from the ground using their jawbones. They use their tongue to smell.
• Snakes have an extremely slow metabolism. They can live without food for a very long time after they have eaten a big meal. Snakes can swallow prey 3 times larger than their mouth.
As you can see snakes are quite interesting. Too bad some of them are endangered today for many different reasons.
Different types of snakes with pictures-all kinds of snakes
Before we start we have to mention that snakes can be venomous and also non-venomous. We can divide the venomous snakes into 3 groups:
• Elapidae – The group of most venomous snakes. They inhabit tropical regions. Their venom is neurotoxin, which means it destroys the nervous system. The rate of mortality from their bite is extremely high. For example, the Inland taipan belongs to this group and the amount of venom it releases with one bite can kill over 100 adults. Other types of snakes that belong here are the black mamba, king cobras, the coral snake, etc.
• Viperidae – The snakes belonging to this group are also venomous. The rattlesnake, water moccasin, saw scaled viper and others belong to this group. They inhabit Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, etc.
• Colubridae – The snakes that belong to this group are non-venomous or they are in some small extent. However, this doesn’t mean that their bites should be ignored. Some of the snakes that belong to this group are racers, the queen snake, the king snake, the corn snake, the rat snake, garter snake, the milk snake and others.
Non-venomous snakes can belong to the Boidae family and we have other types of snakes. Let's understand each of these types in a greater detail.
• Boidae - a family of non venomous snakes. On the other hand the snakes belonging to this group are constrictors which mean they wrap their body around their prey and kill it by squeezing. They generally feed with big animals. Some of the types of snakes which belong to this group are anacondas, the reticulated python, the African rock python, etc. Besides these snakes there are other types of snakes which are non-venomous.
Types of Snake with pictures
Black Mamba
Banded water Snake
Ball Python
Australian common tiger snake
Anaconda
Fer de lance Snake
Emeral tree boa Snake
Egyptian Cobra
Desert King Snake
Corn Snake
Coral Snake
Copper Snake
Comon Garter Snake
Common ader Snake
Cobra
Cape Cobra
California Snake
Burmese Python Snake
Bull Snake
Brown House Snake
Scarlet Snake
Temple vit Viper Snake
Moccasin Snake
Western Coachwip Snake
White Python Snake
Mozambique Cobra
Yellow Snake
Pacific Snake
King Cobra
Hognose Snake
Godman's Pitviper
Blue racer
Philippine Cobra
Kraits Krait
Belcher's Sea Snake
Australian Copperheads
Red Spitting
Inland Taipan
Papuan Taipan
Coastal Taipan
Eastern Brown Snake
Mainland Tiger Snake
Peninsula Tiger Snake
Chappell Island tiger snake
Black Headed Death Adder
Barkly Tableland Death Adder
Desert Death Adder
Northern Death Adder
Gwardar
Bushmaster
Russell’s Viper
Saw-Scaled Viper
Rough-Scaled Snake
Papuan Black Snake
Multibanded Krait
Stephen's Banded Snake
Spotted Black Snake
Collett's Snake
Mulga Snake
Red-bellied Black Snake
Small-Eyed Snake
Marbled Headed Whip Snake
Barba Amarilla
Horned Sea Snake
Highland Copperhead
Pygmy Copperhead
Bardick Snake
Pale-Headed Snake
Broad-Headed Snake
Jararacussu
Butler's Snake
Speckled Brown Snake
Peninsula Brown Snake
Ringed Brown Snake