Viper snake. Viper lifestyle and habitat

Poisonous snakes from the viper family have perfectly adapted to existing in any climatic conditions and landscapes. Vipers live in Europe, Russia, Asia, Africa, North and South America. Vipers do not live only in Australia, New Zealand and other islands of Oceania.

Basically, vipers lead a sedentary lifestyle, occasionally making forced migrations to their winter habitats, which are several kilometers along the way. Vipers spend most of the summer basking in the sun or hiding in the heat under stones, uprooted tree roots and in rock crevices.

Where and how do viper snakes winter?

Wintering of vipers begins in October-November. For winter “apartments”, various burrows are selected, going into the ground to a depth of 2 m, where the air temperature remains above zero. At high population densities, several hundred individuals often accumulate in one burrow. The duration of wintering depends on the area: northern species of vipers overwinter for up to 9 months a year, the inhabitants temperate latitudes They emerge to the surface in March-April and immediately begin to reproduce.

Viper venom - consequences of a snake bite and symptoms

The viper's venom is considered potentially dangerous to humans, and the bite of some members of the viper family can be fatal and result in death.

Nevertheless, viper venom has found its use, because it is a valuable raw material for the manufacture of medicines and even cosmetics. The poison is a cocktail of proteins, lipids, peptides, amino acids, sugar and salt of inorganic origin. Preparations obtained from viper venom are used as an analgesic for neuralgia and rheumatism, for hypertension and skin diseases, for relieving asthma attacks, for inflammatory processes and bleeding.

The viper's venom enters the human or animal body through the lymph nodes and instantly enters the blood. The consequences of a viper bite are manifested by burning pain, redness and swelling form around the wound, which disappear after 2-3 days without any serious consequences. In case of severe intoxication of the body, the following symptoms appear 15-20 minutes after a viper bite: the bitten person feels dizziness, nausea, chills, and rapid heartbeat. At increased concentration toxic substances fainting, convulsions and coma occur.

Viper bite - first aid

What to do if bitten by a viper:

• First of all, immediately after a viper bite, be sure to provide rest to the bitten organ (usually the limbs), securing it with something like a splint or, for example, simply tying your arm in a bent position with a scarf. Limit any active movements to avoid the rapid spread of viper venom throughout the body.
• A viper bite is dangerous and can be fatal to humans, so in any case, regardless of the severity of the victim’s condition, you should call an ambulance!
• By pressing your fingers at the bite site, try to slightly open the wound and suck out the poison. This can be done with your mouth, periodically spitting saliva, but the method is only permissible if there is no damage to the oral mucosa in the form of cracks, scratches or ulcers. You can try to reduce the concentration of poison in the wound using the usual glass cup, using it according to the principle of placing medical cups. The venom is sucked out continuously for 15-20 minutes.
• Then the viper bite site should be disinfected with any available means: cologne, vodka, alcohol, iodine, and a clean, lightly pressing bandage should be applied.
• If possible, it is advisable to take an antihistamine tablet to reduce allergic reaction for viper venom.
• Take as much liquid as possible - weak tea, water, but give up coffee: this drink increases arterial pressure and increases excitability.
• In case of serious injury, as first aid after a viper bite, a person is given artificial respiration and prolonged cardiac massage.

Sometimes vipers are confused with representatives of the colubrid family - snakes and copperheads, which often leads to the killing of innocent animals. You can distinguish a poisonous snake from a harmless one by a number of signs.

How is it different from a viper? Similarities and differences of snakes

Oh - this is non-venomous snake, the viper is poisonous and deadly to humans. The similarity between a snake and a viper is obvious: both snakes can have a similar color and can be encountered by a person in a forest, meadow or near a pond. And yet, these reptiles have certain characteristics by which they can be distinguished:

• The appearance of the snake and the black viper differs, despite the same skin color. U common snake there are 2 yellow or orange spots on the head, similar to miniature ears, but the viper does not have such markings.

• You should not focus solely on the color of snakes, since both snakes and vipers can be similar in color. For example, the color of a water snake can be olive, brown or black, with various spots. In addition, the black water snake does not have yellow markings on its head, making it easily confused with a pit viper. The color of the viper can also be olive, black or brown, with a variety of spots scattered throughout the body.

• And yet, if you look closely at the spots, you can see the following difference between snakes: in snakes the spots on the body are arranged in a checkerboard pattern, many types of vipers have a zigzag stripe on the back, running along the entire body, and there are also spots on the sides of the body.

• Another difference between a snake and a viper is that the pupil of a viper is vertical, while in snakes it is round.

• The viper's mouth contains sharp teeth, which are clearly visible when the snake opens its mouth. Snakes have no teeth.

• Longer than a viper. The body length of the snake is usually 1-1.3 meters. The length of the viper usually varies between 60-75 cm, although there are species reaching 3-4 meters (bushmaster). In addition, vipers look much more well-fed.
• The tail of the viper is shortened and thick, while that of the snake is thinner and longer. In addition, in vipers the transition from the body to the tail is clearly defined.
• Vipers differ from snakes in the triangular shape of the skull with clearly defined brow ridges; snakes have an oval-ovoid skull.

• The anal shield of the viper is solid, while in the grass snake it consists of 2 scales.
• When meeting people, snakes try to retreat and hide; the viper will most likely show complete indifference or aggression if you step on this poisonous snake or simply brush against it.
• Snakes love damp habitats, so they can often be found near bodies of water, where they swim and catch frogs. Vipers feed primarily, so they choose other habitats: forests, steppes, dense grass.

• The viper is a poisonous snake, the copperhead is not poisonous.
• Many vipers have a dark-colored zigzag stripe running along their backs, while copperheads have a “scattered” pattern of specks or dark spots on their backs. But there are also black vipers that do not have stripes.

• The viper's head has triangular shape with pronounced arches above the eyes. Copperheads have a narrow, elongated head.
• The viper's mouth contains teeth with which the snake bites its prey. Copperheads have no teeth.
• The pupil of the copperhead is round, while that of the viper is vertically slit-shaped.

• The anal shield of the copperhead consists of a pair of scales, but in the viper it is solid.
• Having noticed a person, the copperhead will hasten to hide in a shelter; the viper will either not pay attention to the person, or will begin to attack.

• The mouth of a viper and snake contains teeth, but the bite of a poisonous viper is dangerous and can be fatal, and the bite of a snake, although painful, does not cause mortal danger, since the snake does not have poisonous glands.
• In the viper, the head and body are separated by a shortened bridge that imitates the neck; in the snake, there is no cervical interception.
• The back of most vipers is either plain, black, or has a dark stripe running in a zigzag along the entire back. The color of the runner can be plain, with transverse dark spots on the back or in a mesh.

• The snake has a distinctive pattern on the top of its skull - a dark stripe between the eyes; the viper does not have such decoration.
• The viper is much shorter and looks more plump than the snake. Snakes can grow up to 1.5 meters in length, and the standard size of vipers is 60-70 cm. Only the largest vipers have a body length reaching 2 meters.

Types of vipers - photos and descriptions

Modern classification distinguishes 4 subfamilies of vipers:

• pit vipers, they are rattlesnakes or rattlers (Crotalinae): distinguished by the presence of 2 infrared pits, which are located in the recess between the eyes and nostrils;
• toad vipers(Causinae): belong to the oviparous type of snakes, which is rare among all members of the family;
• Viperidae(Viperinae) - the most numerous subfamily, whose representatives live even in the Arctic (common viper);
• azemiopinae- a subfamily represented by a single genus and species - the Burmese fairy viper.

To date, science knows 292 species of vipers. Below are several varieties of these snakes:

• Common viper ( Vipera berus)

a relatively small representative of the family: the body length is usually in the range of 60-70 cm, however, in the northern part of the range there are individuals more than 90 cm in length. The weight of the viper varies from 50 to 180 grams, with females being slightly larger than males. The head is large, slightly flattened, the muzzle is rounded. The color is quite variable and multifaceted: the color of the main background of the back can be black, light gray, yellow-brown, reddish-brown, bright copper. Most specimens have a pronounced pattern along the back in the form of a zigzag stripe. The viper's abdomen is gray, brown-gray or black, sometimes supplemented with whitish spots. The tip of the tail is often colored bright yellow, reddish or orange. This species of viper has a fairly wide habitat. The common viper lives in the forest belt of Eurasia - it is found from the territories of Great Britain and France to the western regions of Italy and eastern Korea. Feels comfortable in hot Greece, Turkey and Albania, while also penetrating the Arctic Circle - found in Lapland and in countries on the coast Barents Sea. On the territory of Russia, the common viper lives in Siberia, Transbaikalia and the Far East.

• Long-nosed viper(Vipera ammodytes)

differs from other species by a soft, sharp, scaly outgrowth at the tip of the snout, resembling snub nose. The length of the viper is 60-70 cm (sometimes 90 cm). The body color is gray, sandy or red-brown (depending on the species); a zigzag dark stripe or a series of diamond-shaped stripes runs along the back. The long-nosed viper lives on rocky landscapes from Italy, Serbia and Croatia to Turkey, Syria and Georgia.

• Steppe viper (western steppe viper) ( Vipera ursinii )

a poisonous snake that lives in lowland and mountain steppes, alpine meadows, ravines and semi-deserts. Steppe vipers found in the countries of southern and southeastern Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Albania), Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia (in the Caucasus, southern Siberia, Rostov region, Altai). The length of the viper with a tail reaches 64 cm, females are larger than males. The color of the snake is brown-gray, with a dark brown or black zigzag stripe running along the ridge. Dark spots are scattered on the sides of the body.

• Horned keffiyeh(Trimeresurus cornutus, Protobothrops cornutus)

stands out among its relatives with small horns located above the eyes. The body of the viper, up to 60-80 cm long, is colored creamy-light green and dotted with dark brown spots. The snake spends almost its entire life in trees and bushes, descending to the ground only to mate. The horned keffiyeh is a typical inhabitant of the south and southeast of Asia, living in China, India and Indonesia.

• Burmese fairy viper, or Chinese viper(Azemiops feae)

oviparous species, very rare among vipers. It got its name not thanks to a fairy-tale character, but in honor of the zoologist Leonardo Fea. The length of the viper is about 80 cm. Large, snake-like scutes grow on the snake’s head. The upperparts are greenish-brown, the underparts are creamy, the head is most often yellow color, there are yellow stripes on the sides. Found in Central Asia in southeast Tibet, Burma, China and Vietnam.

• Noisy Viper(Bitis arietans)

one of the most beautiful and most dangerous species African vipers. The bite of a noisy viper is fatal in 4 out of 5 cases. The snake got its name from the indignant hissing it makes in case of danger. The body of the viper is disproportionately thick with a girth of up to 40 cm and a length of about 2 m. The color of the viper can be golden yellow, dark beige or red-brown. Along the body there is a pattern consisting of 2 dozen brown marks in the shape of the Latin letter U. The noisy viper lives throughout Africa (except for the equator), as well as in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula.

• (Bitis nasicornis)

It is distinguished by a special decoration on the face, consisting of 2-3 vertically protruding scales. The body is thick, can reach a length of 1.2 m, and is covered with a beautiful pattern. Along the back there are blue trapezoidal patterns with a yellow border, connected by black diamonds. The sides are covered with black triangles alternating with olive-colored diamonds with a red border. The viper's head with bright blue “cheeks” is covered with black arrows with a yellow edging. Prefers to settle in the damp, swampy forests of Equatorial Africa.

• Kaisaka, or labaria (Bothrops atrox)

the largest viper of the spearhead genus, growing up to 2.5 m in length. Distinctive feature The kaisaki has a lemon-yellow chin, which is why the snake is nicknamed “yellow beard.” Slender body covered with gray or brown skin with a diamond-shaped pattern on the back. The caisaca lives throughout Central America, Argentina and the coastal islands of South America.

• Diamondback rattlesnake(Crotalus adamanteus)

record holder among rattlesnakes for the amount of “milk yield” of venom (660 mg from one snake). A large viper can grow over 2 m in length and weigh more than 15 kg. Along the back, colored in brown tones, there is a series of 24-35 black diamonds with a brilliant shine and a light yellow border. This viper lives only in the USA: from Florida to New Orleans.

• Gyurza, or Levant viper(Macrovipera lebetina)

the most dangerous and poisonous viper, the poison of which is second only to poison in toxicity. It belongs to the oviparous type of snakes. The body length of an adult viper can reach 2 meters, the weight of the viper is 3 kg. The body color is gray-brown, with dark spotting, subject to variability within the range. Some individuals have a black body with a purple tint. The viper is widespread in dry foothill areas, as well as on the outskirts of large cities in North-West Africa, Asia, Transcaucasia, Dagestan and Kazakhstan.

• African pygmy viper ( Bitis peringueyi)

the smallest viper in the world, the body length of an adult does not exceed 20-25 cm. Due to its modest body size, it is a relatively safe species of viper that lives in the deserts of Namibia and Angola.

• Bushmaster or surukuku ( Lachesis muta)

the most big viper in the world, rare view, reaching a length of 3-4 meters with a body weight of 3 to 5 kg. Inhabits wet rainforests South and Central America.

Who is this snake? Perhaps everyone can answer this question without thinking: it is a reptile that crawls on the ground because it does not have legs to walk. Partially is the correct answer. Why partially? Because there are reptiles that are not snakes, but also do not have legs - these are legless lizards. However, our article will not be about them, but about snakes. After all, the group of these animals is incredibly diverse and interesting.

Scientists count about 2,500 snakes in nature. These animals form an entire suborder in the order of scaly reptiles. Snakes are easy to distinguish from other animals by their body shape: it is elongated, as we have already said, snakes have no limbs. The body of these reptiles is flexible; they move along the surface, making wave-like movements. The special structure of the skeleton and the large number of vertebrae make snakes real acrobats, because they can curl up into a ball and even tie themselves in a knot!

The size of the snakes is also amazing in its scope: from a few centimeters to more than 10 meters! We have prepared a separate, very informative story for you about the inhabitants of our planet.

Where do snakes live?

Snakes live on almost our entire planet, with the exception of the icy continent of Antarctica. The biggest species diversity these animals can be observed in tropical zones. Here snakes reach incredible sizes and there are individuals of a wide variety of colors. They prefer to settle in forests, deserts, swamps, mountains, steppes, as well as in fresh waters.

Lifestyle, nutrition and behavior of snakes in nature

By way of life, all snakes are loners. However, during the mating season, massive concentrations of these animals can be observed, especially during the mating period.

Many of the snakes are deadly poisonous. Especially many of these snakes are found in Africa and Asia. This video will tell you about the world:

As for the sense organs of snakes, they do not have excellent hearing, nor good eyesight. The thing is that snakes completely lack an external ear, so the snake “hears” almost only due to the vibrations of the soil or the surface on which it is located. The eyes of snakes are not distinguished by vigilance; they are able to notice only what is constantly moving; in most cases, snakes do not pay attention to motionless “prey”.

If vision and hearing are naturally poorly developed in these reptiles, maybe the taste buds in snakes are excellent? Unfortunately, the situation here is exactly the same. Snakes do not distinguish the taste of the food they eat. In general, they do not particularly enjoy eating food in the usual sense; they do not chew it, but swallow it whole.

The only sense that snakes have well developed is their sense of smell. The receptors that capture odors are located in these reptiles not only in the nostrils, but also on their long tongue. Therefore, snakes often stick out their tongues to smell the scent of their future prey.

Snakes are also endowed by nature with so-called thermolocators. These are special devices located on the muzzle and looking like dimples. Scientists believe that such receptors allow the snake to see the world as if through a thermal imager.

The voice of snakes is not developed; the only sound that these animals have learned to make in the process of evolution is hissing. The only exception is, perhaps, rattlesnakes, which can make a “rattle” from their tail: they have in a special way located scales.

One of the characteristics of snakes is molting. The fact is that sooner or later the snake grows out of its scaly shell and needs to be “replaced”. However, each scale does not change individually in a snake; the animal sheds the old “skin” with a stocking. The dropped “outfit” is called a crawl.

Snakes have a wide variety of colors: from modest and inconspicuous to incredibly bright and colorful. Some use skin color to hide from enemies or to sneak up on prey unnoticed. Others, on the contrary, warn with their color that it is better not to approach them. As a rule, all venomous snakes have bright scales, but there are exceptions.

All representatives of the suborder of snakes are predatory animals. Some eat mice, others eat lizards, others eat only smaller ones, others dine on bird eggs, and others... can even eat a whole crocodile!

Often the prey of snakes (naturally, very large ones) are large ungulates. The snake literally pulls itself onto the carcass of the caught animal and gradually swallows it, and then for a long time digests.

Many readers know that snake viper belongs to the class of reptiles. But not everyone knows that this family of creeping reptiles has more than 58 species.

The habitats of these creatures are very diverse; for example, they can be found in most of the African continent, in Asia, as well as in most of Europe.

Vipers feel great both in arid steppes and in humid climate forests of the equator. They can settle on rocky mountain slopes and make their home northern forests.

Basically, vipers prefer a terrestrial lifestyle, but among their relatives there are often individuals that lead an underground lifestyle hidden from prying eyes. A bright representative this type can be called earthen viper from the genus Atractaspis.

Ground viper

The main factors for the life of snakes of this family are the availability of food and a sufficient amount of light. They are not so demanding about everything else. Class of vipers, as previously noted, very diverse, but we will talk about four representatives in more detail. So, get acquainted.

The common viper lives throughout the European part globe, in areas of Asia, even in the north, up to the Arctic Circle. She leads a sedentary lifestyle - she does not like frequent changes of habitat.

The snake overwinters in crevices of the ground, in rodent burrows and other secluded places. It usually leaves its winter habitat in mid-spring, but this depends on the geographic location.

The photo shows a common viper

Geography of habitat steppe viper very extensive. It can be found in the steppes of the European zone, especially in the western part. She settled in Eastern Kazakhstan, the steppe regions of the Caucasus and the coast. About vipers Many interesting facts are known, for example, they are capable of performing forced marches to altitudes of up to 3000 m above sea level.

Snakes often choose a certain territory for their habitat, where there are no other representatives of this class besides them. In winter, creeping creatures take refuge underground, and they bury themselves to a decent depth (1.0 meter or more).

Pictured is a steppe viper

But the fact is that even with a slight minus, the snake can die, so these cautious creatures play it safe and go to spend the winter at a depth that can retain heat. Vipers often hibernate in large groups, but can also hibernate alone.

Waking up from a long time winter sleep, with the onset of spring, vipers crawl out of their shelters and find rocky surfaces, where they enjoy sunbathing.

In our country common and steppe viper can be found everywhere and meeting it does not bode well for a person. After all, the poison of large individuals is fatal to people, not to mention small animals and birds, for which a small amount is enough lethal substance to die if bitten. Full-fledged viper bite causes the death of the victim within a few minutes.

The character and lifestyle of the viper

Vipers cannot be called record holders in running, because they are too slow. They are able to spend the entire day lying down without unnecessary movements. But with the onset of dusk, snakes become more active and begin their favorite pastime - hunting.

It should be noted that large individuals can lie motionless for a long time, waiting for the prey to fall into the affected area, and then the viper will not miss the chance to feast on what itself came to it as lunch.

The main distinguishing feature of vipers is that they are fluent in the art of swimming; swimming across a wide river or a fairly large body of water is a breeze for them.

This is probably why vipers can most often be found on the banks of reservoirs, but they also do not disdain swamps, and here they are simply teeming. People often use the phrase “a swamp infested with vipers,” and this is not without common sense.

Vipers love to settle in wetlands

Everyone knows that snakes lack limbs, but this does not bother them. After all, they can move freely with the help of their natural plasticity and soft spine. Gracefully wriggling among the stones, the creeping creatures are capable of developing quite a decent speed.

But God did not endow these creatures with good hearing and visual acuity. Snakes completely lack an auditory opening, and their eye sockets are covered with a dense transparent veil. The eyelids of reptiles are fused, and therefore they cannot blink.

It is reliably known that black viper poisonous The only representative of this class does not pose a danger to humans. Signs of a viper: Snakes have two large teeth in which venom accumulates.

Pictured is a black viper

The toxic substance is produced by paired glands located on both sides of the eyes, and they connect to the teeth through ducts. It is interesting that in all species it was noted interesting structure teeth. The poisonous fang is located on a bone, which is very mobile.

Therefore, when the snake’s mouth is closed, the tooth takes a horizontal position, but as soon as the creature opens its mouth slightly, the poisonous fang comes into a stance - it takes vertical position.

Common viper. This particular type of snake is considered the most common. This reptile reaches half a meter, but there are also larger specimens, whose length from head to tip of tail is 80 centimeters.

Distinctive feature the viper is its pattern, reminiscent of a zigzag

The structure of her head is triangular, and this part stands out noticeably against her thick body. Nature has endowed vipers with a wide variety of shades - from inconspicuous gray to bright red-brown. There are also black, olive, silver, and bluish vipers.

A characteristic feature of the color is a dark zigzag running along the entire ridge. It is not so often that you can find a viper with dark stripes located across it. On the head of reptiles there is an identifying characteristic mark in the form of the letter V or X.

A clear black stripe runs through the center of the eyes along the entire area of ​​the head. Interesting fact: Snake catchers counted the number of scales on the body and found that there were 21 scales around the body in the middle part (rarely 19 or 23).

In principle, the snake will not bite innocent people. Only if an unwary traveler steps on her, then she will give a worthy rebuff. Such snakes are called peace-loving. She will prefer to quickly move away from the place where she can be noticed and hide.

Steppe viper. This species of reptile is much smaller in size than the previous species and an adult, as usual, can rarely reach half a meter. Unlike its relative the common viper, the steppe viper has a pointed, slightly raised snout.

In vipers poor eyesight, which is compensated by its quick response

The nostrils cut through the lower part of the nasal septum. There is a black curving stripe along the entire length of the body and along the ridge. Dark spots appear clearly on the sides. If you turn the reptile onto its back, you can see that its belly is gray with numerous specks of a light shade.

If we compare steppe bite And common viper venom, then the first option will be less dangerous for humans. Gaboon viper. A bright representative of African poisonous snakes. This is a truly respectable individual.

The Gabon viper is found in Africa

Its body is thick - 2.0 meters or more, and the weight of fattened individuals reaches 8-10 kg. The snake is quite remarkable for its bright variegated coloring, which resembles a painted carpet self made.

The drawings are filled with various geometric shapes various bright saturated colors - pink, cherry, lemon, milky, blue-black. This snake is recognized as one of the deadliest, but due to the fact that it is very phlegmatic, many believe that it is not as dangerous as everyone thinks about it.

You can pick her up by the tip of her tail without any danger to her health, put her back, and she won’t even want to make a menacing appearance. But teasing a snake is extremely undesirable, because it remains angry for a long time and it is unlikely that you will be able to “conspire” with it.

Among other things, the Gaboon viper has the most long teeth, full of poison. Looking at photo of vipers can see features reptiles.

Snakes are not poisonous representatives of vipers. Distinguish snake from vipers can be seen by the bright orange spots located on the side of the head. In addition, they have round eye pupils, and in the previously described species, and in all others, the pupil is narrowed and located vertically.

Also, this type of snake does not have the characteristic zigzag on its back. Although the coloring of the water snake is very similar to the coloring of the viper, because many people confuse the checkerboard arrangement of spots with the characteristic meander along the ridge.

The photo shows a water snake, which, due to its similar color, is often confused with poisonous vipers

But up close you can see that the spots are interrupted and do not form a continuous zigzag. From the head to the tip of the tail it narrows evenly and a triangular head is unusual for him.

Viper food

By nature, all types of snakes are predators. They are capable of swallowing prey whole, and not only small rodents and birds, but also fairly large animals, such as others. Sometimes the prey is much thicker than the reptile’s body, which does not prevent the snake from swallowing it whole.

The viper is able to perform such actions thanks to the special joints of its jaws. The structure of the lower jaw allows it to stretch forward and then return to its original position.

In addition, the halves of the jaws are connected at the chin and, if necessary, can easily move apart.

The composition of the viper's diet depends on its habitat. Usually for lunch they prefer mice and. But chicks are their favorite food. Small animals, amphibians and lizards are added to this list. It is very interesting to watch the viper when it hunts.

The main prey of steppe vipers are rodents and insects. Excellent at climbing trees, it is not difficult for them to check bird nests, as well as birdhouses, to find their favorite treat- chicks. Bird eggs also bring them pleasure. However, this snake loves to pamper itself with a delicacy in the form of small ungulates.

The Gaboon viper is a hunter by nature. It will take a place in an ambush, wait until dusk, and when the warm-blooded animal approaches the required distance, it will pounce and swallow it whole. She loves to eat hares and other inhabitants of her range. She will not disdain to taste the dwarf, which has strayed from the herd.

Reproduction and lifespan

The mating season for snakes occurs in the spring - usually in May. The pregnancy of a viper, like many other reptiles of the reptile class, depends on the weather and lasts from three months to six months. What is most surprising is that sometimes a pregnant snake can even overwinter.

They usually give birth to 10-20 young of their own kind. When born, they immediately inherit poisonousness from their parents. A few hours after birth, the young individuals molt. You can observe an interesting moment during childbirth.

The photo shows the birth of a viviparous snake

The female wraps herself around the tree, and the born cubs fall straight to the ground. The cubs live on the forest floor or in burrows and feed on insects. A snake can begin to reproduce at a fairly advanced age for reptiles - about 5 years. Males become sexually mature at 4 years of age.

The average lifespan of vipers in nature is 10 years. Steppe vipers begin to reproduce at the age of 3. Life expectancy is shorter than common vipers, only 7-8 years old. The Gaboon viper, like all described species, is viviparous.

Males, like true gentlemen, never bite each other during courtship. The gestation period lasts about 12 months. She is capable of producing from 10 to 40 cubs.

What do snakes eat?

The snake's jaws have an unusual structure. They are very weakly connected to other bones of the skull. Tiny teeth grow along the edge of the jaws, and some snakes also have two on the roof of their mouth. additional row teeth. All these teeth are connected to bones, which are driven by special muscles.

Having captured the prey, the snake holds it with the teeth of the lower jaw, and pushes it into the mouth with the upper jaw. When the food has already passed halfway into the mouth, the lower jaw also begins to help the upper jaw move the food deeper into the esophagus.

Thanks to the special structure of the jaw, the snake can swallow large animals. For example, pythons sometimes swallow leopards and deer! But, of course, small individuals eat small animals. Most snakes still feed on medium-sized living creatures: grasshoppers, frogs, fish, mice, rats and birds. Some tiny blind snakes only eat termites. There are also snakes that hunt their own kind.

When it comes to food, these reptiles are very picky. So, the green snake eats spiders, fish, birds, caterpillars, but will not touch lizards and mice, but water snake partial to fish and frogs, but will ignore insects and mice.

Anacondas eat a variety of foods.

Nutrition in snakes

All known species Snakes eat only food of animal origin. In most cases, they eat the prey alive or kill it immediately before absorption. Diet of snakes different types includes a wide variety of animals systematic groups: Snake victims include worms, mollusks, insects, fish, amphibians and reptiles, birds and small animals.

Since snakes do not have limbs with which they could hold their prey and tear it apart, they have to swallow it whole. Most snakes, when approaching, pounce on the victim and swallow him alive. This is what pythons, boas, snakes, snakes and a number of other snakes do. Prey is captured by jaws armed with numerous sharp teeth. Snakes' teeth are short, but very sharp and curved back. Thanks to them, the reptile securely holds its prey while swallowing. The jaw apparatus is designed in such a way that it allows the mouth to open wide and swallow prey that exceeds the width of the snake. The jaws consist of separate parts that are connected to each other by elastic ligaments. When a snake swallows large prey, the ligaments are stretched, and individual parts of the jaw apparatus move widely apart.

Chest snakes do not, so the ribs can diverge to the sides, which makes it easier for the victim to move through the digestive tract. Thus, a seven-meter boa constrictor can swallow a medium-sized deer or a small pig. There are known cases of boa constrictors swallowing crocodiles. Thus, in the Moscow Zoo, a boa constrictor that escaped from a terrarium entered its neighbor’s crocodile and swallowed it.
If the prey is very large and strongly resists, then the snake first strangles its victim before swallowing it. The snake holds it with its jaws and coils around it. Gradually reducing the diameter of these rings, the snake suffocates its victim and then calmly begins to swallow it.

About 15% of snake species use venom to kill their prey. Reptile venom is multifunctional; it is a powerful means of defense, obtaining food, and even digesting it. Snakes have a special apparatus that allows them to inject venom into the body of the victim. It consists of a venom gland, gland ducts and a pair of venomous teeth. Poisonous teeth, as a rule, are significantly larger in size than other teeth. They have a groove with a hole near the sharp tip, through which the poison flows into the body of the victim. Among venomous snakes, there are those that do not have a developed venomous apparatus, but toxic effect has saliva. Among these snakes are the colorful snake, the tiger snake, and the common copperhead.

In nature, it is not uncommon for some snakes to eat others. Some of them have completely switched to feeding on their fellows; the menu of such snake-catchers can consist of both small harmless snakes and dangerous poisonous snakes large sizes. The black-headed python lives in Australia, reaching a length of about three meters. The menu of these pythons is different kinds snakes, including poisonous ones, such as the tiger snake, which can reach two meters in length. The venom of these snakes does not affect the black-headed python, so their bites are not terrible for it.