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Tag snake
Head of a Green Tree Python
The Green Tree Python (Morelia viridis) is a non-venomous reptile in the Pythonidae family of python snakes. It is native to the tropical regions of northern Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.
It is bright green with a slim body and a large head. It is arboreal, living in trees. It loops itself over a tree branch, making a coil with its head in the middle.
The shape of a snake’s head can often indicate whether it is venomous or non-venomous. Non-venomous snakes generally have a spoon-shaped, rounded head. Some venomous snakes have a triangular head. The Green Tree Python is non-venomous with a rounded head.
Continue reading “Head of a Green Tree Python”What is the most venomous snake in the world?
What is the most venomous snake in the world?
The most venomouns snake in the world is found only in central east Australia – in the arid outback. It is shy, and not aggressive. It lives in holes and burrows in the ground, to keep out of the severe heat. Therefore, it rarely comes in contact with humans. The victims have been herpetologists – people who study and keep snakes – and they survived because they were treated with anti-venom.
Continue reading “What is the most venomous snake in the world?”Does a Lizard Shed its Skin?
Most people know that a snake sheds its skin, but does a lizard shed its skin?
A lizard is a reptile. Reptiles include snakes, lizards, crocodiles, alligators, caimans, turtles, tortoises, and terrapins. Reptiles lay soft-shelled eggs on land.
The Balkan Slow Worm (Pseudopus apodus) is also a reptile. It is not a worm and it is not a snake. It is a legless lizard. It actually has small (almost invisible), undeveloped rear legs, but it does not use its legs for locomotion. It is not a snake because it has eyelids (snakes do not have eyelids). It has a long tail. It is also known as the Pallas’s Glass Lizard, the European Glass Lizard, the Sheltopusik, or the Giant Russian Legless Lizard.
Continue reading “Does a Lizard Shed its Skin?”What is Ophidiophobia?
What is ophidiophobia?
Ophidiophobia is the fear of snakes.
Continue reading “What is Ophidiophobia?”What is Herpetophobia?
What is herpetophobia?
Herpetophobia is the fear of reptiles.
Continue reading “What is Herpetophobia?”Nose-Horned Viper
The Nose-Horned Viper (Vipera ammodytes ammodytes) is a highly venomous reptile in the Viperidae family of viper snakes. It is a viperid. It is also known as the Horned Viper and Western Sand Viper. Scientists think it might be the most dangerous snake in Europe.
The Nose-Horned Viper has a head covered with small, irregular scales that can be smooth or slightly keeled (ridged). It has 10-13 small scales around its eyes. The nasal (nose) scale is large that looks like a horn with 9-17 smaller scales along it, but it is soft and flexible.
The male has irregular dark-brown, dark-grey, or black markings and a thick black stripe from its eye to its jaw. The male has V-shaped markings on its back like a zig-zag pattern. The female lacks the dark V-shaped markings on its body, and is browner and more bronze-coloured than the male. Its underbelly can be grey, yellowish-brown, or pinkish. Both have a black tongue and golden or copper-coloured eyes.
Continue reading “Nose-Horned Viper”What is a Bifurcated Tongue
What is a bifurcated tongue?
Many reptiles, such as snakes and lizards, have a bifurcated tongue.
Continue reading “What is a Bifurcated Tongue”Brazilian Rainbow Boa
The Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Epicrates cenchria) is a non-venomous colubrid reptile in the Boidae family of boa constrictor snakes. It is a boid, pronounced bo-id. It is also known as the Slender Boa.
The Brazilian Rainbow Boa is orange-red with black circles on its back and sides. Its scales have an iridescent sheen. It has a thick, heavy body.
Continue reading “Brazilian Rainbow Boa”Reticulated Python
The Reticulated Python (Malayopython reticulatus) is a non-venomous reptile in the Pythonidae family of constrictor snakes.
The Reticulated Python has smooth scales in 69-79 rows with a complex geometric pattern. It has irregular diamond shapes with smaller markings with light centres.
Continue reading “Reticulated Python”Why do snakes inflate their throat?
Why do snakes inflate, swell, or puff up their throat?
Not all snakes inflate their throat.
Some snakes that inflate their throat include the African Puff Adder (Bitis arietans), the North American Eastern Hognose (Heterodon platirhinos), and the African Eastern Vine Snake (Thelotornis mossambicanus).
Continue reading “Why do snakes inflate their throat?”CREATURE FEATURE: Eastern Vine Snake
The Eastern Vine Snake (Thelotornis mossambicanus) is a venomous reptile in the Colubridae family of vine snakes. It is also known as the Eastern Twig Snake, African Creep Snake, or the Savanna Vine Snake. It is a colubrid snake.
The Eastern Vine Snake is a thin, grey snake, with a beige underbelly. The top of its head is green, often with black speckles. Its body also has speckles. Its eyes have horizontal pupils, often in the shape of a keyhole. When startled, it inflates (swells) its throat to show black spots between its scales.
Continue reading “CREATURE FEATURE: Eastern Vine Snake”Tartar Sand Boa
The Tartar Sand Boa (Eryx tataricus) is a reptile in the Boidae family of boa snakes.
The Tartar Sand Boa is a wide-bodied snake with no distinct neck. It is buff-coloured with dark-grey to black markings on the top of its body along its length, which merge into specks on its sides. It has a black streak through its eyes.
Continue reading “Tartar Sand Boa”What is a group of snakes called?
What is a group of snakes called?
A group of snakes is called a den of snakes, a nest of snakes, a pit of snakes, a knot of snakes, or a generation of snakes.
Continue reading “What is a group of snakes called?”How do snakes move?
How do snakes move?
Snakes do not have legs, so they slither and slide. But what does this mean?
Snake locomotion (movement) can be serpentine, concertina, rectilinear, or sidewinding.
Serpentine movement is also called lateral undulation, and it is the most common way for snakes to move. The movement looks like an ‘S’ shape. Terrestrial snakes, that live on the ground, use this type of movement. Aquatic snakes, that live in water, also use this type of movement.
Continue reading “How do snakes move?”Caspian Cobra
The Caspian Cobra (Naja oxiana) is a medium-sized venomous snake, and reptile, in the Elapidae family. It is an elapid. It is also called the Central Asian Cobra, the Ladle Snake, the Oxus Snake, or the Russian Snake.
The Caspian Cobra has an elliptical, hooded head with medium-sized eyes that have round pupils. It is light-brown to chocolate-brown or yellowish. It has several dark bands under its throat.
Continue reading “Caspian Cobra”Adder
The Adder (Vipera berus berus) is a venomous snake. It is also known as the Common European Adder or the Common European Viper.
The Adder has a thick body with keeled (ridged or rough) scales and a large head. Its colour and pattern vary, but it is usually light-coloured with small crossbars or entirely brown with faint or clear dark-brown markings. It usually has a zig-zag pattern. Its eyes are quite large.
Continue reading “Adder”Viperids
What is a viperid?
A viperid is a reptile and a snake in the viper family.
The Viper, Rattlesnake, Copperhead, Cottonmouth, and Bushmaster are all viperid snakes.
Continue reading “Viperids”Madagascar Tree Boa
The Madagascar Tree Boa (Sanzinia madagascariensis) is a non-venomous, colubrid, arboreal reptile in the boa species of snakes. It is a boid (pronounced bow-id). It is also known as the Malagasy Tree Boa.
The Madagascar Tree Boa is greenish, such as olive-green or bright green, depending upon the colour of the rain forest leaves and trees. In dry areas, it can be orange-brown. It has patterned scales of dark markings with whitish inner markings. It has dark eyes.
Continue reading “Madagascar Tree Boa”Ladder Snake
The Ladder Snake (Rhinechis scalaris or Zamenis scalaris) is a medium-sized reptile and a colubrid (non-venomous) snake. It is related to the Ratsnake.
The Ladder Snake has yellowish to dark brown scales with two dark brown stripes running down the length of its body from neck to tail. It has a dark stripe at the back of its eye, angling down to its jaw. Its underbelly is pale, such as slivery-grey to whitish. It has a pointed snout (nose). It has dark eyes.
Continue reading “Ladder Snake”