Venomous Snakes by Dawson Logie

                                      

INTRODUCTION

People are usually afraid of venomous snakes but that is not always necessary. There are 2700 DIFFERENT kinds of snakes and only 360 of them are venomous so most snakes are relatively harmless. Some snakes in captivity (in a zoo) can live up to 50 years old.

Snakes eat termites, rodents, birds, frogs, some small deer, and other reptiles.  This article will be about venomous snakes. It will first explain the difference between venom and poison, describe different types of venomous snakes, and finally explain what to do if you ever encounter, or are bitten by a snake.

HOW VENOMOUS SNAKES KILL

Venomous creatures have fangs that will inject venom under the skin. Venom is only harmful if it is injected under the skin. Poison can cause harm if swallowed or inhaled but snakes are not poisonous, they are venomous.

Venomous snakes can kill prey in two different ways. The first way is to immobilize the victim by biting it and the victim may die from the snake’s venom. The second way is that the venom immobilizes the victim, which leaves a distinct odor so the snake can track its prey back to eat it.

TYPES OF VENOMOUS SNAKES

Like every type of animal there are main types of snakes. With venomous snakes, there are only 3 main types. They are Rattlesnakes, Cottonmouth, and Copperhead.

Copperhead Snakes

The Copperhead snake has very few species only 5!! The only time a copperhead snake will bite is when it is stepped on or sat upon. Copperheads are fascinating because they are camouflaged, meaning they can blend into their surroundings. They can slither right under your nose without you noticing. Watch out!

Cottonmouth Snakes

The Cottonmouth snake mostly lives in northern North America usually in slightly salty water. There may be one or two snakes in other places like the southeast .   You don’t really need to worry about cottonmouth/water moccasins because they are only mildly venomous meaning they only have enough venom to kill a small rodent and not a human.

Rattlesnakes

There are 27 different species of rattlesnakes.  Some rattlesnakes are popular and some aren’t.  The best known rattlesnake is the Eastern Rattlesnake. It was almost elected as the country animal in The United states. One of a less popular rattlesnakes is the panamint speckled rattle snake. It is only 2 – 3 feet long.  Not all rattlesnakes have enough venom to kill a person, but some do.

Other Examples Of Venomous Snakes

There are other types of venomous snakes that are not part of the main types listed and one article cannot cover them all.  Gaboon Vipers are five to six feet long and they weigh a surprising twenty pounds. King Cobras on the other hand are a completely different story. They are an amazing eighteen feet with enough neck muscles to stand eye-to-eye with a six-foot man.  The snake is coiled around, and he has enough muscles in his neck to stand up straight with six feet of his body. King Cobras can kill an elephant within three hours with their venom. Some snakes, like the pygmy rattlers, have rattling habits (shaking the tail) to warn bigger creatures but sadly there is nothing to worry about. Coral snakes are rare but when you find one try not to get one angry because they are very venomous. 

DON’T OVERREACT TO THE SNAKE: HOW TO KEEP SAFE

The most common advice people give about snakes is that you should not get bit. Stay away from snakes if at all possible. If you do encounter a snake, you should remember that the snake doesn’t want to bite you any more than you want to be bit. It usually just wants to scare you away from its den and get you to leave it alone. If you intrude on a rattle snake’s territory it will probably not use biting as its first reaction because a snake’s venom is like a snake’s money it doesn’t want to waste its money. Don’t step on, sit on, or startle a snake. Look before you step over logs or rocks and make noise on approach. When you are approaching a rattlesnake, it will rattle its tail to warn you before biting and when you hear that it is time to run.  If you are ever bit by a snake, do not panic as panic can spread the venom more quickly. Remain calm and get yourself to the hospital for an anti-venom treatment.

There are many more types of snakes but I tried to mention as many as I could.  I hope you learned a lot about snakes. I know I did.