Snakes are reptiles belonging to the order Squamata. Its lower jaw is only joined by the muscles and skin. This, combined with the mobility of their skulls, allows them to swallow large prey. This may be one of the reasons why some people are so afraid of them.
Another scary feature of snakes is their venom. However, most are non-toxic and only attack if they feel threatened by our presence. Still, it’s never too hard to know if a snake is poisonous or not. In this peritoAnimal article, we talked about non-venomous types of snakes and learned how to identify them.
- There are many types of snakes.
- Some with venom and some without poison.
- Non-venomous snakes swallow to their living prey.
- So they specialize in hunting small animals.
- Such as mice or insects.
- Other snakes can attack larger prey.
- To do this.
- They inoculate them with a poison that immobilizes them or kills them.
- If they feel attacked.
- They can also use this poison to defend themselves against humans.
- However.
- How do you know if a snake is poisonous?.
The reality is that there is no method to know if the snake is poisonous, although certain characteristics can give us a clue:
In many cases, these rules do not apply. Therefore, we should never analyze these characteristics alone. The best way to know if a snake is poisonous or not is to know in detail the different species.
Discover the most venomous snakes in Brazil in this other article
There are more than 3,000 known snake species in the world. Only 15% are toxic, so, as you can imagine, there are many types of non-venomous snakes. That’s why, in this article, we’ll focus on the most relevant species. Thus, we will highlight the following types:
Many people look for non-venomous snakes at home, however, it is important to note that these animals require a lot of care and a fully qualified space. Therefore, it is not recommended to live with a snake, even if it is not poisonous, without having the necessary knowledge to do so. Above all, we must take into account the welfare of the animal and the people who live at home.
Familiarly, all non-venomous snakes are called cholubrids. However, in biology, this is the name given to snakes in the Colubridae family.
The coppers are characterized by the arrangement of their scales, their circular pupils and a relatively small size. They usually have olive or brown tones that help them camouflage themselves. Most are daytime, non-toxic and have no prey. Of course, there are many exceptions to all these functions.
In South and Central America, the genus Chironius (vine snake) is very abundant. The best known is Chironius monticola, distributed in the Andes, and is one of the species of non-venomous snakes. It is a very aggressive, if harmless, tree snake.
Snakes of the genus Apostolepis are also typical of South America, distinguished by the intense red color of the body, which contrasts with the black and white stripes of the head. The tip of its tail is also black, giving it an unusual appearance among non-venomous snakes.
Another red snake is the well-known fake coral (Erythrolamprus aesculapii). Its red body is covered with black and white stripes throughout its length. This coloration is very similar to that of coral snakes, which are venomous and belong to the family Elapidae.
Constrictor boas are a group of species belonging to the Boidae family. Contrary to what many people think, they’re not poisonous snakes. The poison is not necessary for them, as they kill their prey by strangling them. Their large size and strength allow them to compress their victims to death by asphyxiation.
The ability to strangle their prey allows prey to feed on very large animals. Many even specialize in hunting large mammals such as deer or leopards.
The most important species of this family is the Boa constrictor, a snake found in most of the Americas and is on the list of the largest snakes in the world. It can measure up to four meters and its color is brown, green, red or yellow, depending on the habitat in which they are camouflaged.
The Lamprophiidae family includes a large number of non-venomous snake species, many of which belong to the African continent or are endemic to Madagascar. However, there is a species very present in Europe. It is the rat snake (Malpolon monspessulanus).
Although this snake kills its prey by the action of a poison, it is not dangerous to humans and is therefore not considered toxic. However, this snake can become very large and, when threatened, is quite aggressive. If he gets upset, he’ll rise like a rattlesnake or hiss. So it’s a species very sought after by humans.
However, one of the rat snake’s favorite prey is the wild rat (Microtus arvalis). These small mammals often become a pest that causes significant damage to crops. To prevent this from happening, it is essential to respect the presence of snakes.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Curiosities section of the animal world.