Posts filed under ‘snake’
gaboon viper the snake longest fang in the world
The Gaboon Viper, also known as Bitis Gabonica, is the ultimate ambush snake. This six foot member of the puff adder family is thick bodied, and has a large triangular head. The body of the gaboon viper is patterned in shades of black, brown, tan, purple, white, and pink and blends in perfectly with the floor of the African rainforest. As the gaboon viper ages, it will start to develop two nostril horns. This perfectly camouflaged appearance allows the gaboon viper to remain hidden from sight, and hunt effectively in the wild.
Hunting and Prey
Preferring to ambush it’s prey, the gaboon viper lies perfectly still in the leaves of the rain forest and waits for prey to happen by. With the patterns and forest colors of the gaboon viper, it is virtually invisible as it lies in wait. With the longest fangs of any snake on the planet, it injects huge amounts of venom that kills smaller animals in their tracks. Larger prey will often run away, only to die later and be tracked down by scent.
The gaboon viper will eat any warm blooded animal that it can swallow. This includes rats, mice, squirrels, and birds as well as larger mammals when the opportunity presents itself. Much like the deadly Black Mamba of Africa, the gaboon viper depends on a powerful venom that can kill virtually animal.
Reproduction and Longevity
The gaboon viper gives birth to live young and reproduces every three years or so. When they do reproduce, they often will have up to 50 baby vipers at a time. The baby gaboon vipers are against a battle to survive right from birth as predation claims many of them. Those that do survive will probably live about 10-15 years.
The gaboon viper is one of the most popular venomous snakes with collectors and can survive up to 20 years in captivity.
Danger to Humans
The gaboon viper is rarely encountered in the wild as they are decreasing in numbers due to habitat destruction. When it is encountered it is often a deadly encounter due to the element of surprise. The gaboon viper blends in to the forest floor so well, it is often not seen at all until it strikes. Extreme care must be taken to stay alert when walking in the African rain forest.
While gaboon vipers are increasingly hard to find in the wild, venomous snake collectors love them. They have a reputation for being rather docile in captivity, but this can lead to careless complacency. Though they are not overly aggressive snakes, the gaboon viper’s bite is one of the most painful and deadly snake bites in the world. Without adequate medical attention, it can be lethal.
With perfect coloration, and the longest fangs of any snake in the world, the gaboon viper is a perfect example of nature’s perfection at work.
Inland Taipan
The fierce snake or inland taipan can reach a total length of 2.5 metres, although 1.8 metres is the more usual length. The upper surface of the snake can vary from dark brown to a light straw colour. Dramatic seasonal colour changes take place, with a darker winter and lighter summer coloration. These changes are an adaptation to the harsh outback climate, the darker markings absorbing heat more efficiently in winter and the reverse in summer. The head especially may take on an almost glossy black appearance at times.
Did You Know? Although the fierce snake is the most toxic snake in the world with venom more potent than any other species by a large margin. There have never been any human fatalities caused by this species. Several bites have been recorded and successfully treated by taipan antivenom which is produced and manufactured by the Australian Reptile Park and the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories in Melbourne.
Habitat: The fierce snake inhabits the black soil plains in the region where Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory borders converge. There is little in the way of cover or vegetation, the snakes utilising the deep cracks and fissures formed in the dry soil to escape predators and the searing heat.
Diet: The diet is almost solely composed of small mammals, particularly native rats, which, at times, reach plague proportions in this region. The prey is subdued with a series of rapid accurate strikes, which injects the extremely toxic venom deep into the rodent. The venom is unequaled in toxicity amongst any snake anywhere in the world.
Reproduction: Populations of this snake are highly dependent on the availability of its favourite prey. When the rats experience a good year, the numbers of fierce snakes also rises soon after. By the same token, when a poor year follows many rats and snakes perish from lack of food. The female fierce snake lays between 12 and 20 eggs per clutch, which are laid in an abandoned animals burrow or deep soil crevice.
source : http://www.reptilepark.com.au/animals.asp?catID=16&ID=112
king cobra
Ular King Cobra atau dalam bahasa Latin disebut ophiophagus hannah ini merupakan ular berbisa terpanjang di dunia. Ukuran panjang tubuhnya bisa mencapai 5 meter. Selain itu ular King Cobra memiliki ukuran otak paling besar jika dibandingkan dengan jenis ular lainnya.
Ular ini memiliki jenis racun neurotoksin dan juga terdapat hemotoksin. Karena dosis racun yang disuntikkan sangat besar maka korban dari gigitan ular ini hampir semuanya menyebabkan kematian.
Ular King Cobra memiliki ketahanan terhadap jenis racun ular apapun dan dapat mematikan semua jenis ular jenis apapun. Makanannya pun sebaian besar adalah jenis ular lain, kadal, dan berbagai jenis reptil.
Habitat ular King Cobra biasanya di ladang, hutan dan perkebunan yang jarang tersentuh manusia. Ular jenis ini sangat aktif di siang hari dan termasuk jenis ular yang sangat protektif terhadap keamanan sarangnya.
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