Article of the Month
March 2015
Frequently Asked Questions about Snakes and Snake Myths
In light of my recent interview with Radio Helderberg 2 weeks ago, I was asked some questions on Snake Myths. This month I have decided to write up a article on common frequently asked questions and we can bust some myths along the way with a little help from our friendly buddies over at Mythbusters =P
I have provided a legend for this article which will make everything so much easier to understand for the general public who do not understand the terms we as "herpers" use and I will provide descriptions and meanings throughout the article as well. This worked very well in last months article on the Rinkhals and I have decided to keep it easier to understand for those that do not research such things.
Legend:
Common Name: The English name of a snake
Scientific Name: The unique name given to each snake species to clearly identify it from the rest.
LD50: The Median Lethal Dose test where lab mice are used to determine the toxicity of snake venom. Lower values mean higher toxicity.
SC (Subcutaneous injection): Subcutaneous injection means the venom was injected directly beneath the skin. And is the most common way in which humans are envenomated after snake bite.
mg/kg: The unit in which LD50 tests are measured and stands for Milligram per Kilogram
Yield: The amount of venom which can be extracted from a snake during the milking process.
Toxicity: The level to which a substance can damage an organism.
Please note all records are subject to extant (living, not extinct) snakes.
What snake is the largest in the World?
I'm going to split this question up in to two sub-questions as this can be a rather complicated question.
-What snake is the longest in the World?
The Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus), from Southeast Asia grows to be the longest snake in the world. Medusa a Reticulated Python owned by Full Moon Productions in Kansas City, Missouri, USA was the longest snake ever recorded and maintained in captivity. At a whopping 7.67 metres and weighing in at 158.8kg she slithered into the Guiness Book of Records in 2013.
-What snake is the heaviest in the World?
The Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus), from South America grows to be the heaviest snake in the world. There are many unconfirmed reports of the size and weight of this snake. Most of these records state that the Green Anaconda can reach a weight of 227kg or more. The girth (the measurement around the subject) also plays a role in the size and weight of the snake. On average this snake can weigh anywhere between 30 and 70kg. The heaviest confirmed specimen was recorded by Dr Jesús Antonio Rivas at 97.5kg.
Which snake has the most toxic venom?
Drop for Drop, the Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), from Central East Australia has the most toxic venom out of any snake in the world towards mice. With a LD50 value of 0.01mg/kg SC (subcutaneous injection), it rivals even that of the sea snakes in toxicity. A rather interesting fact is that there have been no recorded fatalities from this snake, it helps in knowing that the Inland Taipan is only found in semi-arid regions away from civilization.
Which snake kills the most people?
The Saw-Scaled Viper (Echis carinatus), found in the Middle East and Central Asia also including the Indian Subcontinent is currently responsible for the most snakebite cases and deaths in the world. There are over thousands of deaths recorded every year due to bites from this snake. Factors include that this viper resides in highly populated regions and has a highly inconspicous nature.
Which snake is the fastest moving?
The Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis), endemic (restricted to a certain area) to Sub-Saharan Africa. It can move up to speeds of ±11km/h over short distances. That's about a third of the record running speed for humans. They might be the fastest snake on this planet but please note this snake cannot "outrun" a adult human going flat out.
Which venomous snake is the longest?
The King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), found in South East Asia can grow to a length of ±5.7m.
Which venomous snake has the longest fangs?
The Gaboon Viper (Bitis gabonica), found in the rainforests and savannahs of Sub-Saharan Africa has the longest fangs of any venomous snake measuring in at ±5cm.
Do snakes have nests?
No!, Snakes do not have nests. The only exception to my knowledge, is the King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah). The female is a dedicated parent and will build a crude nest (lacking completeness) by scraping up leaves and debris into a mound where she then lays the eggs and will stay by them and protect them until they hatch. After which she will move off to find food so that she does not eat her young. The Rhombic Skaapsteker (Psammophylax rhombeatus) and the Southern African Python (Python natalensis) do not build nests for their eggs but the females can be found coiled around their eggs helping to keep them incubated and protected until they hatch.
Can the Puff Adder Strike Backwards?
Contrary to popular belief the Puff Adder (Bitis arietans), found throughout most of Africa and Southern Africa cannot strike backwards. However the rate at which this snake can move into a striking position and then strike may give the impression that this snake indeed can strike backwards. Like most other snakes it can strike forwards and to the sides without any difficulty.
Do snakes actually serve a purpose in the wild ?
Like almost all living creatures, snakes play a significant role in the environment. The role of snakes in the environment often works with humans interests and not against them.
Are baby venomous snakes more dangerous than their parents?
This is a rather tricky question as it has not been studied very well as far as I know. But to answer the question in short: No!. All venomous snakes can control the muscles controlling their venom glands from birth, neonate (hatchling) venomous snakes have been found to posses a lower LD50 value in mice but in no way can they produce a greater yield of venom than that of an adult snake of the same species which in turn would be a lot more dangerous.
Can snakes eat humans?
Provided that a snake is large enough and hungry enough to overpower and eat a human then the obvious answer is Yes! This may happen on a extremely rare occassion. Keep in mind though that a snake has to identify a human as food. In most cases snakes will avoid and ignore humans as food as they do not exactly smell like prey.
Do snakes have families and travel in pairs?
No!, snakes do not move in pairs or socialise with each other in any way. The only time one would really find snakes together is when it is time to mate. It is highly unlikely to find a snake in your house or garden and then find another snake nearby.
Which venomous snake grows to be the heaviest?
The Gaboon Viper (Bitis gabonica) grows to be the heaviest venomous snake and can reach a weight of ±20kg although weights of this nature have never been recorded. The heaviest verified Gaboon Viper ever caught was a 1.8m individual weighing 11.3kg with an emtpy stomach.
Which venomous snake produces the highest venom yield?
The Gaboon Viper (Bitis gabonica) produces the highest venom yield of any venomous snake. The average yield of venom during injection of a single bite may be around 450-600mg but can be up to a staggering 800-1000mg. 14mg of venom which is a rather small quantity was estimated to be enough to be lethal to a adult human. A verified study reported a maximum yield of 9.7ml of wet venom which translated to 2400mg of dried venom.
Can a snakes tail or forked tongue sting a person?
No! A snakes tail cannot sting a person. Some snakes have a conical scale (forming a cone shape) at the end of their tail, when handling a snake with this type of scale it may press this scale into your hand but in no way can it harm a person or even break the skin.
As for the forked tongue which is used purely for smelling purposes, cannot sting you in any way either. However it can have a slight tickle if it desides to smell the air while moving on your hand or neck OR whichever part it may be around at the time..
Well that pretty much brings us to the end of the March's Issue of Article of the Month. I hope this short article answers some of your questions as well as demolishes a few of those fears. If you enjoyed it or have a comment or suggestion then please feel free to leave a comment on my Facebook Page: Helderberg Snake Removals and I will endeavor to reply as soon as possible. Stay posted for next months article which I have yet to decide on. I have plans to re-work the site a little. I would like to add the previous articles into a catalogue which can still be viewed as they are currently hidden, as well as a comment section under each of them so everyone can comment or suggest as they please. Happy Herp'ing - Jason