"they prefer amphibians such as toads and frogs, if and when they are available. However, they will prey on rodents, birds and probably other snakes. They are known to raid chickens in the region. The red spitting cobra is oviparous. The female will lay 6 to 21 eggs. The venom of this species, like most spitting cobras, contains a mixture of neurotoxins and cytotoxins. Bite symptoms include slight pain around the wound and numbness of the lips, fingers and tongue. Although it rarely causes human fatalities, survivors are usually disfigured. The murine IP value for this snake is 2 mg/kg."
"i.e., farting. According to an article in the August, 2000 issue of Discover magazine, during a laboratory experiment carried out by Bruce Young, a morphologist at Lafayette College, the snakes only farted when they felt threatened, and some farted so energetically that they lifted themselves off the ground. ""Gyalopion canum"" is quick in short bursts or spurts. Gyalopion canum Gyalopion canum, commonly known as the Western hooknose snake, is a species of small colubrid snake endemic to the United States and Mexico. It is sometimes referred to as the Chihuahuan hook-nosed snake because it is commonly found in the Chihuahuan"
"Skunk Skunks are North and South American mammals in the family Mephitidae. Not related to polecats which are in the weasel family, the closest Old World relative to the skunk is the stink badger. The animals are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong unpleasant smell. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or ginger colored, but all have warning coloration. 1630s, squunck, from a southern New England Algonquian language (probably Abenaki) seganku, from Proto-Algonquian */šeka:kwa/, from */šek-/ ""to urinate"" + */-a:kw/ ""fox."" ""Skunk"" has historic use as an insult, attested"
"Spitting spider Spitting spiders are members of the spider family Scytodidae. There are several genera, of which ""Scytodes"" is the best-known. Over 150 species of scytodids have been described worldwide. Like the Sicariidae and Diguetidae these spiders are haplogyne (having less complex female genitalia), and have six eyes arranged in three pairs. The Scytodidae differ from the Sicariidae and Diguetidae in having a dome-shaped carapace and in their characteristic flecked pattern of spots. Scytodidae catch their prey by spitting a fluid that congeals on contact into a venomous and sticky mass. Remarkably, though it is produced in venom glands in"
"Naja ashei Naja ashei, commonly known as Ashe's spitting cobra or the giant spitting cobra, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Africa. It is the world's largest species of spitting cobra. The specific name, ""ashei"", is in honor of British-born Kenyan herpetologist James Ashe (1925–2004). ""N. ashei"", the largest spitting cobra, averages around in total length (including tail). The largest specimen of this species to date, caught in Kenya, was in total length. Some ""N. nigricollis"" may also reach such sizes, but this is very exceptional, whereas on the Kenyan coast,"
"Peuchen The Peuchen (also known as ""Piuchen, Pihuchen, Pihuychen, Pihuichen, Piguchen,"" or ""Piwuchen"") is a creature from the Mapuche mythology and Chilote mythology pertaining to southern Chile, a much feared shapeshifting creature which could instantly change into animal form. It has often been described as gigantic flying snake which produced strange whistling sounds, while its gaze could paralyse an intended victim and permit it to suck its blood. It has often been reported as the cause of sucking blood from sheep. The creature can be eliminated by a ""machi"" (Mapuche Medicine Woman). In Chile, this word ""Peuchen"" also designates to"
"bite and hold. A proteroglyph or opisthoglyph may close its jaws and bite or chew firmly for a considerable time. A study performed by Chris Broeckhoven and Anton du Plessis found that differences in fang length between the various venomous snakes are likely due to the evolution of different striking strategies. Spitting cobras of the genera ""Naja"" and ""Hemachatus"", when irritated or threatened, may eject streams or a spray of venom a distance of 4 to 8 feet. These snakes' fangs have been modified for the purposes of spitting: inside the fangs, the channel makes a ninety degree bend to"
"Hognose Hognose snake is a common name for several colubrid snake species with upturned snouts. They include three distantly related genera: The North American ""Heterodon"" species are known for their habit of thanatosis: playing dead when threatened. Genus ""Heterodon"": Genus ""Leioheterodon"": Genus ""Lystrophis"": Hognose snakes' most distinguishing characteristic is their upturned snout, which aids in digging in sandy soils by using a sweeping, side to side motion. They also like to burrow in masses of humus. ""Lieoheterodon"" species are known to dig up the eggs of lizards. Hognose snakes are extremely variable in color and pattern. ""Heterodon nasicus"" and ""H."
"Spotted slug snake The spotted slug snake (also known as the white-spotted slug snake or mountain slug snake; Pareas margaritophorus) is a small, harmless species of snake that is rather common and feeds on small invertebrates. Spotted slug snakes are forest-dwellers that are about small to medium-sized. They have fangs that are located on their lower jaw in which they can use to remove the snail from their shells to eat. They have blunt heads that are wider than their actual body width. It averages about 47 cm in length and can be spotted by its collar that can be"
"summer, females lay eight to 17 cylindrical eggs with dimensions of about over the span of several days. The snake's venom, one of its components of which is a neurotoxin called rufoxin, causes hypotension and circulatory shock in small mammals, but is not dangerous to humans. Rufous beaked snake The rufous beaked snake (""Rhamphiophis oxyrhynchus"") is a species of mildly venomous snake endemic to East Africa. It is named for its hooked snout, which it uses to dig burrows, and for its reddish-brown back scales. It hunts small animals during the day with the help of its venomous bite. The"
"Laughing falcon The laughing falcon (""Herpetotheres cachinnans""), also called the snake hawk (erroneously, since it is not a hawk), is a medium-sized bird of prey in the falcon family (Falconidae), the only member of the genus Herpetotheres. This Neotropical species is a specialist snake-eater. Its common and scientific names both refer to its distinctive voice. Its English name comes from its loud voice, as does the specific name ""cachinnans"", Latin for ""laughing aloud"" or ""laughing immoderately"". The generic name ""Herpetotheres"" refers to its preferred food; it is Latinized Ancient Greek, derived from ""[h]erpeton"" (ἑρπετόν, ""reptile"") + ""therizein"" (θερίζειν, ""to mow"
"of the usual two. In all snakes of the genus ""Pituophis"", the epiglottis is peculiarly modified so that it is thin, erect and flexible. When a stream of air is forced from the trachea, the epiglottis vibrates, thereby producing the peculiarly loud, hoarse hissing for which bullsnakes, gopher snakes and pine snakes are well known. Pituophis Pituophis is a genus of nonvenomous colubrid snakes commonly referred to as gopher snakes, pine snakes, and bullsnakes, which are endemic to North America. Species and subspecies within the genus ""Pituophis"" are found throughout Mexico, the Southern and Western United States and Western Canada."
"bite. Laughing falcon The laughing falcon (""Herpetotheres cachinnans""), also called the snake hawk (erroneously, since it is not a hawk), is a medium-sized bird of prey in the falcon family (Falconidae), the only member of the genus Herpetotheres. This Neotropical species is a specialist snake-eater. Its common and scientific names both refer to its distinctive voice. Its English name comes from its loud voice, as does the specific name ""cachinnans"", Latin for ""laughing aloud"" or ""laughing immoderately"". The generic name ""Herpetotheres"" refers to its preferred food; it is Latinized Ancient Greek, derived from ""[h]erpeton"" (ἑρπετόν, ""reptile"") + ""therizein"" (θερίζειν, ""to"
"Ficimia publia Ficimia publia (common name: blotched hooknose snake) is a species of colubrid snake, indigenous to southern Mexico (Yucatan, Jalisco, and Morelos), Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. The blotched hooknose snake is so called because of its sharp-edged upturned snout. It is normally pale tan, pale brown, yellowish tan, orange-tan or reddish brown in colour. The snake has a diet of mostly spiders and insects, and uses its characteristic 'hooked nose' to forage through the debris on the forest floor. When scared or threatened the snake coils up and opens its mouth before striking. It is harmless and not poisonous,"
"about 25% (a quarter) of cases. General symptoms of drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, violent abdominal pain, cramps and vertigo often occur, as does a mild pyrexial reaction. If distressed, the rinkhals spreads its hood, showing its distinctive, striped neck. It is a spitting snake, and can spray its venom up to 2.5 m. Its spitting mechanism is primitive and it has to rear up and fling its body forward to spray its venom. It is also known to fake death by rolling onto its back with its mouth agape. The rinkhals generally prefers grassland habitats because it allows them to blend"
"Scytodes thoracica Scytodes thoracica is a spitting spider, so called because it spits a venomous sticky silken substance over its prey. Its size ranges between . The carapace is unusual in sloping upwards towards its rear end, whereas the abdomen slopes downwards. It has six eyes instead of the eight spiders usually have. It has a wide distribution: found in ""Europe, North Africa, Turkey, temperate Asia to China, Korea, Japan. Introduced to North America, Argentina, India, Australia, New Zealand."" This particular spitting spider features the presence of silk glands in its cephalothorax. Besides the silk glands in its abdomen, the"
"Grass snake The grass snake (""Natrix natrix""), sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake, is a Eurasian non-venomous snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians. The barred grass snake, ""Natrix helvetica"", was split off as a separate species in 2017. The name ""natrix"" is probably derived from the Latin ""nare"" or ""natare"" ""to swim""; it means ""something grammatically feminine which swims"". Many subspecies are recognized, including: ""Natrix natrix helvetica"" (Lacépède, 1789) was formerly treated as a subspecies, but following genetic analysis it was recognised in August 2017 as a separate species, ""Natrix helvetica"","
"the smallest extant snake is ""Leptotyphlops carlae"", with a length of about . Most snakes are fairly small animals, approximately in length. Pit vipers, pythons, and some boas have infrared-sensitive receptors in deep grooves on the snout, which allow them to ""see"" the radiated heat of warm-blooded prey. In pit vipers, the grooves are located between the nostril and the eye in a large ""pit"" on each side of the head. Other infrared-sensitive snakes have multiple, smaller labial pits lining the upper lip, just below the nostrils. Snakes use smell to track their prey. They smell by using their forked"
"the lower front of the fang. Spitters may spit repeatedly and still be able to deliver a fatal bite. Spitting is a defensive reaction only. The snakes tend to aim for the eyes of a perceived threat. A direct hit can cause temporary shock and blindness through severe inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva. Although usually there are no serious results if the venom is washed away immediately with plenty of water, blindness can become permanent if left untreated. Brief contact with the skin is not immediately dangerous, but open wounds may be vectors for envenomation. There are four distinct"
"wide variety of habitats across its range on the islands, including more arid regions, dry woodlands, and cultivated hill country. In the island of Komodo, it has been observed in a variety of habitats including dry savanna and deciduous monsoon forest. It has also been reported that specimens in the island of Komodo are reluctant to spit, but field observations suggest the opposite. This species is easy prey for the Komodo dragon. ""Naja sputatrix"" is very defensive and readily spits out venom when it feels threatened. It is a terrestrial snake that's nocturnal in nature. It preys predominantly on small"
"behavior, while its habit of snapping its jaws shut when anything touches its mouth has earned it the name ""trap jaw"" in some areas. Other defensive responses can include flattening the body and emitting a strong, pungent secretion from the anal glands located at the base of the tail. This musk may be ejected in thin jets if the snake is sufficiently agitated or restrained. The smell has been likened to that of a billy goat, as well as to a genus of common flood-plain weeds, ""Pluchea"", that also have a penetrating odor. Harmless watersnakes of the genus ""Nerodia"" are"
"snake can flatten head and neck into a hood. The head and hood are uniformly dark brown or black. The venom of ""Naja nigricincta"" can cause massive hemorrhaging, necrosis and paralysis in bite victims. These snakes can also spit their venom, hitting their enemies with great accuracy and causing temporary or permanent blindness. This species is native to parts of southern Africa (southern Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, and South Africa). Naja nigricincta Naja nigricincta is a species of spitting cobra in the genus ""Naja"" belonging to the family Elapidae. This species had long been considered to be a subspecies of"
"louder. This display is thought to have evolved as a means of limiting water loss, such as might occur when hissing. However, some authors describe this display as being accompanied by loud hissing. These snakes can be fierce and will strike from the position described above. When doing so, they may overbalance and end up moving towards their aggressor (an unusual behavior for snakes). Little is known about the diets of some ""Echis"" species. For others, their diets are reported to be extremely varied, and may include items such as locusts, beetles, worms, slugs, spiders, scorpions, centipedes, solifugids, frogs, toads,"
"Even within the genus ""Atractaspis"", there are clear differences in the development of the venom gland: ""Atractaspis microlepidota"" develops long venom glands, whereas ""Atractaspis bibronii"" develops short venom glands. Snakes of the genus ""Atractaspis"" generally do not have many behavioral characteristics that separate them greatly from other snakes, but they have a few. One trait is that they like to burrow, which isn’t that odd, however they like to sit still with their nose facing towards the ground, as if it were ready to “leap” into the ground. However, this behavior has only been observed a few times. ""Atractaspis microlepidota"","
"can also apply when an alpaca passes by an older alpaca. Not all alpacas spit, but all are capable of doing so. ""Spit"" is somewhat euphemistic; occasionally the projectile contains only air and a little saliva, although alpacas commonly bring up acidic stomach contents (generally a green, grassy mix) and project it onto their chosen targets. Spitting is mostly reserved for other alpacas, but an alpaca will also occasionally spit at a human. Spitting can result in what is called ""sour mouth"". Sour mouth is characterized by a loose-hanging lower lip and a gaping mouth. Alpacas can spit for several"
"musky-scented secretion from a gland near the cloaca. They often use these techniques to escape when ensnared by a predator. They will also slither into the water to escape a predator on land. Birds of prey, crows, egrets, herons, cranes, raccoons, otters, and other snake species (such as the coral snake and king snake) will eat garter snakes, with even shrews and frogs eating the juveniles. Being heterothermic, like all reptiles, garter snakes bask in the sun to regulate their body temperature. During ""brumation"" (the reptile equivalent of hibernation), garter snakes typically occupy large, communal sites called hibernacula. These snakes"
"Spotted skunk The genus Spilogale includes all skunks commonly known as spotted skunks and is composed of four extant species: ""S. gracilis, S. putorius, S. pygmaea, S. angustifrons"". Mammalogists consider ""S. gracilis"" and ""S. putorius"" different species because of differences in reproductive patterns, reproductive morphology, and chromosomal variation. However, interbreeding has never been falsified. The name ""Spilogale"" comes from the Greek word ""spilo"", which means ""spotted"", and gale, which means ""weasel"". ""Putorius"" is the Latin word for ""fetid odor"". ""Gracilis"" is the Latin word for ""slender"". Several other names attributed to ""S. putorius"" include: civet cat, polecat, hydrophobian skunk, phoby"
"spitting cobras, have a specialized venom delivery mechanism, in which their front fangs, instead of releasing venom through the tips (similar to a hypodermic needle), have a rifled opening in the front surface which allows the snake to propel the venom out of the mouth. While typically referred to as ""spitting"", the action is more like squirting. The range and accuracy with which they can shoot their venom varies from species to species, but it is used primarily as a defense mechanism. Once sprayed onto a victim's skin, the venom acts as a severe irritant. If it is introduced to"
"Skunk ape The skunk ape, also known as the swamp cabbage man, swamp ape, stink ape, Florida Bigfoot, Louisiana Bigfoot, myakka ape, swampsquatch, and myakka skunk ape, is a humanoid creature said to inhabit the U.S. states of Florida, North Carolina, and Arkansas, although reports from Florida are most common. It is named for its appearance and for the unpleasant odor that is said to accompany it. Reports of the skunk ape were particularly common in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1974, sightings of a large, foul-smelling, hairy, ape-like creature, which ran upright on two legs were reported in suburban"
"but it resembles the venomous variable coral snake, and this frightens predators away. Ficimia publia Ficimia publia (common name: blotched hooknose snake) is a species of colubrid snake, indigenous to southern Mexico (Yucatan, Jalisco, and Morelos), Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. The blotched hooknose snake is so called because of its sharp-edged upturned snout. It is normally pale tan, pale brown, yellowish tan, orange-tan or reddish brown in colour. The snake has a diet of mostly spiders and insects, and uses its characteristic 'hooked nose' to forage through the debris on the forest floor. When scared or threatened the snake coils"
"Speckled brown snake The speckled brown snake or spotted brown snake (""Pseudonaja guttata"") is a species of venomous elapid snake native to northeastern Australia. English zoologist Hampton Wildman Parker described the speckled brown snake as ""Demansia guttata"" in 1926 from a specimen collected in Winton, Queensland. The brown snakes were moved to ""Pseudonaja"" by Australian naturalist Eric Worrell in the early 1960s on the basis of skull morphology, and reinforced by American herpetologist Samuel Booker McDowell in 1967 on the basis of the muscles of the venom glands. This classification has been followed by subsequent authors. A 2005 analysis using"
"Blue-bellied black snake Pseudechis guttatus (the blue-bellied black snake or spotted black snake) is a species of black snake that is only found in the inland areas of south-eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales. On average, their measurement is 1.25 m, but some snakes have been found to measure as long as 2 m. Their diet consists of frogs, lizards, and small mammals, therefore making them carnivorous. They, like most other snakes, are oviparous, laying 7–12 eggs during their breeding season. It is unknown what their average venom ejection is. When mice are bitten, the snake's venom is the"
"considered to be the easiest to care for, and captive bred stock is easily found. ""H. platirhinos "" is commonly found, but their dietary requirements can be a challenge for some keepers. ""*) Not including the nominate subspecies."" Heterodon Heterodon is a genus of harmless colubrid snakes endemic to North America. They are stout with upturned snouts and are perhaps best known for their characteristic threat displays. Three species are currently recognized. Members of the genus are commonly known as hog-nosed snakes, North American hog-nosed snakes, and sometimes puff adders (though they should not be confused with the venomous African"