Types of SNAKES and characteristics

Along the history, snakes were associated with various legends and myths, appreciated in certain cultures and repudiated in others. Just like any other animal, snakes can be considered neither good nor bad. We invite you to learn more about these incredible animals!

Snakes (ophidians) are vertebrate animals that They are part of the reptile class. along with lizards, turtles and crocodiles. A characteristic that all snakes share is the lack of legs, shoulders, waist and sternum. They have a horny epidermis, their body is covered with keratinized scales. The scales are small rigid plates that provide insulation and protection. They move by crawling, we find terrestrial and aquatic species.

In this lesson from a Teacher we will tell you about the snakes: types and characteristics.

Index

1. Characteristics of snakes
2. Classification of snakes
3. types of snakes

We are going to discover you main characteristics of snakes for you to know these better reptiles.

• Snakes have their bodies covered with rigid scales formed from keratin, which gives them their characteristic hardness. This marked keratinization of the outer skin prevents the snake from constantly growing, making it necessary to periodically renew its the skin, this means that the snake must make a change of shirt, it expels the old skin that comes off the new one extended below it.
• The serpent's tongue is forked, It has two points, they use it to recognize odors. They are animals that do not have an external ear.
• They reproduce from eggs, are oviparous. Boas, pit vipers and vipers give birth to fully formed individuals, the eggs hatch inside them.
• Another characteristic of snakes is that The skull bones are highly mobile. especially those of the jaw. The lower jaw is attached by elastic ligaments, which allows it to move independently, this feature It is linked to the way snakes feed, since they eat whole prey thanks to the large opening of the mouth. mouth. They are exclusively carnivorous.
• Some snakes have teeth fully formed, while others have "false" teeth. In no case do they use their teeth to chew food, they swallow it whole.
• The poisonous fangs They are specialized structures to procure food and a defense mechanism. Not all snakes are poisonous.

Based on dentition, snakes are classified as follows:

Aglifa

They have even teeth with shorter fangs. They rarely inject poison. Its bite is very painful.

Opisthoglyph

They have two fangs on the back of the maxilla. They need to bite with their mouth wide open to sink their fangs into their prey.

Proteroglyph

The fangs are located in the anterior part of the maxilla. It facilitates the inoculation of the poison when biting, some have the ability to spit it in the eyes of the prey.

Solenoglyph

They have long fangs and, as in Proteroglyph, they are located in the anterior area of ​​the jaw. It differs in that its fangs are located in a specialized muscle that provides them with mobility. They are hollow, since they have an internal channel through which the poison circulates, when they bite they act like hypodermic needles.

Let’s see the different types of snakes that exist:

boas and pythons

This group has the most primitive snakes. His dentition is AGLIFA. Most are snakes that do not generate venom, the way they kill their prey is by constriction. Includes giant snakes. Pythons can measure between 1 and 6 meters, some of them can reach up to 11 meters.

snakes

Here we find the largest number of existing snakes. It covers generally harmless species, although in some cases we find poisonous snakes, they have dentition OPISTOGLIFA, an example of a poisonous snake is the tree snake, its bite can be lethal to the being human.

Cobras, corals and mambas

This group includes cobras, coral snakes, mambas, and sea snakes, all of which are potentially deadly to humans because their venom is extremely toxic. They have small fangs, located in the back of the maxilla, they are PROTEROGLIFA. Its venom has a neurotoxic action, this means that it attacks the victim paralyzing their muscles and causing respiratory arrest.

Vipers and pit vipers

Here we find the vipers and the rattlesnakes, they are mainly of American origin; They all have poison. They have SOLENOGLIFA dentition, their fangs are provided with a channel connected to the poisonous glands. When they bite, they inject their venom that has hemolytic action, this means that it causes damage to tissues, induces bleeding, since it affects the red blood cells and prevents the coagulation of the blood.

If you want to read more articles similar to Snakes: types and characteristics, we recommend that you enter our category of biology.

Bruna Azara, C. (1995). "Poisonous animals. Poisonous terrestrial vertebrates dangerous for humans in Spain".

Horton, M., (1994), "Complete Guide to Snakes". Editorial Hispanic European, S.A. Barcelona, ​​Spain.

Nosti Ales, A. (2018-2019), "Snake poisons, not as bad as they are painted". Degree in Pharmacy. Pharmacy faculty. Sevilla University.