Water already. Water already
Zoologists classify the common grass snake as a type of chordates, a class of reptiles, a squamous order, and a family of already-like ones. This snake is found in all regions with a temperate climate - both in our country and in Eurasia as a whole.
Below we will talk about its habitats, dietary habits and lifestyle, as well as explain the ways in which you can distinguish between a viper and an ordinary snake.
What does it look like
The most typical coloration of this snake from the back is a simple brown, dark gray or blackish, with an implicit pattern.
Quite rare, but there are also completely black snakes, as, indeed, albinos. Their abdomen is always lighter, it is a dirty gray color, has a dark stripe stretching to the very throat.
On the sides of the head of most representatives of this species there are two bright yellow or orange oval spots, which is a kind of calling card this reptile (see the photo of the common snake in the article). It should be borne in mind that occasionally there are individuals in which these spots either do not exist, or they are weakly expressed.
Usually the length of the body of this snake is about a meter. But some specimens of common snake females can be larger - up to 150 cm.
habitats
Already ordinary from the class of reptiles is a typical and perhaps one of the most common types of reptiles.
Quite often, these reptiles choose hollows and pits under the roots of trees, as well as burrows. For life, it prefers wet and swampy places already ordinary. The snake is found in abundance near ponds, lakes, rivers, swamps, near beaver huts, in coastal bushes, in old clearings, in damp forests, especially multi-tiered forests, in haystacks, under bridges, etc.
Often settles near human habitation - houses, outbuildings, on household plots. Snakes can be found in sheds, in barns, woodpiles, on garbage heaps. Sometimes they crawl into attics and basements. Apparently, this is due to the fact that permanent human neighbors also live here - small rodents and insects, which make up the main diet of snakes.
Lifestyle
Already ordinary - a rather frisky reptile. Everyone who has ever tried to catch her knows how difficult it is. This snake moves perfectly both on the ground and in the trees. Crawling, it develops speed up to 5 km per hour, and for a snake this is not bad at all. Snakes are also excellent swimmers, keeping their heads above the surface and leaving a trail in the form of characteristic ripples with their bodies wriggling in the water. And if necessary, hunting, he can dive and hold out at a depth for half an hour! He is able to lie at the bottom for a long time, lying in wait for prey. despite such remarkable qualities as a skilled swimmer, snakes prefer not to swim far, hunting in coastal areas.
The day is the usual active time for the snake, he goes hunting most often in the morning or in the evening. At noon, this snake loves to bask in the sun, curled up in a ring on a tree branch or on a brownie. However, all of the above applies to the common snake, but another species of snakes - burrowing from North Africa - leads exclusively night image life.
With the onset autumn months(usually in October-November) snakes hide in holes or under stones and hibernate. They can sleep for 8 months a year - the duration of hibernation depends on the time of the onset of cold weather and their end. Usually hibernation ends by the days of April, when the sun noticeably warms the earth.
For wintering, snakes choose non-freezing secluded places where no one will disturb them. Up to several dozen individuals can gather in such shelters, sometimes other types of snakes join them.
In captivity, it can live up to 20 years. Zoologists suggest that this could be life expectancy in nature, if not for a large number natural enemies.
Mating season and reproduction
Shortly after awakening, male snakes are woven into a hissing ball, arranging fights for the female: the mating season begins for the common snake. And after three months, the snakes are looking for places for future clutches in secluded and damp places: either this is a pile of old foliage, or an old hole, or a hole under a rotten, maturing log covered with moss.
The nest contains 20 to 40 eggs. The length of the egg on average is up to 25-30 mm, and the width is no more than 18-20. Freshly laid eggs are oval in shape, covered with a leathery, sticky whitish shell. They often stick together, forming chains or clumps.
Sometimes the masonry does not remain the only one. It may happen that, having found a nest, another female will report her eggs to these. If the hiding place is not destroyed by rats, the cubs will hatch from the eggs in a couple of months (and if the weather is cold, then in three).
Newborn snakes are still small, no more than 15-20 cm, but they are already quite ready to lead independent life and can hunt - for insects, their larvae, caterpillars, worms and even juvenile fish.
Moult
Having survived the winter, the snakes also go through the process of molting. Their skin at this time fades and loses its former colors. Moulting snakes rub against any protruding places - stones, snags, tree bark, trying to quickly crawl out of their old skin, which peels off them like a stocking.
Those who have entered the habitats of snakes sometimes catch the eye of the so-called creeps (or "shirts") - translucent skins or parts of them that have lagged behind the snake's body. As a rule, the skin comes off the reptiles entirely, but sometimes the molt passes in an abnormal mode - then it loses its old skin in shreds.
Interestingly, at the last moment of molting, the snake becomes almost completely blind: just like from the whole body, a thin skin gradually comes off its eyes, which makes it difficult to see. Then he tries by touch to find some safe secluded gap, crawl into it and wait there for the end of the molt.
A molted snake looks quite impressive - all the strokes on its skin come out clearer and brighter, even the pupils in the eyes become clearly distinguishable.
What is eating
The diet of this reptile consists mainly of small vertebrates and various insects. Frogs, newts, other snakes, rodents, birds, their eggs, chicks, fish, etc. - this is what the common one eats.
Having overtaken its prey (and this snake, like all reptiles in general, attacks only moving, moving animals), it already attacks it. It swallows prey alive and whole. At the same time, the sharp teeth of the snake, bent inward, do not serve at all to plunge them into the body of the victim. He cannot tear her to pieces and start chewing, he cannot even strangle her with his body. Therefore, he swallows it. And he needs teeth to help himself push the body of the caught animal inside, acting alternately with the upper and lower parts of the jaw.
If at this crucial moment some enemy encroaches on the snake himself, he, of course, will have to retreat. And in order to escape as quickly as possible, it will burp a half-swallowed victim. Interestingly, at the same time, the liberated food, often not affected in the least by the adventure, runs away about its own business.
Snakes can stay hungry for a long time, but always need to drink and bathe.
Who attacks snakes in nature
This snake itself also often becomes the prey of various predators. There are enough enemies in the wild. These are badgers, foxes, martens, minks, raccoon dogs. Birds also love to hunt him. An eagle or a kite that has fallen from the sky will grab a snake, and sometimes even a stork will pick it up.
Most often, this reptile will prefer to crawl away from danger as quickly as possible, but if the enemy is too close, the snake can curl up into a knot and make several false attacks towards the offender, hissing loudly. Even snakes can skillfully pretend to be dead - they relax the body, open their mouths with their tongue hanging out and lie motionless, showing a complete lack of reactions to external stimuli. In this case, the snake may even regurgitate partially digested food. Most of predators avoids eating carrion - this is what helps the cunning snake. As soon as the enemy turns away in disappointment, the "imaginary dead man" resurrects and quickly crawls away.
Sometimes it can splash on the attacker with a special yellowish-white liquid that has an unpleasant odor. It does not irritate the skin, only stinks. But most four-legged predators with a sensitive scent stop this, but such protection does not work against birds.
Can it be dangerous for a person?
Most representatives of the already-shaped family cannot do any harm to people. They can only slightly scratch the skin with their teeth if you show a desire to take the snake in your hands. Already ordinary in most cases, when trying to catch him, he will prefer to hide.
However, some species, such as, for example, the tiger snake, common in Far East and in adjacent areas, they have teeth in the back of the upper jaw with furrows containing poison. The bite of such a reptile can lead to edema, occasionally even to lethal outcome.
But in general, an ordinary one is a harmless animal that brings undoubted benefits to a person. In the house, he exterminates rodents.
In addition, there are amateurs who keep snakes in home terrariums. Needless to say, this is a pretty tricky job. Oddly enough, with all the prevalence of this reptile in the wild, for its comfortable existence in captivity, it is necessary to fulfill a number of requirements for temperature regime, humidity, nutrition, the presence of heated shelters, etc. A snake living in a terrarium, as well as crawling among forests, needs to hibernate, which should also be provided by artificially created climatic conditions.
Why are snakes and common vipers confused?
These snakes are often confused, especially by people who are not privy to zoological subtleties. Indeed, there is a similarity between the snake and the common viper - the habitats of these reptiles are very similar, they resemble each other in their lifestyle, diet composition and behavior in general. Both of them are most active during the daytime, from May to September, and also love damp places and bask in the sun in summer.
But this is where the similarity ends, because the viper, unlike the common snake, is poisonous. The consequences of her bite can be called edema, headache, dizziness, chills and nausea.
A photo of a common snake and a viper (see below) shows a distinct difference. As you can see, it's not hard to tell them apart.
Let's take a closer look at what are the similarities and differences between the grass snake and the common viper.
What is the similarity?
Neither the viper nor the viper ever attack a person first, but, having met, they prefer to flee. But both snakes will bite if you step on them. But if you may not even notice the bite of the snake, the bite of the viper is not at all harmless. Therefore, to begin with, being in nature, in the places of the natural possible habitat of these snakes, look under your feet and around!
Try, although it is not always possible in field conditions, to observe the snake you meet. The differences between the snake and the common viper are very noticeable - just to notice this, it may take some time.
What are the differences?
Main and easily noticeable distinguishing feature snake - orange or yellow spots on the sides of the head. You will not find such spots in a viper.
In addition, this reptile can be distinguished by the dorsal zigzag pattern on the skin. True, this distinctive feature will catch your eye, you should not hope too much: if the pattern and background of the snake are dark enough, the pattern may be barely distinguishable.
The viper is often confused with the completely harmless water snake. Its spotted pattern is somewhat reminiscent of markings chessboard, for which tourists call this species or hybrid viper and ruthlessly destroy it. And the water snake does not have yellow spots on the head, like the common snake.
In general, snakes are larger than vipers due to the length of the tail. Some representatives of the former can reach one and a half meters, while most individuals of the latter do not exceed a meter in length.
Usually, in the description of an ordinary grass snake, it is said that it has an ovoid head, while in a viper it looks more like a triangular end of a spear. And the shields on her head are smaller.
Pay attention to the eyes of the met has vertical pupils, while already - round.
Precautionary measures
Here, of course, we are talking about necessary measures to protect yourself from bites dangerous viper. Do not forget that where you can meet snake, you will probably see her.
First of all, heading to the places of possible snake habitats, you should pay attention to your clothes: boots and clothes made of thick fabric with long sleeves should be mandatory for these trips.
When you meet a viper, do not wave your arms, try to crush it or even grab it. In general, you should not make sudden movements. Stop and wait - the snake will most likely crawl away.
In the spring, in April-May, when both vipers and snakes pass mating games, by the way, it is worth being especially careful.
What to do with a viper bite
If you still could not avoid the bite of the viper, limit the movement of the bitten limb so that the poison does not penetrate into the surrounding tissues. And of course, contact us as soon as possible. medical care. When bitten by a viper, it is very important to inject a drug that neutralizes the poison, a special serum, in time. It is equally important to drink as much liquid as possible during this time.
You should not cauterize the bite site or open it so that the poisoned blood can supposedly come off. Do not apply tourniquets to the limb.
It is still not clear whether it is possible to suck out the poison from the wound. Doctors have not come to a consensus, and some of them consider this procedure not harmless for both the amateur "doctor" and his "patient".
About two-thirds of all snakes living on the planet belong to the already-shaped family. At the moment, there are about one and a half thousand varieties, each of which has its own distinctive features.
Despite the amazing resemblance between snake and viper common, due to which many people fall into a stupor at the sight of this completely harmless reptile, they differ from their poisonous relatives in a peaceful and calm character.
snake snake many years ago it was customary to keep as a pet instead of a cat, as they often outperform quadrupeds in catching and other rodents.
In the steppe and mountainous areas, snakes are also frequent inhabitants, where they can be found at an altitude of up to two and a half thousand meters. Since these reptiles are not afraid of people, they can also settle in unfinished buildings, basements, waste dumps and even gardens.
Usually, snakes do not make equipped holes, and roots can become their refuge at night. big trees, piles of foliage and branches, as well as haylofts and crevices in buildings. In soft ground, they can independently make relatively long passages for themselves.
In winter, they prefer to move to more secure places, such as burrows of various rodents and outbuildings made by man. Some snakes wait out the winter period alone or as part of small groups, but most individuals gather in mass concentrations for wintering together with vipers.
There have been cases when snakes, waiting out the cold in the basements of residential buildings, due to the effects of especially low temperatures, made their way directly into apartments and even crawled into people's beds.
Character and lifestyle
Question what kind of snake is already it can be answered with accuracy that it has a very friendly character and does not pose any danger to humans. As soon as he sees people, he will most likely retreat away, preferring not to make direct contact with representatives of the bipeds.
In the event that it still manages to be caught, then the snake, of course, will try to repulse the aggressor, starting to actively throw out its head with a loud hiss.
If such a trick does not bear fruit, then it will begin to emit a specific repulsive smell that can kill the appetite of even many predators, not to mention humans. After trying these methods, the snake may pretend to be dead in order to finally be left alone.
Snakes are unusually mobile reptiles: on flat land they can reach speeds of up to eight kilometers per hour, crawl well through trees and perfectly navigate in the water.
These swim, raising their heads directly above the water surface and leaving behind characteristic traces in the form of ripples. They are able to stay under water for up to half an hour and quite often sail several tens of kilometers from the coast.
Water snakes, on the contrary, are characterized by relatively low mobility and increased susceptibility to heat, so at night they do not show any noticeable activity, but as soon as the first rays of the sun appear, they immediately set off to surf the water expanses.
In case of danger, they can lie down on the bottom or, in rare cases, crawl onto one of the birds, such as geese, or in order to look out for their future prey from there.
Are there snakes poisonous snakes ? Although most representatives of this species are non-poisonous and are considered safe for humans, there are snake family of snakes(more precisely, they fall under the category of false snakes), which have fangs capable of poisoning a rather large animal when bitten. For a person, such a poison is conditionally dangerous, that is, it can lead to death only in exceptional cases.
Snake nutrition
A favorite food for snakes are all kinds of amphibians, such as toads, tadpoles, and newts. Occasionally, their diet includes insects, small birds and mammals.
Frogs are considered the most favorite food for snakes, which they are ready to hunt at any time of the day, which leads to the disappearance of the frog population in places of mass accumulation of these reptiles.
Favorite prey of snakes are frogs
On the coast or in the middle of the water surface, it usually creeps up to the frog, trying not to disturb its potential prey, then makes a sharp jerk and grabs the amphibian. On land, he can simply start chasing them, and getting away from the high-speed snake is not at all easy.
After the victim is captured, he already begins to swallow it, and certainly from the very place for which he, in fact, caught it. Different types of snakes have their own preferences in food: some simply adore toads, others will never touch them. In captivity, they can even eat raw meat.
Reproduction and longevity
mating season snakes usually fall in the spring, with rare exceptions - in the fall. Courtship in these reptiles occurs without particularly complex elements, the number of eggs per clutch ranges from 8 to 30.
Pictured is a snake nest
For incubation of eggs, the female usually picks up optimal location, such as a pile of dry leaves, peat, or sawdust. The time spent by eggs in such an incubator until the offspring hatch is from one to two months.
In conditions wildlife life expectancy can already reach twenty years. For keeping at home, this reptile is not the most the best option, so it's best to get less dangerous pets.
The royal water snake is a relative of the common snake. This species of reptiles is thermophilic and cannot do without water.
External signs of a royal water snake
The royal merman is distinguished by the color of the skin of the back of an olive hue, greenish, olive-gray with a transition to brown. Spotted checkerboard pattern with dark spots or narrow stripes across.
A dark spot in the form of the Latin letter V on the back of the head is turned acute angle to the head.
lower body yellow color varies to orange and red tones, painted with rectangular black spots. In nature, there are individual individuals without patterns and black.
Body dimensions reach a length of about one and a half meters. Large shields on the head have a different arrangement than that of the common grass snake. yellow spots no heads behind.
Distribution of the royal water snake
Royal water snakes in Europe live in southern and western France. To the east extend to Central Asia. They are found in the south of Crimea, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Transcaucasia, Central Asia. Pretty common reptiles in the lower reaches of the Volga. They are also found in rivers flowing into the Black and Caspian Seas. They live in China and India. They are found in large numbers near the Absheron Peninsula in Azerbaijan.
Habitats of the royal water snake
Royal water snakes live only near water bodies. The shores of lakes, ponds, rivers, streams are the main habitats of water snakes. They even meet sea coasts. They live in artificial irrigation systems, canals, reservoirs, fish ponds. Reservoirs are preferred with warm stagnant water and not too fast current. But they are found in the mountains at an altitude of up to 3 thousand meters in cold water mountain streams.
Lifestyle of the royal water snake
Royal water snakes are never found in muddy and dirty water. Just with poor transparency, they will not be able to see the prey. After the hunt, well-fed reptiles crawl out onto the coastal flat stones and bask in the sun.
Water snakes are excellent swimmers, they can be found at a distance of 5 km from the coast.
They easily overcome strong currents and stay in the water column for a long time. Often, reptiles crawl onto coastal trees in search of food.
At night, water snakes hide in cracks, voids under stones, snags, dry reeds, crawl into abandoned rodent burrows. They find shelter in haystacks, dense grass, and accumulate in reeds. large groups.
With the advent of the first rays of the sun, they first warm up, and then follow to the reservoir. Can't stand extreme heat. Fleeing from high temperature air in water or near-water thickets. They overcome swift mountain streams, dive well.
Water snakes hibernate on the shore, looking for shelters located deep underground (up to 80 cm). Single snakes or small groups of reptiles occupy voids and burrows. There are also larger clusters of 100-200 individuals different ages and gender. A large tangle of snakes constantly hibernates in the same place.
In the spring, when the soil surface warms up, water snakes slowly creep out and warm themselves, curled up in a ball.
At sunset, they return to their secluded place again.
With an increase in air temperature, they come to life every day, become more active, then move to water bodies, where they spend the whole summer until the next wintering.
In case of danger, the water snake, like an ordinary snake, releases a sharp-smelling yellow liquid that scares off predators.
Reproduction of the royal water snake
Accumulations of these snakes can also form during the breeding season. During the breeding season, water snakes form clusters of up to 200 individuals. Mating occurs in April or May.
At the end of June, females lay 6-25 eggs under stones, in loose forest litter. If there are convenient places, collective clutches are possible, numbering about 1000 eggs. Development lasts 2 months, young snakes appear in August. Young snakes are able to forage on their own and catch fry in a nearby pond. Sexual maturity is reached in the 3rd year.
Water snakes mate in autumn when they move away from the water. In this case, the female lays eggs for the next year. In nature, snakes are hunted by birds of prey and big fish. Water snakes live from 9 to 15 years.
Feeding the royal water snake
Royal water snakes fish both in fresh water and in the sea. During the day, its catch is about 40 fry 2-3 cm long. Sometimes it swallows more big booty up to 15 cm. During the hunt, the snakes either pursue the fish, or lie in wait and then pounce. If the prey escapes, it does not try to overtake it.
Tries to grab the victim by the middle of the body. It swallows a small fish whole, and grabbing a large victim, grabbing it in the middle, pulls it ashore.
Sometimes the prey cannot get through the throat, then the water one already throws it on the shore.
Finds a solid support, for example, a stone, wraps around the back of the body and begins to slowly swallow the fish from the head.
This species of reptile also feeds on tadpoles, toads, frogs, birds, and small rodents. In fish ponds, water snakes eat fry and harm fisheries.
Keeping a Royal Water Snake in Captivity
Royal water snakes pick up a horizontal terrarium measuring 60 X 40 X 40. Be sure to equip a large pool for swimming reptiles.
day temperature maintain 30-33 degrees, at night they lower it to 20-22. The soil is peat, coconut substrate, coarse sand. After wintering, which lasts 1-2 months, water snakes can breed.
IN summertime on the banks of reservoirs or even directly in the water, frightened vacationers sometimes find a chess snake. Unfortunately, most of these meetings end in failure: someone complains about a ruined vacation, someone hastily evacuates children and property away from cursed places, and some daredevils engage in battle with a creeping enemy, throwing stones and everything at hand at him horrible.
Even many experienced tourists, when meeting with a snake decorated with cells, are sure that in front of them dangerous enemy. In our time, there are many common fictions about these creatures. Our article will tell you how things really are.
Common misconceptions
Serpentologists have long studied and described this species. However, many stubbornly continue to call it chess, which is not even a relative of a dangerous poisonous predator. The stereotype is so widespread that even the name has taken root along with the scientific one.
Even those who are sure that the viper does not bite in the water start to panic when they meet with a chess amphibian. After all, it floats not only on the surface, but also dives beautifully. Many people think that this cunning species is capable of attacking even at depth. But they are right in many respects: vipers do not actually dive and do not attack in the water.
Any Living being in case of danger, and even when he only thinks that danger is near, he tries to defend himself. Man is also driven by this instinct. Therefore, many advise to deal with the reptile without waiting for the attack.
Poisonous or not chess snake? The question is simple only for those who are familiar with this animal. Most prefer to just deal with it. Many chess snakes die at the hands of frightened tourists due to banal ignorance.
Already and a viper: what's the difference
Experts who are well versed in the matter know that it is not so difficult to distinguish between these two species. Of course, even children can recognize the common snake with yellow-orange spots on the cheeks. But his brother with a chess color was less fortunate.
However, there are a few signs that can help you identify these snakes.
The viper's head is spear-shaped. The snake is oval, with a sharp nose. On the back of the steppe viper there is a pattern with a pronounced central zigzag stripe, which is often confused with chess spots located separately from each other.
These snakes have completely different pupils: the viper has thin vertical ones, like a cat, and the snake has round ones. Of course, it is difficult to compare the eyes, the shape of the spots and the head from a great distance, but these differences are not the only ones.
That is why it is named so that it tapers along the entire length. The viper's tail is shorter, tapering sharply.
But main feature in what dwells steppe viper in the steppe, and not near water bodies. But chess simply cannot live without them. In the next photo - a steppe viper, and in all others - water snakes.
External features
The illustrations will help us evaluate the appearance. A photo of a chess snake clearly demonstrates its smoothly tapering body shape, round pupils, and head shape.
This once again proves that we are not a viper at all. In length, this thin snake usually reaches 1-1.3 meters, but there are also larger specimens. The color of these amphibians is very spectacular, dark spots are located in almost perfect order on a light background. As for the color scheme, it can be from olive to chocolate. Tones are warm.
If you are lucky enough to quietly observe the hunting of this predator, try to look into its mouth: there are no long viper fangs. But a nimble forked tongue, like most of its brethren, is available. But you should not be afraid of him, he is not a sign of toxicity.
species affiliation
So, we already know that a snake with a checkerboard pattern is a real one. Scientists call him water, which once again reminds of the way of life. This is a predatory non-poisonous animal that belongs to the family of already-shaped.
area
The heat-loving chess snake lives in the southern regions of Eurasia, as well as in Central Asia and the Transcaucasus. Water snakes settle in the basins of large reservoirs. You can meet them on the banks of the rivers Don, Dnieper, Volga, Kuban; Black and Seas of Azov; many reservoirs and estuaries.
But the viper with zigzag spots, with which the water snake is often confused, lives in the steppe, forest-steppe and mountain zones southern part of Europe, Ciscaucasia, Caucasus, Siberia. She prefers shady ravines, ruined buildings, bushes, mountain slopes. You can encounter such a snake in the mountains up to 2.5 thousand meters high, as well as on Reservoirs dangerous snake not interested.
Behavioral Features
When meeting a man, the merman already behaves quite typically: wriggles, releases a fetid secret, tries to escape, and sometimes even pretends to be dead. Watching him is funny, but you should not abuse it. Loud noise frightens the chess snake.
The behavior of this amphibian is non-aggressive. It will not attack. In June-July, when chess water snakes breed, they may show increased anxiety when meeting a person. You should not be afraid: the snake is not trying to harm you, it is just afraid for the kids.
During the day, these cold-blooded animals prefer not to fuss once again. They rest on sun-warmed stones or wait out the heat in thickets of coastal vegetation. Hunting begins with the advent of coolness. Eat snakes small fish that is caught in the water. The diet may include frogs, small rodents, insects.
How to behave when meeting
If you happened to settle down to rest where water snakes live, do not forget that they are not dangerous. Try to explain to others what the "chess viper" really is.
Photos of snakes taken on vacation will take their place in the album. But when shooting, try not to use a flash, it scares many animals. In addition, during the day, when the snake is calmly resting and the chance to meet it is large enough, and so there is sufficient lighting so that all the beautiful spots are clearly visible in the picture.
It is not worth catching snakes in the water. They breathe with lungs and, resisting, can choke. And in general it is better not to take them in your hands - an unpleasant protective smell is not so easy to wash off.
Precautionary measures
Going on a long hike, the route of which runs along the coast and across the steppe, you should think about the safety of the group. After all, frightened, it will not be easy for anyone to distinguish an ordinary chess snake from a poisonous steppe viper.
It is worth saying that even poisonous amphibians are unlikely to take in head to have breakfast with someone from the tourist group. But if the most unpleasant thing happened and the snake still bit, you should immediately take action. At the site of the bite of the steppe viper, two obvious punctures from poisonous teeth will appear, swelling and numbness will begin. There may be nausea, dizziness, a feeling of intoxication. In this case, the victim must be taken to the hospital. If this is not possible, it is necessary to cool the affected area, provide a drinking regimen (up to 3 liters in small portions), and give an antihistamine. Burning, drinking alcohol and burning the wound will aggravate the condition, there is no benefit from these methods. In the absence of an antidote, the condition is stabilized with the help of Prednisolone, but this drug cannot be used intuitively - medical supervision is necessary. The bite of the steppe viper is not deadly, but it's not worth the risk. For example, the victim may have personal intolerance, and in addition, bacteria from viper teeth enter the wound canal.
But you can not be afraid of the bite of a chess snake. The merman is simply incapable of such a thing. It can only frighten an ignorant person. But someone who knows that this snake is not actually dangerous is unlikely to waste time and effort on unreasonable panic.
The water snake, or as it was called by the people - the "chess viper" is often found in the neighborhood with common snake and lives near both flowing and non-flowing water bodies. His appearance on the beach quite often raises a real panic among vacationers.
People immediately crawl out onto land, and the fate of a troublemaker, alas, is sometimes unenviable. I suggest you find out a few interesting facts about this snake.
Are you taking a picture of a viper, - I heard a voice behind me, - See that you don’t bite.
No, not a viper, but a snake, - I answered, not looking up from the camera viewfinder and shooting another close-up.
Yes, vipers are now interbreeding with snakes: they turn out black, and gray, and in a box, and all are terribly poisonous!
Something like this happens every time someone sees me catching or photographing water snakes.
The notoriety of these snakes is just the fruit of the fear of people who are not familiar with reptiles. Water snakes are deprived characteristic feature non-venomous snake familiar to everyone - yellow-orange spots at the back of the head, which are common grass snake (Natrix natrix). For this reason, unknowing people classify all snakes without such spots as vipers and consider them poisonous and dangerous. Many people divide all legless reptiles into snakes and just "snakes", referring to vipers. So they say: “Is it really or a snake?”.
As soon as they don’t call water snakes: “a hybrid of a viper and snake”, “chess viper”, “chess”. When shouting “chess snake” on the beach, swimmers jump out of the water and wait for the snake to swim away, or until a “dared man” is found and kills the snake with a stick. One often hears the stories of anglers about "meter-long vipers" swimming across rivers or climbing into cages with fish.
All these stories are not really related to vipers, they are about water snakes. The specific name of the snake N. tessellata is indeed translated from Latin as chess, but the water viper has nothing to do with vipers. It belongs to the genus (Natrix sp.) like the common snake.
For a man, the water one is harmless. This snake's means of defense are loud hissing and foul-smelling excrement released when threatened. Unlike the common snake, the water snake almost never pretends to be dead.
The main food of water snakes is fish, which they catch among aquatic plants, snags or lying in wait at the bottom. The snake cannot swallow the caught prey under water, therefore it rushes to the shore, where it swallows the fish, having previously turned its head towards itself.
If the prey is too large, the meal can drag on for an hour or even longer. Some snakes die, not calculating their strength and choosing too large a fish.
“The water one is already quite widespread: from southwestern France, the valley of the river. Rhine in the west, the southern border of the range runs along the eastern part North Africa(to the Persian Gulf, Pakistan), in the east it occurs to the north-west of China, and the northern limits of the occupied territory pass through the Volga-Kama Territory, ”says the candidate of biological sciences, an employee of the Volgograd state university, herpetologist Dmitry Gordeev.
“This species belongs to the class of reptiles (Reptilia), the order of snakes (Serpentes), the family of snakes (Colubridae), the genus of real snakes (Natrix) and the species of water snake ( Natrix tessellata). The water snake is a relatively large non-venomous snake, like all representatives of this family. Moreover, females, as a rule, are longer than males and can grow up to 1.1 m. Despite its impressive size, it is somewhat smaller than the familiar and easily recognizable common grass snake, which can reach up to 1.14 m.
The muzzle of the water snake, compared to the common one, is more pointed, and there are no yellow-orange spots on the sides of the head. Because of the latter circumstance, it is often confused with such venomous snakes as the common viper and the steppe viper. "Oil on the fire" adds a pattern on the back of a water snake, which vaguely resembles a zigzag stripe of vipers. I repeatedly came across dead snakes, which, apparently, the local population took for poisonous and mercilessly exterminated. On one of the expeditions, I came across a place of "mass execution", where I counted 25 "chess vipers" killed.
However, the water one already has a number external signs, which can be easily distinguished from poisonous vipers. The head is most recognizable - in vipers it is triangular in shape and most of the scutes (scales) on it are small, while in the water snake it is oval, and all the scutes are large. If you muster up the courage and look into the eyes of a snake, you can see that vipers, like real predators, have a vertical pupil (like a cat), and a snake has a round one. In addition, vipers are much smaller than snakes: the largest common viper reaches a length of up to 0.73 m.
Vodyanoy already settles near water: along the banks of rivers and irrigation canals, in flood meadows, where he finds his livelihood. Despite the peaceful nature, he is an active predator. Prefers fish different types- perch, roach, loach, can even hunt pike. Therefore, scientists call it an ichthyophage. The snake pulls the caught prey ashore, where it eats. Much less frequently, the diet includes frogs and their tadpoles.
In the literature there is information about the discovery in the stomach of even a cub common viper! The size of the prey can exceed the size of the snake's head, and the movable connection of the lower jaws and some bones associated with them helps to swallow it. Swallowing occurs by alternating movement of the left, then the right half of the lower jaw. This gives the impression that the snake "crawls" on its prey.
The active season lasts almost 9 months, they emerge from winter shelters in April. Soon after this, mating begins, then the snakes meet in in large numbers. One female can lay from 4 to 20 eggs, of which in July, under favorable circumstances, young growth will appear. Reed beds, tree roots, crevices in the substrate, rodent burrows, stumps and snags serve as a refuge for them. They leave for wintering at the end of October in large groups, sometimes together with an ordinary grass snake. Hedgehogs, desman, muskrat, fox, some birds hunt for snakes: osprey, gray heron, kites, serpent eagle, crow, rook and some others.
Every time I hear mention of a "terribly poisonous checkerboard", I talk about water snakes, their way of life, I try to convince them that these snakes are absolutely not dangerous. But every time I encounter misunderstanding, it’s easier for people to be afraid of the “chess viper” than to admit their belief in rumors and stop killing all snakes that lack the “identification marks” of an ordinary snake.
