Sand snake efa. Sandy efa - description, where it lives, features

Not all snakes come from eggs. There is a viviparous snake efa, photos and videos of which we invite you to watch today. Efa is not only viviparous, but also very poisonous.

Sandy efa included in the top ten poisonous snakes of our planet. Its bite is extremely painful and dangerous. Let's get to know this amazing snake better.

This snake is a reptile that scientists classify as a member of the Squamate order. The name of this animal comes from the Latin - “Echis carinatus”. The sand ephas belongs to the viper snake family and is considered one of the ten most poisonous snakes in the world.

What does Sandy Efa look like?

Representatives of this species of reptiles in adulthood acquire not very big sizes. Very rarely their length exceeds 100 centimeters. Typically, the length of an adult sand epha is approximately 70 centimeters. These animals are quite noticeable because they have a fairly bright yellow or golden color. The body of the efa is “decorated” with a long zigzag pattern from the head to the end of the body, and the entire snake is covered with light spots (on the body) and dark spots (on the head). If you look at all the dark spots on the head, you can see something like a cross.

It is not for nothing that Efa belongs specifically to the Scaly order, because there are small ribbed scales all over its body. The scales, which are located on the sides of the snake’s body, have jagged ribs.

The snake moves very interestingly: it first throws its head to the side, then throws the back part of its body forward and to the side, and only then pulls up the front part of itself. This type of movement is called "lateral movement". After the snake has crawled across the sand, its trace remains in the form of oblique stripes.

Features of the Efa lifestyle

Snakes of this species are in constant motion throughout their lives. No matter what the efa does, she remains mobile. Even after she has “had lunch” and the food is digested inside her, she continues to move. Such an active life for many snakes stops when the period of hibernation begins for reptiles, but this does not apply to the sand ephe. Then, when the rest of the representatives of the “snake kingdom” are already motionless and hibernating, the efa continues its active life. If winter is not cold, then its onset will not affect the activity of the snake in any way.

It is noteworthy that the sand epha is a species of viviparous snake, that is, its cubs are born in the form of small snakes. Mating of individuals of this species often occurs in January, and young snakes are born as early as March. Typically, one female gives birth to from 3 to 16 cubs.

Snakes related to this species, feed, as a rule, on insects, as well as small mammals. They love grasshoppers, various beetles, centipedes, small lizards, scorpions and even chicks. And among mammals they prefer to eat mice.

Where does the Sandy epha live?

These snakes are called Sandy because they live most often in deserts. Therefore, snakes of this species are common in Africa, and, in addition, in the deserts located on the territory of the Eurasian continent (in its Asian part). On the territory of the Hindustan Peninsula, scientists have discovered a record accumulation of sand effluents.

Most of all, ephs prefer thickets of bushes or tall grass, but they can also live on rocky surfaces, as well as clay areas.

How dangerous is sand epha?

It has been proven that the efa can kill a person with its bite. Just 1 milligram of sand epha poison is enough to kill dozens of people. Scientists conducted research and made sensational statement that every seventh person on our planet who died from a poisonous snake bite became a victim of the Sand Epha.

This snake has a short name, like an exhalation: efa. She is known everywhere in Central Asia, in the valleys and foothills it was encountered so often that people thought that efa was pursuing them.

In fact, this snake is most afraid of people, and when they approach, it makes sounds similar to those that we hear when sharpening knives on a grindstone. It is not for nothing that in Uzbekistan the efu is called "charh iyylon" - which means in literal translation - a noisy snake. With these actions, the efa resembles a cobra, which raises its head and stands up in a threatening stance to stop the ill-wisher.

The most incredible tales are told about efe, especially about its potent poison. Like, from her bite a person immediately dies, and if he doesn’t die, then he remains crippled forever. However, there is some truth in these stories. Indeed, the bite of an efa for a person can be fatal, and there were many cases that if a person did not die, then he was sick for a long time. That is why in the past, when sending travelers on a long journey, they were advised to stay away from the formidable effects. However, those terrible times have long since sunk into oblivion, and the efu is now as difficult to meet as many other snakes, most of which are on the verge of extinction. Today, travelers travel more often by car, even getting to places where it is impossible to drive.

Efa is a medium-sized snake, its length can reach 70-76 centimeters. For comparison: a gyurza can be 150 cm, a slightly smaller cobra - up to 130. But unlike the gyurza and cobra, the efa is beautiful and spectacular. The side of the snake is decorated with a light zigzag stripe, its whole body is covered with white spots, and on the head there is a kind of cross-mark, which distinguishes the efu from its other brethren. I have heard more than once that evil people used efu to eliminate their enemies. But the ephs have long shunned people, and they never come close to buildings, they crawl away as soon as they hear a person. And then - the efa never attacks, it will certainly warn the uninvited traveler with its rustling, and it can bite only when a person steps on it.

Efa with her behavior, lifestyle is not like any other snake. I myself have had to deal with it more than once in a variety of circumstances.

In the Sumbar valley near the village of Gerkez, we were on an expedition, the purpose of which was to study reptiles during hibernation. So on one of the warm days January days- and here, in the Turkmen subtropics, they are not uncommon - a local boy came running and said that he had seen a snake wedding. We did not believe him: despite the warm weather, snakes, as a rule, do not wake up from hibernation. But I knew that efs were an exception. For the winter they do not hide deeply, but in warm weather They may crawl out. But for snakes to mate in January... Unlikely. Nevertheless, we hurried after the boy. And, indeed, we saw: a snake ball, like a kind of creature, moved among the dry stalks of grass. I was not mistaken: they were ephs, they did not pay any attention to us, at such moments almost all creatures lose their caution.

The sand efa is one of the ten most venomous snakes in the world. Its venom causes profuse bleeding at the site of the bite, as well as from the mucous membranes of the mouth, eyes and nose. Hemorrhage may also occur internal organs. About 20% of victims die from her bite. If the antidote is administered in time, then the person can still be saved.

Sand efa (lat. Echis carinatus) (eng. Saw-scaled Viper). Photo by Tim Vickers

Unlike their close relatives - common vipers, the sandy efa has chosen drier and hotter places as its habitat - the clay deserts of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the sandy expanses of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and India. There are no special problems with the choice of shelter - most often these are bushes, cracks or gullies in river cliffs, or rodent burrows.

The sand efa is a small snake. The length of her body rarely exceeds 75 centimeters. The color is not bright, but beautiful. Light zigzag stripes run along the sides of the body, and a light spot is located on the head, shaped like a flying bird. The color of the scales, depending on the habitat, can vary from light brown to gray.

Her entire body is covered with ribbed scales. Several rows of lateral scales directed downward serve the snake as “ musical instrument» to create a warning signal - a loud rustling sound, reminiscent of hissing.

Photo by

Characteristics this snake is also the way it moves and the ability to make loud warning sounds. They move along the sand not like all snakes - in waves, but sideways, with short throws of the body to the side. It looks something like this: first, the snake brings its head to the side, then pulls the back of the body to it, and only then the front. As a result of such a trajectory of the body's movement on the sand, traces of separate oblique strips with curved ends become clearly visible.

These are quite fast and agile snakes, which plays into their hands when hunting small rodents, small snakes, lizards and various amphibians. Young growth is not yet able to overpower such a big one and therefore is forced to be content with crispy locusts, centipedes, scorpions and other similar living creatures found in these places.

Most of the year they hunt during the day and only in summer - at night, when the suffocating heat subsides and the scorching sun sets. In late autumn and winter they hibernate, but sometimes they can come out to bask in the sun.

Photo by Jan Sevcik

The breeding season comes at the end of February - beginning of March and lasts about a month. Cubs are born in July-August. Unlike many other snakes, the sand efa is a viviparous snake. The female brings from 3 to 16 kites.

In total, scientists have counted more than 2,500 species of snakes in the world, but only 410 of them are poisonous. They differ from each other not only in structure and way of life, but also chemical composition poison, its effect on a living organism. Official statistics claims that up to 50,000 people die from snakebites every year. Which one is the best dangerous snake in the world?

Evaluation criterion

It is definitely difficult to answer which poisonous snake of all their diversity is the most dangerous to humans. Why? Because not only the toxicity of the poison matters, but also the aggressiveness of the snake, the method of attack, the amount of poison injected during the bite, and the location of the teeth. Putting all the factors together, scientists have identified the most dangerous snake on the planet - the sand epha for the following reasons:

• died because of her more people than from all other poisonous snakes combined;
• every 5th person bitten dies even today, in the age of high medical technologies;
• If a person still survives, then he will have health problems for the rest of his life. Most often, the consequences of a sand ephas bite have a detrimental effect on the kidneys and liver.

Appearance: a small snake belongs to the family of vipers, its average length is 55-60 cm, the maximum is 75 cm, and males are always larger than females. Their skin is very beautiful. The general tone is golden-sandy or gray; on the sides of the body is decorated with a large zigzag pattern, along which white spots stretch. The head is decorated with a dark cross.

Efa is distinguished by its peculiar scales: the dorsal scales have sharply protruding ribs, and the small and narrow lateral scales are directed obliquely downwards and are equipped with jagged ribs. Efa cannot hiss, but with the help of its side scales it creates a special noise, warning of an attack. This loud crackling sound is reminiscent of oil boiling in a frying pan, which is why the sand epha is called a “boiling” snake.

Distribution area: Northern and partially Central Africa, Asia (Arabian Peninsula), Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan. A record number of eph live on the Hindustan Peninsula and the island of Sri Lanka. And on the Murghab River, which flows through the territory of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, snake catchers caught more than 2 thousand sand ephemerals in 5 years. They are also found in the United States.

They prefer sandy deserts with lonely saxauls and semi-deserts with sparse thickets of bushes and grasses. They develop clay soils and rocky areas.

Lifestyle: the sand epha spends its entire life on the move, in a hurry to get somewhere, and is almost impossible to see basking in the sun. Even in hibernation the epha does not flow. Although if the weather turns bad, she may hide in a shelter for a while.

If males and females mate in January, then the offspring appear in March; if mating occurs in March-April, then the offspring are born in July-August. The viviparous epha gives birth to 5-15 cubs at a time.

Ephs feed on small animals - insects, mice, chicks, lizards, lake frogs, scorpions, centipedes.

This dangerous snake moves very quickly and in a peculiar way - sideways. She throws her head to the side, then pulls up her entire body, leaving a characteristic trail in the form of a loop behind her.

Behavior: serpentologists believe that the sand epha is the most dangerous snake on the planet. Its poison is extremely toxic, it is not afraid of people, crawls into the territory of the settlement, and attacks often, energetically and swiftly. Considering the speed of movement and the fact that the snake can make half-meter jumps, it is dangerous to be closer than 5 meters from it.

It is from its bites that the most deaths are recorded. She behaves especially aggressively during the mating and molting period.

The effect of the poison on humans: the poison of the sand epha has a complex composition. Once in the body, it disrupts blood clotting, causes a decrease in blood pressure, and kidney necrosis. A characteristic clinical picture is observed: sharp pain, swelling and inflammation of the tissues in the bite area. Numerous internal bleeding is accompanied by heavy bleeding from the nose, gums, and eyes. Bloody vomiting, dizziness, weakness, drowsiness, severe headache, fever, man is delirious. The poison may cause convulsions and shock. Has an extended effect. Even after rendering medical care the patient needs observation, since deterioration of the condition with a fatal outcome can occur within 40 days after the bite. This is a record among snakes.

After a bite, the victim should be taken to the hospital as quickly as possible, because without the introduction of a special serum death inevitable.

One of the most tragic cases occurred in Cairo in 1987. Three children wandered into an abandoned house, where they came across a sand ephas nest. The snake bit everyone. The children died within 2 hours.

The most poisonous snake on Earth is the sea striped belcher. She lives in Indian and Pacific Oceans. There are especially many of these snakes near the northwestern coast of Australia, off the coasts of Indonesia, New Guinea, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands. This is very interesting reptile up to 1 meter long, which can dive to a depth of 200 meters and absorbs oxygen from the water with its skin, remaining under water for up to 8 hours. This is a viviparous snake. She gives birth to 1-2 cubs at a time. The Belcher feeds on small fish and shellfish.

The venom of the striped snake acts as a neurotoxin, being the most toxic of all known to science snake venoms. Its bite kills a person within 1 minute, and just one drop of it can kill a thousand people.

Fortunately, the Belchera is a very peaceful reptile. Divers can safely swim past it, and it will not attack; fishermen carefully remove entangled snakes from their nets, and they do not touch them. Striped snake bites a person only if she is hurt or teased.

Tiger

Latest Scientific research confirmed that the most poisonous land snake is the tiger. A drop of its poison kills up to four hundred people.

It lives in Australia, is found on the island of Tasmania and New Guinea. The skin can be olive, dark brown and black with transverse golden stripes. It grows from one and a half to two meters. Main food - small mammals, amphibians and birds. Viviparous and very fertile, there are up to 30 cubs in one litter.

After a bite, a person dies within 30 minutes due to paralysis of the respiratory center and cardiac arrest. The antitoxic serum must be administered within 3 minutes, otherwise death is inevitable. The only thing that saves you is that tiger snake attacks only as a last resort and will most likely crawl into the bushes when meeting a person.

Cruel or ferocious

This is the second most poisonous land snake on the planet after the tiger. One drop of it can kill 100 people.

The fierce snake, or inland taipan, lives in central Australia and is rare. The body reaches a length of 1.9 meters. Her distinctive feature is the ability to change the color of the skin depending on the time of year. It gets darker in winter and brightens in summer. It reproduces by laying eggs - from 10 to 20 in one clutch.

A bite from an inland taipan kills a person within an hour. Its poison blocks muscle function (nerve-paralytic effect) and at the same time clots the blood (coagulative).

A cruel, or ferocious, snake does not live up to its name, since it behaves calmly and does not attack without a good reason.

The closest relative of the cruel snake. It is also incredibly poisonous, and is also very aggressive and quick to kill, even attacking bases for obvious reasons. Makes 3-4 lightning-fast attacks, biting the victim and leaving him virtually no chance of survival. Due to the strong toxicity of the venom and hostility, it is often called the most dangerous snake on the planet along with the sand ephas.

The habitat of the three-meter reptile is Australia, New Guinea and the island of Tasmania. The skin is a uniform light or dark brown color. Feeds on small animals. Reproduces by laying eggs. There are usually 10-15 eggs in a clutch.

A taipan bite leads to death within a few hours. The poison paralyzes the respiratory center and disrupts blood clotting. If an antidote is not administered, death is inevitable. Even with the introduction of the serum, every second person bitten dies.

For a very long time, scientists did not have the opportunity to study the common taipan. Only in 1950, a young snake catcher, Kevin Baden, caught one specimen at the cost of his own life. Thanks to the brave young man, scientists were able to create an antidote to taipan poison.

The most dangerous snakes in the world

In addition to the top five named above, the most terrible snakes in the world are the following:

• malay krait,
• mulga (brown king),
• black Mamba,
• green mamba,
• african boomslang,
• Philippine cobra,
• common viper,
• Indian (spectacled) cobra,
• Egyptian cobra,
• gabon viper,
• Australian spinytail,
• bungara,
• rattlesnake,
• puff adder,
• hook-nosed sea snake,
• harlequin (eastern) asp,
• bushmaster or surukuku,
• horned viper.

The article lists the most dangerous snakes in the world, an encounter with which can end very sadly for a person.

Where they live: Northeast Australia

Length: 3.5 meters

The strength of the poison is such that one bite can kill about 100 adults or 250,000 mice. The maximum dose (per bite) is 100 mg.

The history of the study of taipan is associated with many dramatic events. For a very long time, people could not get this snake, and all the scientists’ information was based only on the legends of local residents about it.

The taipan was first described from a single specimen in 1867. In the next 56 years, no new information about this snake has been added. However, at that time there was an urgent need to develop an antidote. After all, more than 80 people died every year in Australia from the poison of the taipan.

Finally, on June 28, 1950, a young hunter from Sydney, Kevin Baden, set off in search of this snake. He found a taipan, but when the catcher took the snake in his hands, she was able to dodge and bite his finger. Baden died, but the snake was nevertheless taken to the research center.

Mulga (Pseudechis australis) - Brown king

Location: Australia

Length: 2.5 - 3 meters

Mulgi venom is considered highly poisonous and is produced in large quantities. In one bite average snake Mulga can secrete 150 mg of poison.

Mulga is found almost throughout Australia - all northern and most of western territory of the mainland. They can be found in all states except Victoria and Tasmania. Mulga habitats are forests, meadows, pastures, deserts, deep cracks and abandoned burrows. They do not live in tropical forests.

Mulga feeds on other reptiles: snakes (including poisonous ones), lizards, frogs, as well as birds and mammals. Their body is well adapted to digest other poisonous snakes, their poison is not dangerous for the mulga.

Habitat: Australia, South Asia, islands of the Malay Archipelago

Length: 1.5-2m

One dose is enough to kill 10 people.

Prefers dry places, rich in shelters (burrows, bushes, fallen trees). Very often it crawls onto cultivated lands, into yards, into people's houses. Therefore, there are so many cases of snake attacks on people.

The most common species is the pama or ribbon krait, found in India, southern China, and Burma. Its one and a half meter body is covered with wide alternating yellow and black rings. Its poison is very strong, even a viper dies from the bite of this snake, although vipers are considered susceptible to many types of poison. If you meet a krait during the day, then there is little chance that he will attack. At this time, the snake is extremely lethargic, avoids the sun, seeks shade and moves slowly. If you disturb her, then she usually does not rush, but crawls to the side and curls up into a ring. But at night, kraits are extremely unfriendly, they can attack, even if they are not threatened.

Their poison is very strong. A bitten chicken dies after 15 minutes, and one dose is enough to kill 10 people. The scientist Roussel conducted experiments to find out how the poison of the krait works. A dog bitten by a snake, 10 minutes after the bite, began to twitch the wounded limb and lift it up, but could still stand. After 5 minutes she lay down and began to bark. 25 minutes after the bite, both hind legs were paralyzed. During the second hour, the paralysis worsened: the dog began to breathe heavily and died by the end of that hour.

Since the kraits can lead daytime look life, and, moreover, they are quite numerous, then there are constant meetings between a snake and a person. More often than any other snake, the krait crosses the path of a traveler, penetrates not only into open huts, but even into locked houses, curling up on the threshold of a door, in a corner of a room, in a closet, slips into bedrooms and bathrooms.

Where it lives: Australia, except for the northernmost regions, Tasmania and a number of islands off the southern coast

Length: 1.5-2m

Among all the snakes inhabiting our planet, tiger snakes have the strongest poison. Small animals bitten by a tiger snake die instantly, not even a few seconds pass. And all the poison contained in the glands of one snake is enough to kill 400 people! The venom of the snake affects nervous system victims and paralyzes them. When the poison reaches the nerve centers that control breathing and heartbeat, the victim dies.

An encounter with a tiger snake is very dangerous, although local residents and reassure tourists. They say, despite the fact that the tiger snake is the most poisonous, it is the most cowardly: it never crawls into houses, does not deliberately rush at people and generally tries to stay away from them. Attacks only when defending.

The egg is viviparous and brings abundant offspring - usually up to 72 kites. (There is a known case when 109 embryos were found in a large female at autopsy.

In an excited state, the tiger snake raises the front of the body high, greatly flattening the head and neck. Small animals bitten by a tiger snake die instantly, literally on the spot.

Location: India, South part China, Burma, Siam, Afghanistan, and the southern regions of Turkmenistan to the Caspian Sea

Length: 1.4-1.81 m

“When the Buddha once wandered the earth and fell asleep under the rays of the midday sun, a cobra appeared, expanded his shield and shielded the face of God from the sun. Satisfied with this, the god promised her extraordinary mercy, but forgot about his promise, and the snake was forced to remind him of this, since the vultures made terrible devastation among them at that time. In protection from these birds of prey, the Buddha gave goggles to the cobra, which kites are still afraid of.

Until it is disturbed, the snake lies lazily in front of the entrance to its dwelling, usually basking in the sun, and when a person appears, as a rule, it hides hastily. Only brought to the extreme, she rushes at the attacker.

Cobra venom of neurotoxic action. A minute later, complete paralysis sets in. I spectacled cobra so toxic that a chicken dies from its bite in 4 minutes, and a laboratory mouse dies in 2 minutes.

But a cobra never bites a person without special need, and even if it makes a throw towards the enemy, it often does not open its mouth (fake throw). Never anger a cobra. Even if she is nearby, you should not beat the snake with a stick or throw any objects at it. This will only anger the reptile, and it will attack in self-defense.

Length: 70-80 cm

Habitat: found in the foothills and valleys of Central Asia, throughout northern Africa to Algeria

Lives in hilly sands overgrown with saxaul, in clay deserts, thickets of bushes, on river cliffs and in ruins. In favorable conditions, efa can be very numerous. For example, in the valley of the Murgab River, on an area of ​​​​about 1.5 km2, over 5 years, snake catchers mined more than 2 thousand ef.

Efa - amazing snake. In many ways, it differs from its cold-blooded counterparts. For example, ephs may not hibernate if the winter is not cold. They may mate in January. And by March, small serpents appear, while in other snakes they appear not earlier than June. Surprisingly, the efa does not lay eggs either, it gives birth to live snakes. The female brings from 3 to 16 young reptiles 10-16 cm long.

Despite the fact that efa is one of the most poisonous snakes, it rarely attacks living creatures that are larger than voles. Most often, centipedes, spiders, grasshoppers, midges become its prey. Maybe this is due to the fact that the efa is quite nimble, cannot, like many snakes, just lie in the sun. But in order to digest big catch, you need to be at rest for a long time.

Efa is characterized by movement sideways. She throws her head to the side, then brings the back of the body forward and pulls the front of the body. This method creates a better body support on a loose substrate. Because of this method of movement, a characteristic trace remains on the sand - separate oblique strips with hooked endings.

Efa very rarely crawls into people's houses, but still this sometimes happens. Similar cases have been recorded in Egypt. You have to be especially careful with ruins or abandoned houses. In 1987, three children died in Cairo after finding a nest in an abandoned house where no one had lived for many years. The children went into this house out of curiosity and accidentally disturbed the ef family hiding there. The snake, protecting its newly born offspring, attacked the children. They could not be saved, as the poison acted very quickly.

The first aid measure for a bite is the immediate suction of the poison from the wounds, so that a significant part of the poison can be removed from the body. Squeezing out the poison with your fingers and suction should be done within 7-10 minutes after the bite. Suction is perfectly safe for the people who perform it. A tourniquet should not be applied. It practically does not delay the process of absorption of poisons.

Habitat: Australia, northern Africa, Brazil, Argentina, West Indies

Length: 60 cm to 2.5 m

The most common species are the Egyptian Asp, Coral and Common. The Egyptian asp is the most venomous snake of its kind. A person from her bite dies after 5 minutes. Its average size is about two meters. It resembles in color spectacle snake. It is believed that the asp can cause harm not only when bitten, it can spit out poisonous saliva at a distance of almost one and a half meters.

The common asp is found in Australia and New Guinea. Its length is up to 1.5 meters. It has a very unfriendly disposition, as it attacks everyone who meets it on the way, be it a pet or a person. From her bite, they die quickly and in terrible agony.

If the asp is advancing, then there is very little chance of escaping. Traveler Anderson told the following story: “One day my friend was picking herbs. Suddenly, a snake that he had not noticed earlier pounced and tried to bite his arm. Anderson, without hesitation, rushed to his heels. The snake would have been able to catch up with him, but this story ended unexpectedly - the runner did not notice the anthill, stumbled and fell into the nearest ditch. The snake, apparently blinded by rage, swept past, not noticing that the man fell ... "

There is a vaccine against asp venom. But the fact is that the poison acts with lightning speed. A person dies in 7 minutes, so there is simply no time to administer the antidote. 8 out of 10 bitten people die.

Habitat: South and Southwest Africa

Length: from 50 cm to 3 meters

The poison of the African boomslang is 2 times more dangerous than the poison of the viper or the Indian cobra.

The front teeth on the upper jaw have a groove. Poison flows here during a bite. The poison itself is highly toxic. As soon as it enters the bloodstream, it immediately begins to destroy cells. Experiments were carried out, as a result of which ducks bitten by a boomslang died from poison in 15 minutes, and paralysis occurred in a minute. The venom of the African boomslang is twice as dangerous as that of the viper or the Indian cobra.

A tragic incident in 1957 is known. At this time, the well-known American zoologist, reptile specialist, Carl Paterson Schmidt, who tried to catch the African boomslang and study it, died from the bite of a boomslang, who grabbed the snake, and she managed to dodge and bite the zoologist by the hand. Dying, the scientist until the last moment kept records in which he noted his condition.

Over the past 5 years, 23 people have died from the bite of an African boomslang. True, deaths due to the fault of the viper are 2 times more, and from the cobra - almost 3 times.

With a boomslang, as with any other snake, you must be very careful: do not come close, do not anger the snake, do not make sudden movements.

It is only through the fault of a person that the boomslang becomes aggressive and attacks. In 9 out of 10 cases, when meeting a person, the snake simply tries to hide. Don't touch the snake, then the snake won't touch you.

Location: South Africa

Length: up to 150 cm

The poison of the green mamba is very strong, it is even more toxic than the poison of some cobras. The green mamba can attack for no apparent reason.

Mamba is a very beautiful snake. Her scales shimmer emerald green, with shades of blue and yellow. If a mamba attacks, then there is very little chance of escape. The snake attacks without warning, and its venom acts so quickly that the doctors do not even have time to administer the antidote on the spot, let alone bring it to the nearest hospital.

Of course, it is very difficult to notice this green snake in dense foliage. But anyway, if you are in places where green mambas can live, try to carefully monitor not only living creatures in the grass, but also look at the trees. If you notice a mamba in the leaves, do not risk it, but bypass it.

Habitat: Dagestan, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya. Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Northwest India.

Length: up to 1.5 m

This is the viper, a local deadly snake. Despite the fact that a vaccine against its poison has now been invented, often they simply do not have time to administer it to the victim, and 20% of all those bitten die. Once in the blood, the poison begins to destroy red blood cells, causing blood clotting. There are numerous internal hemorrhages, severe edema in the bite area, blockage of blood vessels. All this is accompanied by severe pain, dizziness, vomiting. If you do not provide prompt assistance, a person dies in 2-3 hours.

The number of these snakes is large. Up to 5 individuals live on one hectare. Moreover, sometimes gyurzes are assembled by a whole team. Often there were cases when up to 20 snakes were found under one small stone at once.

If nothing threatens the gyurze, she is very slow and prefers to lie in the sun or under some kind of stone. She does not even track down prey, but waits, being in one place. But such sluggishness and sluggishness is visible. The snake is slow when nothing and no one bothers her, but if necessary, she is able to move very quickly, including through trees. When danger appears, it quickly crawls away to the nearest shelter. If she blocks the way, then the gyurza emits a loud threatening hiss and makes a sharp throw with her whole body towards the enemy.