The diverse group of creatures known as reptiles are distinguished by its special adaptations and occasionally menacing look. Most King Cobras are shorter, but still long compared to other species. In the wilderness, most King Cobras measure around 10-13 feet.

Creases in the epidermal tissue connect the scales of rattlesnakes. When ingesting large prey, these creases can unfold, allowing the skin to expand to envelop a much greater volume. The skin appears to tightly stretch to accommodate the meal, but in reality, the skin is simply smoothing out from its creased state and is not under very high tension. [69] Reproduction [ edit ] Two male northern Pacific rattlesnakes ( C. oreganus oreganus) engage in a "combat dance" Everted hemipenis of a male C. adamanteus The median lethal dose (LD 50) of a venom is the dose required to kill half the members of a tested population after a specified test duration. A lower LD 50 number indicates increased toxicity. Rattlesnake venom is a mixture of five to fifteen enzymes, various metal ions, biogenic amines, lipids, free amino acids, proteins, and polypeptides. More specifically, there are three main families of toxins in rattlesnakes: phospholipases A2 (PLA2s), snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs), and snake venom serine proteinases (SVSPs). [47] It contains components evolved to immobilize and disable the prey, as well as digestive enzymes, which break down tissue to prepare for later ingestion. [36] [40] The venom is very stable, and retains its toxicity for many years in storage. [36]Cornett, James W. (1998). Rattlesnakes: Answers to Frequent Questions. Palm Springs, California: Nature Trails Press. ISBN 0-937794-23-6. The Philippine cobra ( Naja philippinensis) is one of the most venomous cobra species in the world based on murine LD 50 studies. The average subcutaneous LD 50 for this species is 0.20mg/kg. [34] The lowest LD 50 reported value for this snake is 0.14mg/kg SC, while the highest is 0.48mg/kg SC. [113] and the average venom yield per bite is 90–100mg. [34] The venom of the Philippine cobra is a potent postsynaptic neurotoxin which affects respiratory function and can cause neurotoxicity and respiratory paralysis, as the neurotoxins interrupt the transmission of nerve signals by binding to the neuromuscular junctions near the muscles. Research has shown its venom is purely a neurotoxin, with no apparent necrotizing components and no cardiotoxins. These snakes are capable of accurately spitting their venom at a target up to 3 metres (9.8ft) away. Bites from this species produce prominent neurotoxicity and are considered especially dangerous. A study of 39 patients envenomed by the Philippine cobra was conducted in 1988. Neurotoxicity occurred in 38 cases and was the predominant clinical feature. Complete respiratory failure developed in 19 patients, and was often rapid in onset; in three cases, apnea occurred within just 30 minutes of the bite. There were two deaths, both in patients who were moribund upon arrival at the hospital. Three patients developed necrosis, and 14 individuals with systemic symptoms had no local swelling at all. Both cardiotoxicity and reliable nonspecific signs of envenoming were absent. Bites by the Philippine cobra produce a distinctive clinical picture characterized by severe neurotoxicity of rapid onset and minimal local tissue damage. [114] Cape cobra [ edit ] Cape cobra ( Naja nivea) A popular myth suggests that each rattle section represents a year in the animal’s life. In reality, a rattlesnake can shed multiple times, and gain multiple rattle segments, in a single year. Segments can also wear down and break off over time. 9. Rattlesnakes don’t lay eggs.

As temperatures stabilize into warm days and relatively warm evenings for consecutive days, mean that rattlesnakes are going to become quite active over the next few weeks. I thought it would be good to get out ahead of it and have some discussion out of the way to avoid a lot of the daily alarm that occurs each year.Spiders and snakes are very scary even when seen individually. They (Pseudocerastes urarachnoides) can trigger various phobias as well. The more you learn, the less space snakes will occupy in your mind. Keep in mind that someone can grow up here and see many rattlesnakes and still not know a thing about them, and just because something has been for a long time doesn’t mean it’s the best way to do it. Rubio 1998, p.59 – Knowledge that rattlesnakes are so afraid of kingsnakes' odor led to the development of effective synthetic rattlesnake repellents. Wayne C Hodgson et al. stated in 2002: "Historically, the lethality of snake venoms has been based on murine LD50 studies. Due to ethical reasons, these studies are being superseded by in vitro studies. Instead, the time taken to produce 90% inhibition of nerve-mediated twitches (i.e. t90) in skeletal muscle preparations can be determined.". [2] World's most venomous snakes [3] [4] [5] Snake Common symptoms include swelling, severe pain, tingling, weakness, anxiety, nausea and vomiting, hemorrhaging, perspiration, and (rarely) heart failure. [94] [96] Local pain following envenomation is often intense, increasing with the ensuing edema. [94] Children generally experience more severe symptoms because they receive a larger amount of venom per unit of body mass. [95] Antivenom [ edit ]

Laxme, R.R. Senji, et al. " Biogeographic Venom Variation in Russell's Viper ( Daboia russelii) and the Preclinical Inefficacy of Antivenom Therapy in Snakebite Hotspots." PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, vol. 15, no. 3, 2021, pp. e0009247., doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0009247 All of these movements can sometimes be spotted by humans as Flying Snakes are diurnal. They aren’t typically interested in humans as they’re likely to be chasing rodents and other types of arboreal prey. As with many things, fear of snakes is often just because we don’t know much about them. In the place of reality are all of the behaviors and possibilities that the mind tends to fill in, regardless of how unlikely or impossible they actually are. It may not be an ideal activity for the snake-phobic, but spend some time learning about the snakes in your area. Snakes of the species are very good at aiming their venom as they use their fangs as guns to implement a direction from the spit. Like all pit vipers, rattlesnakes have two organs that can sense radiation; their eyes and a set of heat-sensing "pits" on their faces that enable them to locate prey and move towards it, based on the prey's thermal radiation signature. These pits have a relatively short effective range of about 1ft, but give the rattlesnake a distinct advantage in hunting for warm-blooded creatures at night. [26] [27] Heat-sensing pits located in blue circle on a rattlesnake specimen: Location of the pit is the same in all Viperidae. 1. Trigeminal nerve extending into the heat-sensing pit 2. Trigeminal nerve originating in the brain 3. Heat-sensing pit Heat-sensing pits [ edit ]The Indian cobra ( Naja naja) is a moderately venomous species, but has a rapid-acting venom. In mice, the SC LD 50 for this species is 0.80mg/kg and the average venom yield per bite is between 169 and 250mg. [34] [54] Though it is responsible for many bites, only a small percentage are fatal if proper medical treatment and antivenom are given. [55] The mortality rate for untreated bite victims can vary from case to case, depending upon the quantity of venom delivered and by the individual involved. According to one study, it is approximately 15–20% [56] but in another study, with 1,224 bite cases, the mortality rate was only 6.5%. [34] Estimated fatalities as a result of this species is approximately 15,000 per year, but they are responsible for an estimated 100,000–150,000 non-fatal bites per year. [57] Common krait [ edit ] Common krait ( Bungarus caeruleus) a b Gupta, Ramesh Chandra, ed. (2007). Veterinary toxicology: basic and clinical principles. Academic Press. pp.800–801. ISBN 978-0-12-370467-2. Some types of snakes look like they’ve mated with lizards. This is also the case with the scary and spiky Hairy Bush Viper (Atheris hispida). The King cobra ( Ophiophagus hannah) is the longest venomous snake in the world, and it can inject very high volumes of venom in a single bite. The venom LD 50 is 1.80mg/kg SC according to Broad et al. (1979). [72] The mean value of subcutaneous LD 50 of five wild-caught king cobras in Southeast Asia was determined as 1.93mg/kg. [73] Between 350 and 500mg (dry weight) of venom can be injected at once (Minton, 1974). In another study by (Broad et al., 1979), the average venom quantity was 421mg (dry weight of milked venom). [72] The maximum venom yield is approximately 1000mg (dry weight). a b c Fleisher, Gary R.; Ludwig, Stephen, eds. (2010). Textbook of Pediatric Emergency Medicine (6thed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p.1548. ISBN 978-1-60547-159-4.

This is why Green Anacondas are the most dangerous and numerous in a place during the breeding season, which lasts from April to May. 13. Two-headed Snakes Two-headed Snakes Some other theories argue these horns are actual adaptations to windy conditions in the natural habitat of the snake. Engelmann and Obst (1981) list value of 0.12mg/kg SC, with an average venom yield of 120mg per bite and a maximum record of 400mg. [50] To demonstrate just how deadly this species is, an estimate was made on the number of mice and adult human fatalities it is capable of causing in a single bite that yields the maximum dose of 400mg. Based on the study by Ernst and Zug et al. 1996, which listed the LD 50 of the coastal taipan at 0.106mg SC and a venom yield of 400mg, this would be sufficient enough to kill 208,019 mice and 59 adult humans in a single bite that delivers 400mg of venom. The venom apparatus of this species is well developed. The fangs are the longest of any Australian elapid snake, being up to 1.2cm (0.5in) long, and are able to be brought forward slightly when a strike is contemplated. Coastal taipans can inject large amounts of highly toxic venom deep into the tissue. Its venom contains primarily taicatoxin, a highly potent neurotoxin known to cause hemolytic and coagulopathic reactions. [47]In a 2018 study, researchers looked into the guts of 50 dead rattlesnakes preserved at museums. They found 971 plant seeds that were likely carried by the rodents the snakes had eaten. When a rattlesnake devours some hapless mouse, the seeds it carried in its cheek pouches make their way through the snake’s digestive tract intact. By pooping out the seeds, the snakes help to restore plant growth in its habitat. 12. Benjamin Franklin admired timber rattlers. The largest snake in the world is the Green Anaconda, and it inhabits the rainforests of South America. Due to complexity of exit riders may be required to wait whilst we evacuate the ride Missing Limb or Amputation Information The good news is that much of the danger is very overblown, especially when some simple preventative measures and appropriate reactions are the go-to, over the sensational and useless that often dominate in disguise as common sense. Rattlesnakes do pose a certain danger which can be overcome, for both people and pets, with preparation, knowledge, and thinking it through beyond just doing things the same way as they’ve always been done. Herrara, Christina, et al. " Muscle Tissue Damage Induced by the Venom of Bothrops asper: Identification of Early and Late Pathological Events through Proteomic Analysis." PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, vol. 10, no. 4, 2016, pp. e0004599., doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0004599