I saw a post asking about what kind of snakes can swim so I thought I would add this thread as well. Have you ever heard that a snake cannot bite underwater? What do you think? I think it is a myth because anacondas and other snakes have been seen attacking underwater.
Myth or Fact
- Thread starter YogiBear
- Start date
The general rule of thumb is: If it has a tail, it can swim. Since snakes have a tail they can swim. A good number of them feed on fish. Since the fish are in the water, logic dictates that the snake and its' natural lack of appendages is required to grasp the fish with its' mouth, hence biting underwater. Since I have also personally witnessed this behaviour, I'd say: myth.
Refrigerator
New Member
Did you know that snake, like all reptiles are incapable of learning? This is because they lack the enlarged Cerebral Hemispheres found in birds and mammals, this part of the brain controls learning and thought.
Did you know that snakes have no eyelids? Instead of eyelids, snakes have a transparent scale protecting their eye.
Did you know that snakes are completely deaf? All snakes are deaf to air born sounds but they do pick up vibrations in their jawbones and on their scent molecules on their tongue. These molecules are connected to the Jacobson's Organ.
Did you know that snakes move by using special muscles attached to their ribs? If you put a snake on a smooth piece of glass, the snake will not be able to move because there is nothing to grab onto. The scales on their bellies also act as anchors.
Did you know that snakes can swallow big prey, three times bigger than their own mouth? They are able to do this because they have special tendons in their mouth which can stretch very wide. On a couple of occasions, some snakes have swallowed whole Tigers. This would be equal to use swallowing a basketball!
Did you know that most snakes have over 200 teeth? They use these teeth to hold their prey in place while eating. They cannot chew with these teeth because they are pointing backwards but they certainly can bite!
Do you know what snakes that climb trees are called? Snakes that live or spend most of their time in trees are called Arboreal.
Did you know that snakes can't stop growing in their enclosures? Most people think that if you put a snake in a small enclosure that it will stop growing or that it will grow so that it fits inside of the tank. This is not true.
Did you know that snakes have no eyelids? Instead of eyelids, snakes have a transparent scale protecting their eye.
Did you know that snakes are completely deaf? All snakes are deaf to air born sounds but they do pick up vibrations in their jawbones and on their scent molecules on their tongue. These molecules are connected to the Jacobson's Organ.
Did you know that snakes move by using special muscles attached to their ribs? If you put a snake on a smooth piece of glass, the snake will not be able to move because there is nothing to grab onto. The scales on their bellies also act as anchors.
Did you know that snakes can swallow big prey, three times bigger than their own mouth? They are able to do this because they have special tendons in their mouth which can stretch very wide. On a couple of occasions, some snakes have swallowed whole Tigers. This would be equal to use swallowing a basketball!
Did you know that most snakes have over 200 teeth? They use these teeth to hold their prey in place while eating. They cannot chew with these teeth because they are pointing backwards but they certainly can bite!
Do you know what snakes that climb trees are called? Snakes that live or spend most of their time in trees are called Arboreal.
Did you know that snakes can't stop growing in their enclosures? Most people think that if you put a snake in a small enclosure that it will stop growing or that it will grow so that it fits inside of the tank. This is not true.
Refrigerator
New Member
*applauds*
Dinosaur, you are one well-informed fellow!
'Ever seen a water moccasin decide to 'give 'er Hell'? It's also called a cotton-mouth, and it is one really really nasty customer when it's P.O.'d.
LINK about water moccasin:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agkistrodon_piscivorus
There's a spot 3-4 hrs north of me that's locally known as Rattlesnake Mountain. Not only do the rancher's cattle sport leather "socks" or shin-guards to protect from bites (some years, the snake population is, well, up there) but those snakes will slither into irrigation ditches to hunt at night.
I don't think I've ever "frozen" as fast as I have when I've heard that awful warning from a rattler, either: it just paralyzes me.
Dinosaur, you are one well-informed fellow!
'Ever seen a water moccasin decide to 'give 'er Hell'? It's also called a cotton-mouth, and it is one really really nasty customer when it's P.O.'d.
LINK about water moccasin:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agkistrodon_piscivorus
There's a spot 3-4 hrs north of me that's locally known as Rattlesnake Mountain. Not only do the rancher's cattle sport leather "socks" or shin-guards to protect from bites (some years, the snake population is, well, up there) but those snakes will slither into irrigation ditches to hunt at night.
I don't think I've ever "frozen" as fast as I have when I've heard that awful warning from a rattler, either: it just paralyzes me.
Newanderthal
Member
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I once watched a kingsnake attack a mouse and they both ended up in the water bowl. The snake proceeded to constrict and eat the mouse while his head was completely submerged. Kingsnakes are NOT water snakes. All snakes can close up their throats just like we can.
Well, I don't know whether that's true or not, but I have had a lot of personal experience with animals. I do attempt to be observant.
I've eaten a lot of snake including rattler and cottonmouth. I've skinned a lot of them too. I had a pair of snakeskin boots. The maker put the skin over cowhide. I don't know how they do that but I paid for it and had a great looking pair of boots for a while. That rattler was a female and her skin lived on after her for about ten years.
I still have my "Gator" boots. That poor old girl died in my arms. I guess there's worse ways to go but she really didn't seem to like it much. That was back when I was crazy. I'm not that nuts anymore even though there are those people who would tell you different.
The fact is, if you want to know about nature, you have to spend some time in it. I'm a dinosaur. I don't think I'm much different than refrigerator. He's a dinosaur too. We don't belong here anymore. But we can show you some stuff before we go.
Refrigerator
New Member
LOL at Dino!
I'm thinking we're not that far apart in age, let alone experiences, dinosaur.... your name here is a term I use to describe myself at times (among other colorful epithets).
I don't know much about where you are, all of my experiences tend to be north of 49. Alaska and British Columbia share a lot of things in common, so you already know a fair bit about where I've spent my time 'learning' and gettin' whupped by Mother Nature.
I don't know much about where you are, all of my experiences tend to be north of 49. Alaska and British Columbia share a lot of things in common, so you already know a fair bit about where I've spent my time 'learning' and gettin' whupped by Mother Nature.