10 of the most common myths about snakes

DOZEN • SNAKE • MYTHS • REPTILES

Snake - one of the most mysterious inhabitants of our planet. Primitive hunters at a meeting with any snake in a hurry to escape from her flight, knowing that just one bite is able to condemn to death. Fear helps to avoid bites, but prevented learn more about these mysterious creatures. And where precise knowledge was not enough, the gaps were filled fantasy and speculation over the centuries becoming more refined.

And despite the fact that many of these reptiles already fairly well understood, old, passed from generation to generation of rumors and legends about snakes still own the minds of people. In order to somehow break this vicious circle, we have collected 10 of the most common myths about snakes and refuted them.

1. Snakes drink milk

This myth many of us became known for the product Conan Doyle "The Speckled Band". In fact, the attempt to drink milk snake can be fatal: they do not digest lactose in principle.

2. Attacking snakes sting

For unknown reasons, many people believe that snakes its sharp sting, forked tongue at the end. Snake bite teeth, like all other animals. Language serves them completely for other purposes.

 3. Snakes before throwing, threatening, sticks out his tongue

As already mentioned, a snake's tongue is not intended to attack. The fact that no snakes nose, and all of them have the necessary receptors located on the tongue. Therefore, in order better to smell the smell of production and to determine its location, snakes have to stick your tongue.

 4. Most snakes are poisonous

Which famous serpentologam two and a half thousand species of snakes only 400 have fangs. Only 9 of them are found in Europe. The most venomous snakes in South America - 72 species. The rest is almost equally distributed across Australia, Central Africa, Southeast Asia, Central and North America.

5. You can "protect" the snake, snatching her teeth

For a while it really can work. But teeth grow back again, and the snake during their growth, without being able to express the poison can become seriously ill. And by the way, snakes nadressirovat impossible - for them to any person not more than just warm wood.

 6. Snakes always attack at the sight of people

Statistics show that most snake bite humans in self-defense. If the snake hisses at the sight of you and makes a threatening movement, so she just wants to be left alone. Once you step back a little, and the snake immediately hidden from sight, hurrying to save his life.

 7. Snakes can be fed with meat

Most snakes eat rodents, there are species that eat frogs and fish and even carnivorous reptiles. A king cobra example, prefer to eat only other species of snakes. So, what exactly feed the snake, depends only on the snake.

 8. Snakes are cold to the touch

Snakes are cold-blooded animals typical representatives. And so the temperature of the snake's body is the same as the ambient temperature. Therefore, unable to maintain optimal body temperature (just above 30 ° C), so fond of snakes bask in the sun.

 9. Snakes covered with mucus

Another bike, which has no snakes irrelevant. The skin of these reptiles is practically free of iron and covered with a dense smooth scales. It is because of this touch-made snakeskin shoes, bags and even clothing.

10. Snakes entwine the branches and trunks of trees

Quite often you can see a picture of serpent wrapped around the trunk of the tree of knowledge. However, this has no relation to the actual behavior of snakes. They climb on the branches of trees and lie to them, twist them with his body as snakes completely useless.