You may have heard someone say that there are several poisonous snakes in Brazil and that snakes are animals that cause panic in many people. But, after all, is it correct to say the name snake? And the term snake? What it means?
In reality, the term snake involves reptiles that do not have legs, that have their bodies covered with scales, in addition to the ability to open their mouths at angles of almost 180° and to dilate the stomach. Snakes also have representatives capable of producing venom, and some are equipped with teeth specialized in the inoculation of these substances. We can conclude that snakes are all those little animals that cause dread and fear in many people. It's a more generic term.
The term snake is used for some extremely poisonous species from Africa and Asia, the so-called cobras. These include about 30 different species that have a poison that can kill a person. An interesting feature is the fact that, when they feel threatened, they dilate their necks and lift their bodies to look bigger and, who knows, chase away their predator. There is a species, the spitting snake, which has the ability to release its venom up to 2 meters away. The purpose of this jet is to make it impossible for the predator to see it. The poison is so powerful that it can blind a person!
In Brazil, these terms are used to designate a group of reptiles of the order Squamata. Although the names “snakes” and “snakes” have different meanings in some parts of the world, in our country they are used synonymously. It is not wrong to use the term snake, but it is more appropriate to use snake.
Snake charmers put rat urine into their flutes so that they are in attack position.
Read below some interesting facts about these animals:
*Some snakes, such as anacondas, eat their entire prey, including the bones.
*In Brazil, there are about 36 venomous species;
*The biggest snakes in the world are the African python and the anaconda. Specimens of an impressive nine and seven meters in length, respectively, have already been found;
* The world's smallest snake is only four inches long and thin as spaghetti-type noodles;
* Snakes do not stop growing during their lifetime;
* A snake can go months without feeding;
*Snake charmers use flutes soiled with rat urine so that they stand up and move according to the movement of the instrument.
by Vanessa dos Santos
Graduated in Biology
