Snakes - Nature's wonders

Did you ever know that touching a snake can inspire you for your future? It did that to me. I was not interested in snakes but one day I saw a man holding a snake. He said that I could touch it. That is when I decided that I would become a herpetologist. A herpetologist is a person who researches and studies about snakes. I wanted to become a herpetologist to study the venom of snakes and conserve them. I also wanted to become a person who teaches people how to handle dangerous snakes. Many snakes get killed on purpose by people who drive cars over them. So I wanted to form an agency to immediately service snakes on the road. We would put them in their habitat. 

Did you know that SOLENOGLYPHOUS snakes can fold their fangs? They have long sharp teeth to inject venom. Snakes also always have a forked tongue. All snakes are carnivores. They are very dangerous. For example, an inland taipan can kill half a million rats or a hundred humans in a single bite. And anacondas can constrict a human so that he or she can't breathe. Now that was interesting, wasn’t it? But snakes only get aggressive when we trouble them or they get scared. So they won't do anything if you don't.

 But the thing that fascinated me the most was how some snakes spit venom on their attackers. Some snakes like the Mozambique spitting cobra can shoot venom from their glands up to 8ft. Their diet consists of small birds, rodents, amphibians, other snakes, and also sometimes insects. There is also a snake called Puff Adder that can release gas that is a sign of threat. 

MIMICRY is when two snakes look similar to each other in which one snake is venomous and the other snake is harmless. The non-venomous snake is born in the colors of the venomous snake so predators think that the non-venomous snake is venomous. For example, the harness milk snake looks like the venomous coral snake to send predators away. There is an easy way to find the difference between mimicry and real. If the colour is from red to black it lacks venom. But if the snake is red to yellow it can kill a fellow. 

Did you know that the Death Adder has the fastest strike? They have a striking speed of 0.15 seconds. Also, the venomous Tiger snake is one of the most poisonous snakes in Australia and can turn your blood into jelly if it bites you because the venom that is injected into the human who is bitten makes the blood coagulate so that the blood can't move in the body and the person dies.  

Snake venom that can cure chronic diseases like CANCER. Their venom is also used as diagnostics tools and even drugs. BATROXOBIN and COBRATIDE are native compounds purified from snake venoms. The venom can also cure HYPERTENSION, THROMBOSIS, AND COAGULATION DISTURBANCES. Be as flexible and adaptable as a snake and life will become your playground, and that is how interesting these snakes are.

Adrith Rajesh

Grade 5

NATIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL, HSR