Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Snakes Classification

Water Snakes

As their name suggests, watersnakes spend most of their time in water. They eat frogs and fish. None of the Indian freshwater snakes are venomous however sea snakes are very venomous. Some fresh water snakes have mild venom to help them catch their prey. But the venom is not harmful to man.
Watersnakes are average-sized snakes: not too thin and not too fat. They do not move fast on land like tree snakes but take their time getting around. Once in the water, however, they are strong, swift swimmers.
  • Keelback and Olive Keelback
  • Dog faced water snake

Land Sankes

  • Rat snake
  • Python
  • Cobras

Burrowing Snakes

Burrowing snakes live underground. Of course, there are also other snakes that go underground to escape the heat of the sun and to hide from predators. But burrower’s are the only ones that can dig their own holes. The other has to depend on the holes made by crabs, rats and termites. The burrowing snake’s skull is as powerful as the point of a crowbar. Its stocky body and strong neck muscles make it easy for the snake to bulldoze its way through soft soil. The species from the hills are so dependent on remaining cool that they often die in a human hand (Which usually has a temperature of about 37º C).
There are three groups of burrowing snakes in India:
  • Small Worm Snakes (often mistaken for worms)
  • Sheildtails or uropeltids
  • Sand boas

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