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Infrared sensing snakes use pit organs extensively to detect and target warm-blooded prey such as rodents and birds. Blind or blindfolded rattlesnakes can strike prey accurately in the complete absence of visible light, [ 13 ] [ 14 ] though it does not appear that they assess prey animals based on their body temperature. [ 15 ]
Some who domesticate kingsnakes, such as ranchers, do so in the hopes that the kingsnakes will feed on other snakes, which might present more of a threat. It was previously considered a subspecies of the common kingsnake. The desert kingsnake belongs to the Colubridae family, which is the largest family of snakes in the world. [2]
Snake scales are not discrete, but extensions of the epidermis—hence they are not shed separately but as a complete outer layer during each molt, akin to a sock being turned inside out. [61] Snakes have a wide diversity of skin coloration patterns which are often related to behavior, such as the tendency to have to flee from predators.
Optimal digestion occurs when the snake maintains a body temperature between 80 and 85 °F (25 and 29 °C). If the prey is small, the rattlesnake often continues hunting. If the meal was adequate, the snake finds a warm, safe location in which to coil up and rest until the prey is digested. [19]
Lachesis muta is the third longest venomous snake in the world, exceeded in length only by the king cobra and the black mamba. Weight in this species is estimated at an average of 3 to 5 kg (6.6 to 11.0 lb), somewhat less than the heaviest rattlesnakes (like the eastern diamondback rattlesnake ) or Bitis vipers (such as the Gaboon viper and ...
The southern species is generally smaller than its northern relative but in general, the Central African rock python is regarded as one of the longest species of snake in the world. The snake is found in a variety of habitats, from forests to near deserts, although usually near sources of water. The snake becomes dormant during the dry season ...
Concertina movement is the method by which a snake or other organism anchors itself with sections of itself and pulls or pushes with other sections to move in the direction it wants to go. To spring forward a snake may require a rough surface to thrust back against. [1] [2] It is named after the concertina musical instrument. [citation needed]
The Mexican milksnake has distinct red, black and cream or yellow-colored banding, wrapping around the body. This coloration is, likely, an evolutionary survival tactic to ward-off potential predators by mimicking the venomous coral snake which shares much of the same habitat; this has led to the species sometimes being called a coral snake-"mimic".