17/02/2025
UNDERSTANDING THE SNAKES
Most people fear snakes and
several attempt to kill them, as they
do not know that they are part of
the natural ecosystems in which we
live. These innocent victims of our
ignorance about their important role
in the control of rodents and insects
and as part of food chain are at the
top of the list of designated enemy
species assumed by us. This brief
article is intended to provide basic
knowledge of our snakes.
Basic Types
Snakes live on land and also in the
sea. Sea snakes have flattened
tail from both sides and they have
usually very long body. They need
long body as they need more air
in their single but very long lung.
So they inhale lot of air and go
submerged to hunt fish.After a lapse
of considerably long time they need
to come to the surface for another
large quantity of fresh air. They are
of course poisonous but I do not
have the information of biting man in
our country.
Land snakes have rounded tail.
Because of elongated body some
internal organs of snakes are also
more or less elongate both in land
as well as in sea snakes. The heart
is slender or longish. There is only
one lung in most snakes, which
is very long. The lung forms an air
sac towards tail end. This allows
air storage. However, boas and
pythons have two lungs. Python’s
left lung is much smaller than the
right one, which is very long. Snakes
inhale lot of air and can keep it in
the lung for a long time. Food gut or
esophagus is also long, thin-walled
and without any muscles. The prey
is not chewed but swallowed head
first. It is pushed into the esophagus
by the forward and backward
movements of the left and right
lower jaws. Once it down the throat
further push is brought about by
the body muscles. Stomach starts
from esophagus without any distinct
mark. It is also long and enormous.
It is greatly distended when a large
prey is swallowed.More info will be sharedsoon