Snakes. Dangerous, slithery beasts with nary a respectable limb in sight. Poisonous creatures from the depths of the abyss come to wreak havoc on the surface world and destroy humanity. Or, perhaps, this is describing the anti-snake side of the internet.
Humans react negatively to the sight of snakes, and this reaction is thought by evolutionary psychologists to be a developed instinct in response to a threat. But how much of a threat are snakes? They’re best viewed as introverts, shy creatures who just want to be left alone for once, and are probably screaming and running away from you while you are screaming and running away from them. However, introverts will snap when provoked, and so will snakes, hence all the horror stories stemming from aggressive reactions from snakes. These myths intertwine and expand into a horrifying persona imposed onto snakes, which can actually make snakes more likely to strike, depending on how you react to them.
We all fear snake bites. Just the thought of the excruciating pain and possible death caused by the venom injected into one’s blood makes many shy away. Thus, the most common question asked about specific snakes is, “Is that snake poisonous?” Most snake enthusiasts will be quick to respond, “No, it is not venomous.” Now, for those oblivious to the simmering spite in the snake enthusiast’s eyes, venom and poison are entirely different things.
Poison is a general term for a substance that causes damage to organic tissues when it is inhaled, ingested, absorbed, or injected into the body. Venom, on the other hand, is a type of poison that is injected into the organism. Venom is primarily used for catching prey or warding off predators and is delivered deliberately to incapacitate unlucky victims. The animal has to bite or sting you—anything that actively introduces the venom directly into your bloodstream. In fact, if you do not have any internal wounds or ulcers, you can drink venom without suffering any adverse side effects, as it is a protein that your stomach can digest. However, please do not drink venom. Even the smallest scratch in your esophagus or the tiniest abrasion in your stomach lining can allow the venom into your bloodstream and, if not kill you, leave you in the hospital for a long vacation in agony.
The reality is that very few snakes are poisonous, and the ones that are usually derive this trait from the poisonous amphibians that they consume. Poison is then stored in its nuchal glands, which excrete the toxins through the snake’s skin and between its scales. The venomous nature of their bite is still maintained.
Now then, how do we identify venomous snakes? It’s surprisingly simple! Venomous snakes have slitted pupils, while non-venomous snakes have round pupils. Simple? Simply wrong. How would this contribute to the action of administering venom? Look at any other animal, and you will note that animals active at night (nocturnal) or at twilight (crepuscular) have a slitted pupil and that animals active in the day (diurnal) have round pupils. Pupils can expand and contract to control the amount of light entering the eyes, and slitted pupils allow for more dramatic expansion and contraction, excellent for animals requiring night vision and protection from bright lights.
Round pupils cannot do this to the extent of slitted pupils but can expand and contract enough for the animals to function during the day. Take the green tree python with its distinctive slitted pupil, a non-venomous but very cranky snake in the daytime because it is nocturnal. Or perhaps the coral snake, a notoriously venomous snake with a round pupil. Does this mean that the green tree python is venomous and the coral snake is not? No. Do note that if you are unsure whether or not a snake is venomous or not, please do not approach it and stare into its eyes. You will not have an accurate answer, and the snake will be provoked to bite you.
Venomous or not, snakes are still potentially dangerous. When provoked, some may chase you—they’ll be out to get you. No. Remember that we are so much larger than most snakes. We have four limbs and can snap a snake’s neck with one simple movement; they see us as predators. Nearly everything that snakes do is done out of defense because our presence threatens and terrifies them. When you come across a snake, many will take the path with the least resistance to escape, and so will the snake, hence producing the misconception that they are “chasing” you. Some snakes will chase or try to strike at you, but this is also a defense mechanism, and if you just leave it alone, it won’t try to fight you—an enormous, looming predator.
Snakes aren’t harbingers of death or evil creatures, and the devil does not reside in their bodies. They are simply slithery reptiles with little flicky tongues and a vacant look in their eyes. That being said, please do not attempt to touch snakes in the wild unless you are certain that they are not venomous. And don’t try to investigate these snakes with the incorrect knowledge that you may have. Just let them live their happy, unbothered snake lives.
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