Sandy ephas (Echis carinatus). Efa sand snake: description and behavioral characteristics Efa snake

Efa is rightfully considered one of the most dangerous inhabitants of our planet. Its bite is fatal in every fifth case. In addition, she is not at all afraid to use her teeth even against the largest opponents. Therefore, it is better for people to know what this deadly predator looks like. In what regions does it live? And what should you do when meeting him?

Efa snake: description

Efa (lat. Echis carinatus) is a sand snake of the Viper family. This species prefers to live in In particular a large number of These snakes live in the vastness of African wastelands and deserts. Also, some of its subspecies can be found in southern regions Asia and Indonesia.

As for nearby territories, the efa snake can be found in Uzbekistan. And although their population here is not as large as in Indonesia, they still pose a significant threat to people who dare to enter the desert lands of these regions.

Appearance

Over the course of many years, efa has adapted well to life in the desert. This can be seen not only in her habits, but also in her appearance. Thus, light colors predominate on the reptile’s body, most often a golden hue. From the tail to the head there is a dark zigzag pattern, which stands out strongly against the background of multi-colored spots located randomly on the snake’s back.

In addition, efa is a snake with many ribbed scales. They help the reptile regulate its body temperature, which is extremely important for life in arid climates. The scales themselves are ribbed and are best visible on the back and sides of the predator.

But nature has deprived the snake of size. Thus, even the largest individuals rarely exceed the threshold of 80 cm, and the average representative of this species grows only up to 50 cm. But such proportions are quite justified, given the fact that efe has to exist in conditions with limited resources.

Habitat

Let's start with the fact that efa is a very active snake. It rarely stays in one place, and therefore can be found both on the open planes of the desert and among dense thickets steppes. In addition, some representatives of this species feel quite comfortable on rocky terrain. Fortunately, their small size allows them to easily slip into even the narrowest holes and crevices.

However, the snakes themselves prefer to live among dense thickets and bushes. Firstly, this allows the efe to hide its presence from prying eyes. And secondly, there is much more food in such areas, which is very tempting. Otherwise, the predator quickly adapts to any living conditions.

Potential victims

Like most of its relatives, the efa snake is a born hunter. The basis of its diet is insects, as they are easy to catch. Moreover, more big catch can become a real problem for a reptile, because it simply will not fit into its mouth. But this does not mean that the snake cannot kill it - the venom of the efa is quite enough to knock down an adult horse.

In addition, the predator loves to hunt small rodents. For them, they are an important source of energy, since, unlike insects, they are warm-blooded. If food becomes really tight, the efa begins to pounce on everything that it can subsequently swallow.

Features of behavior

The epha snake is active both during the day and at night. This is extremely unusual for reptiles, which prefer to divide the day into periods of hunting and rest. However, our predator does not stop its travel cycle even after it has eaten a hearty meal. The maximum that she will do is slow down her “step”, and then not by much.

Also, this type of reptile does not fall into hibernation. True, in the regions where they live, the coolness rarely drops to the point that it can affect the snake’s metabolism. And yet, with a strong drop in temperature, the epha still calms down a little: it stops traveling and settles in the found hole or crevice.

Reproduction

The efa snake is notable for the fact that it gives birth to living offspring. Let us remember that most reptiles are accustomed to laying eggs, and such metamorphoses are very rare for them. But this type predators decided to stand out from the rest of their brothers.

Mating games for snakes begin in late January - early March. The gestation period is a little over a month, and therefore already in early spring the female gives birth to young offspring. At the same time, at one time it is capable of giving birth to 16 baby snakes, which are immediately ready to feed on their own.

Danger to humans

As stated earlier, sand faff- this is very poisonous snake. If medical assistance is not provided in time, its bite will be fatal to a person. At the same time, the victim herself will experience terrible pain, because the toxins released into the body immediately begin to corrode the blood cells in it.

The worst thing is that efa is not afraid of people. She can safely approach their homes and even crawl into them. For example, there is plenty of evidence that the snake made its lair under the floor or in a closet. Therefore, if a person is in an area where these snakes live, he must always be on alert.

Discussion on the website http://www.lugovsa.net/p/10081

*User lugovsa
“It's a strange name. The shape looks like something Italian, Spanish, or, in extreme cases, German. But in these languages, it seems, nothing like this is observed. Observed in a completely different area: Arabic... "viper", hence Farsi... "viper", Turkish efi "viper". It seems quite logical: Ephs are found exactly where these languages ​​are spoken. But then the stress, in theory, should have been on the second syllable.”

*User yuditsky
“Well, first of all, we need to mention the biblical Efe.”

* lugovsa
“This is true, but I can hardly imagine a borrowing into Russian from Hebrew, which did not leave a trace in Polish and Ukrainian (if this is a “new” borrowing from “Ashkenazim”) or in the whole bunch European languages, if it is old (Septuagint, etc.).”

1) Existing etymology

Wiktionary

Root: -ef-; ending: -a. Meaning: zool. poisonous snake of the viper family that lives in deserts North Africa and South-West and South Asia (lat. Echis).
Etymology (author unknown)
Comes from the Greek. echis "viper", further from goes back to the Proto-Indo-European. *angwhi- “snake”.

2) Biblical bestiary, see; http://ja-tora.com/bibleiskii-bestiarii-afie/

3) Application of the term in Russian

A) Hebrew and Chaldean etymological dictionary to the books of the Old Testament, O.N. Steinberg, Vilna, 1878; see http://greeklatin.narod.ru/hebdict/index.htm

EFE hissing reptile, echidna.

B) encyclopedic Dictionary F. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron. - S.-Pb.: Brockhaus-Efron. 1890-1907

Efa. (Echis arenicola) - snake; see Vipers.

B) National Corpus of the Russian Language

The term has been recorded in the Corpus since 1955, previously used in the Hebrew and Chaldean dictionary by O.N. Steinberg, no other sources could be found.

* Sergey Bakatov. Quiet life in the terrarium (Notes veterinarian) // “Science and Life”, 2008

When the efa assumes a threatening pose, it is velvety and opalescent; warm color, from sandy to light brown; The scales, decorated on the sides with a chain of white beads, begin to vibrate continuously, which creates the illusion that they are moving in all directions at the same time. The epha in a state of excitement swells, and the sound it makes is similar to the sound of boiling oil if water gets into it.

4) Generalization and conclusion

The etymology presented by Wikipedia is puzzling; the Greek name echis viper cannot be identical to the biblical term EFA; why deduce from Greek something that is well known in biblical Hebrew.

5) Hebrew terminology and biblical image

A) Terminology

* EFA = Hebrew EFE snake, viper, echidna (genus of snakes, in Russian poisonous snake), asp.
See Strong 660, Epha;

* Yiddish EFA.

B) Biblical image

* Job 20:16: “He sucks the poison of serpents; The tongue of the viper (EFE) will kill him.”

* Isaiah 30:6: “Trouble is upon the living creatures that go south, through a land of oppression and distress, from whence come lionesses and lions, adders (EFE) and flying serpents; they carry their wealth on the backs of donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels to a people who will not benefit them.”

* Isaiah 59:5: “They hatch serpents’ eggs and weave webs; whoever eats their eggs will die, and if he crushes them, an echidna will crawl out (EFE).

Thus, the name of the snake EFA obviously belongs to Biblical Hebrew, possibly transferred into Russian from Yiddish; after the partitions of Poland Russian Empire there were more than a million Jews. The interpretation of Wikipedia (root -ef-, ending a, etc.) was done illiterately and not professionally.

This snake has a short name, like an exhalation: efa. She is known everywhere in Central Asia, in the valleys and foothills it was encountered so often that people thought that efa was pursuing them.

In fact, this snake is most afraid of people, and when they approach, it makes sounds similar to those we hear when sharpening knives on a grindstone. It is not for nothing that in Uzbekistan the efu is called “charkh iyylon” - which literally means a noisy snake. With these actions, the efa resembles a cobra, which raises its head and takes a threatening stance to stop the ill-wisher.

The most incredible tales are told about efa, especially about its potent poison. They say that from its bite a person immediately dies, and if he does not die, then he remains crippled forever. However, there is some truth in such stories. Indeed, the bite of an epha can be fatal for a person, and there have been many cases where if a person did not die, then for a long time was sick. That is why in years past, sending travelers to long journey, advised to stay away from the formidable eff. However, those scary times have long since sunk into oblivion, and the efu is now as difficult to find as many other snakes, most of which are on the verge of extinction. Nowadays, travelers travel more often by car, even getting to places where it is impossible to travel.

Efa is a small snake, its length can reach 70-76 centimeters. For comparison: the viper is 150 centimeters long, the cobra is slightly smaller - up to 130. But unlike the viper and cobra, the efa is beautiful and impressive. The side of the snake is decorated with a light zigzag stripe, its entire body is covered with white spots, and on the head there is a kind of cross mark, which distinguishes the efu from its other brothers. I have heard more than once that evil people used efu to eliminate their enemies. But ephs have long shunned people, and they never approach buildings; they crawl away as soon as they hear a person. And then - the efa never attacks, it will certainly warn the uninvited traveler with its rustling sound, and can only bite when a person steps on it.

Efa, in its behavior and way of life, is unlike any other snake. I myself had to deal with it more than once in a variety of circumstances.

In the Sumbar Valley near the village of Gerkez we were on an expedition, the purpose of which was to study reptiles during hibernation. So, on one of the warm January days - and here, in the Turkmen subtropics, they are not uncommon - a local boy came running and said that he had seen a snake wedding. We didn’t believe him: despite the warm weather, snakes, as a rule, do not wake up from hibernation. But I knew that ephas were an exception. For the winter they do not hide deeply, but in warm weather They may crawl out. But for snakes to mate in January... It is unlikely. But nevertheless, we hurried after the boy. And, indeed, we saw: a snake ball, like some kind of creature, was moving among the dry stems of grass. I was not mistaken: these were ephs, they did not pay any attention to us, at such moments almost all creatures lose caution.

We present to you the top 10 the most poisonous snakes on the planet. Snakes can be found anywhere, from the forests and steppes of Russia to Australian deserts and African tropics. According to statistics, snake bites cause about 125 thousand deaths per year worldwide.

The good news: The chances of dying from a snakebite are tiny compared to the risk of dying from cancer, heart disease, or a car accident. Bad news: Being bitten by a snake is a very painful way to die. Those lucky enough to survive described various horrific symptoms, such as the inability to breathe normally, numbness in their limbs and failure of various organs. And although doctors have developed many antidotes, the cure still needs to be obtained. However, even the most poisonous snake in the world does not sleep at all and sees how to bite a person. Usually these creatures want to be left alone. And it is better to fulfill this desire if you value your life.

10. Kaisaka, also known as labaria (Bothrops atrox) – lethal dose of poison 50 mg

Due to the yellow color of the chin, this representative of the pit viper family is also called the “yellow beard.” Kaisaka is an aggressive creature that often crawls into human habitation. Found in Central America and tropical South America. The venom of this snake acts very quickly and is fatal within a few minutes. Workers in coffee and banana plantations often become victims of labaria.

9. Black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) – 10-15 mg

The snake, sometimes called the "black mouth", also known as the black mamba, inhabits the savannas and woodlands of tropical Africa and can often be found near termite mounds. The body color varies from gray to dark brown, and the reptile's name comes from the black mouth cavity, this can be seen in the photo of the attacking mamba. The black mamba is a fast snake that has an extremely powerful venom containing a toxic mixture of neurotoxin and cardiotoxin. It kills most victims, including humans, within 20 minutes. Despite its aggressive reputation, the mamba does not rush at a person first and attacks only when it is cornered or taken by surprise. The mamba is also the longest species of venomous snake in Africa and the second longest in the world.

8. Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) – lethal dose 10-12 mg

The most beautiful snake from the colubrid family lives in Sub-Saharan Africa and hunts by expanding the front part of its body. Usually it hangs motionless on a tree or bush, imitating a branch with its shape. For this it was named by the Dutch settlers “ tree snake"(boom - tree, slang - snake). Boomslang injects poison when chewing its victim, because its teeth are located almost in the middle of its mouth, and not at its beginning, like other representatives of the rating of the most poisonous snakes in the world. Its venom is dominated not by a neurotoxin, but by a hemotoxin, which causes the destruction of red blood cells. Boomslang is a very shy snake and thanks to its good eyesight is able to promptly avoid meeting a person. However, if you grab it, the bite is inevitable. This is how the famous herpentologist and zoologist Carl Paterson Schmidt died from a boomslang in 1957.

7. King Cobra (Ophiophagus Hannah) – 7 mg

It is the longest venomous snake on Earth. Most individuals reach 3-4 meters in length, and there are also 5.6-meter giants. The queen snake's venom is so dangerous that it can kill an elephant in just a few hours. For a person, 15 minutes is enough. Fortunately for humans, the cobra prefers not to waste its main weapon and does not bite without warning. She can bite “idly”, without injecting poison or releasing a minimal amount of it.

Lives King Cobra V tropical forests South and South-East Asia, and prefers to hunt rat snakes. She does not disdain poisonous “colleagues”.

6. Taipan (Oxyuranus) – 5 mg

In sixth place on the snake hit parade is the most dangerous snake in Australia and one of the most poisonous creatures on Earth. If you've ever heard the expression “be careful, you're dealing with a sensitive, excitable little bastard,” it perfectly describes the taipan. Any movement near this nervous reptile will most likely provoke an attack. The taipan's venom contains a neurotoxin that works by paralyzing the victim's muscles, which in turn stops breathing. Without an antidote, a taipan bite always ends in death. The person who has been bitten has approximately 30 minutes to get to the hospital.

5. Sandy epha (Echis carinatus) – 5 mg

About 5 mg of poison is enough to kill a person. This is perhaps the most dangerous and deadly snake on our list, as scientists believe that the sand epha has killed more people than other species of snakes combined. The poisonous reptile is so mobile and aggressive that it bites several times. Ephs are not afraid of people; they often crawl into homes, basements and utility rooms in search of food. Those who survive an epha attack may experience kidney problems due to blood coagulation defects.

4. Harlequin adder (Micrurus fulvius) – 4 mg

Mother Nature's brightly colored snake is found in the southeastern United States and northeastern Mexico. This is the only snake in North America, laying eggs rather than giving birth to young. This poisonous beauty prefers not to attack people, but if he really has to, he attacks with lightning speed and without help, the death of the victim occurs within 20 hours. Therefore, it is better to admire him on video and never meet him in life.

3. Indian krait (Bungarus caeruleus) – 2.5 mg

These small reptiles and their relative, the ribbon krait (Bungarus multicinctus), are responsible for the deaths of thousands of people every year across South Asia. In their range from Pakistan to India and Sri Lanka, kraits often crawl into homes to hunt rodents and often bite people while they sleep. The bite of this snake causes paralysis of the facial muscles and sometimes the entire body. Death from respiratory failure can occur within 1 to 6 hours if antivenom is not administered.

2. Tiger snake (Notechis scutatus) – fatal dose 1.5 mg

It lives on the southern edge of Australia and nearby islands in the region. When this fierce, venomous predator prepares to strike, it bends its head and neck in the manner of Asian and African cobras. Tiger snakes are very aggressive and kill more people in Australia than any other snake on this continent.

1. Enhydrina schistosa – 1.5 mg

Although the question is which snake is the most poisonous is controversial, enhydrina is often considered to be the deadliest of all.

This reptile is known not only to be extremely poisonous, but also very aggressive. This type of sea snake is responsible for more than 50% of all attacks sea ​​snakes per person and is responsible for about 90% of all deaths caused by sea snake bites.

Most sea snakes are poisonous, so if you see one in the water, swim away!

Fortunately, none of the top 10 most poisonous snakes are found in the Russian Federation. The most poisonous snake in Russia is the Viper, which is also one of the most common. The guaranteed toxic dose is 40-50 mg. The number of deaths is so small that scientists have not yet been able to determine a more accurate dosage.

This poisonous snake The viper family has never been left without attention. In India they gave her beautiful name“wound”, in Pakistan and Afghanistan - “Pashto”, in Uzbekistan local residents it is called the “boiling snake.” One bite from the sand epha causes death or severe kidney damage in humans. Lethal dose Epha poison is only 5 mg.

And these are not easy legends. The snake ranks seventh among the most dangerous venomous snakes to humans. From its poison every year African continent More people die than from all the snakes in Africa combined.

Description of the snake

This type of viper is small in size. The body length is from 70 to 76 centimeters. Some individuals can reach a length of one meter. Males are usually larger than females.

The appearance of this snake attracts the eye. She is very beautiful and impressive.

• The body is painted bright yellow or golden. There is a zigzag pattern on the surface of the sides, and the body of the efa is covered with white spots.
• The snake's head is decorated with a light pattern in the form of a cross, which in appearance resembles the silhouette of a bird. This distinguishes the efu snake from its fellows.

This pattern allows the ephe to remain unnoticed in the sand, and the special structure of its scales helps regulate body temperature, which is very important in its living conditions.

Where does the sand epha live?

Sand efa, or sand viper, is common in the deserts of the Southern and Central Asia, North Africa. The main habitat is the Hindustan Peninsula, the territory of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

Snakes prefer sandy areas with tall bushes or grass. They can also be found on clay or rocky surfaces.

Lifestyle of sand epha

The behavior of the sand viper is very different from the lifestyle and behavior of other snakes. It is distinguished by great mobility and activity, which does not stop even when it digests food. Efa freezes only in spring in well-heated rocky places for a long time.

IN winter time When other snakes hibernate, efa remains active. Even mating in this species occurs in winter. Cubs appear in early spring.

The sand snake is characterized by viviparity. She does not lay eggs and gives birth to 3 to 12 live young up to 15 centimeters in length. Young individuals grow very quickly, their length reaching 60 centimeters by adulthood.

Efa goes hunting mainly in dark time days, but is active during the day. During the day, in extreme heat, she hides in secluded places and crawls out only after sunset. The rest of the time the snake hunts during the day.

The basis of the snake's diet Insects include centipedes, beetles and grasshoppers. Efa also does not mind eating small rodents, chicks, lizards, lake frogs and small snakes.

The sand viper prefers not to approach human habitation. She only attacks if disturbed. Protecting herself and her cubs, she moves with lightning speed. In a fit of rage, an efa can jump up to half the average height of a person, so when meeting you should not approach it closer than three meters.

Efa is distinguished by an interesting way to travel. She moves sideways. First, it throws its head forward, then moves it to the side and the back part forward, and then pulls up the whole body, leaving a bizarre pattern of oblique stripes on the sand. This method of movement increases the area of ​​the snake’s body. In case of danger, the snake quickly hides in the sand with such speed that it seems as if it is drowning in it.

The sand ephas is not the most poisonous snake on the planet. However, every fifth person bitten by a snake suffered from this particular type of viper.

Efa is not at all afraid of humans, so it very often crawls into residential buildings and outbuildings. Vipers pose a great danger during the mating season.

Be careful - poison!

• The viper will never attack first. She warns of her intentions with a loud rustling sound, which resembles the sound of water pouring onto a hot iron. The snake makes this sound using scales that have a jagged surface, which, when rubbed, produce hissing sounds, and defensive posture, curled up into two rings and raising his head above the arc.

It is for the hissing sounds that the reptile received the name noisy or boiling.

• Despite its eye-catching, spectacular appearance The sand epha is a viper that is one of the ten most poisonous representatives of this class.

Sand viper does not provoke human contact. Most cases of bites are caused by the inattention or curiosity of tourists or hunters.

• Viper venom is very toxic. When bitten, the composition of the blood changes, and there is profuse bleeding at the bite site and the mucous membrane of the eyes, nose and mouth.

Every sixth person who suffers from an epha's bite dies. Suctioning the venom from the bite site for 10 minutes is effective. This will help remove a significant portion of toxins from the body. Suctioning the poison will not cause harm to the health of the person doing it, since the poison is not retained. Applying a tourniquet in this situation is not advisable, since toxins are quickly absorbed into the deeper layers of tissue.