Tiger snake (Rhabdophis tigrina). Tiger already - a description of where it lives, features An excerpt characterizing the Tiger already

According to the structure of the skull and the location of the poisonous teeth, the tiger already belongs to the posteriorly furrowed snakes, just the large teeth are located in the depths of the oral cavity.

External signs of a tiger snake

In terms of body structure, it is similar to an ordinary snake and reaches a length of 1 meter. In the back of the head, under the skin, 10-19 pairs of nucho-dorsal glands are visible, hidden under a small skin roller.

The scales are covered with longitudinal ribs, which are clearly defined. Large eyes with a round pupil. The last two teeth in the upper jaw are large, curved backwards, and are separated from the rest of the teeth by a small gap. The coloration of the skin of a tiger snake is distinguished by its variegated shades.

This is one of the most beautiful reptiles from the collection of Russian herpetofauna. The upperparts are bright green, sometimes dark green or dark olive, fading to light brown or almost black. On the main background, black stripes are located across, which are divided into lateral and dorsal spots. The edges of the scales, located in front of the body, are colored intensely - red or orange-red. This feature of the skin is characteristic only for adults. The head on the sides is decorated with 2 noticeable black spots. The first is at the temple, and the second is in the shape of a triangle, stretching through the lower edge of the eye to the very upper jaw.

The spread of the tiger snake

Already tiger in Russia lives only in the Khabarovsk Territory and Primorye. It is found in Eastern China, on the islands of Japan, lives in Korea.

Habitats of the tiger snake

Already tiger adheres to wet habitats. Selects areas in proximity to swamps, ponds, wet lowlands with a dense grassy cover. In the absence of water bodies, it inhabits deciduous and mixed forests, as well as wet meadows. In such areas, this species of reptiles is quite numerous and widespread; on a permanent 3 km route, up to 44 individuals come across.

Tiger snake food

The basis of the diet of the tiger snake is amphibians: toads and frogs, sometimes fish.

Features of the behavior of a tiger snake

Tiger snakes hibernate in abandoned burrows of mouse-like rodents or in hollows underground, forming clusters of several hundred snakes.

They react to danger by vertically raising the upper body. This defensive, flat-necked posture is similar to that of a cobra opening its hood.

In addition, tiger snakes make body throws towards the enemy, accompanying these body movements with a loud hiss. The caustic substance produced by the nucho-dorsal glands irritates the predator's oral cavity, and he immediately leaves his prey. However, tiger snakes are not so harmless snakes and can inflict bites themselves, but short teeth usually do not stick too deeply, the poison does not get into the blood. Back-furrowed snakes seem to chew on the victim. But if the skin is scratched by long back teeth hidden deep in the oral cavity, the poison enters the bloodstream and causes severe poisoning of the body.

Keeping a tiger snake in a terrarium

The conditions for breeding tiger snakes in captivity are the same, as are the features of breeding common snakes. The temperature in the terrarium is maintained within 28-30 degrees. Reptiles breed well in captivity, possibly without wintering, although experts recommend not disturbing the natural cycle in snakes. Mating usually occurs in February or March, but may occur later if wintering is prolonged.

After 48 days, the female lays 8-22 eggs, they differ in size 2.7-3.5 X 1.6-2.0 mm and weigh twenty grams. Embryos in eggs develop at a temperature of 27-30 degrees and ninety percent humidity. The incubation period is 34-38 days. Young snakes have a body length of 15-20 cm. A week after birth, the supper offspring molt. Growth in young snakes is fast, and at the age of one and a half years they are able to produce offspring.

Poisonous properties of tiger snake

Tiger snakes do not have real, that is, glands with poison developed from the upper jaw. And the poisonous properties of reptiles are determined by Duvernoy's gland, into which the salivary gland has turned.

But, despite the obvious difference, the poisonous secret has not lost its properties. Although the strength of the poison is less pronounced than that of other poisonous reptiles: muzzle, cobras, vipers. Therefore, the tiger snake is called a "conditionally poisonous" snake, meaning that it has poisonous teeth hidden deep inside the mouth.

Rhabdophis tigrinus ( , )

• Rhabdophis tigrinus tigrinus (Boie, 1826)
• Rhabdophis tigrinus formosanus(Maki, 1931)

Description

Appearance

A snake with a bright color - the upper side of the body is green with a dark stripe. On the neck and in the front of the body, the green color changes to red-orange, which resembles the color. Body length - up to 110 cm.

Distribution and habitat

Distributed in the Far East of Russia, as well as in neighboring countries. Inhabits damp biotopes, near water bodies, both in forests and outside them.

Behavior

Defensively, the brindle already assumes a characteristic pose: it raises the front part of the body almost vertically, hisses, and makes attacks towards the enemy. From the nucho-dorsal glands located on the upper side of the neck, a caustic secret is secreted, which forces the predator that has grabbed the tiger snake to immediately release it. As part of this secret, there are polyhydroxylated ones, similar in structure to cardiotonic ones from toad venom.

Nutrition

Tiger already and man

Bite poisoning

There is a known case when a 50-year-old man bitten by a tiger snake was poisoned. Symptoms: bleeding from the wound, increase,. Treatment for a bite of a tiger snake -.

It is kept under approximately the same conditions as, only at a slightly higher temperature (28-30 ° C). Easily breed in captivity, giving up to two clutches per year. Artificial wintering is desirable to stimulate reproduction.

Literature

• Kudryavtsev S. V. Frolov V. E. Korolev A. V. Terrarium and its inhabitants. - M .: Forest industry, 1991. - S. 319-322.
• Orlov B. N. Gelashvili D. B. Ibragimov A. K. Poisonous animals and plants of the USSR - M .: Higher school, 1990. - S. 122. -

The tiger already has some distinctive features associated with protection from predators. The reptile on the back of the neck has glands with a special secret that allow the snake to defend itself from attack. When a predator goes on the attack, the snake deliberately lowers its head so that the enemy bites precisely for these glands. The secret falls into the animal's mouth, forcing the snake to let go. Such a unique feature makes the individuals of the discussed group the most courageous of their kind. But let's talk about everything in more detail.

Description

1. Sexual characteristics are distinctive, that is, females stand out for their overall characteristics. Individuals of male gender are slightly smaller. There are snakes that grow up to 3.5 meters in length. They are slender in body format, elongated and not too thick. The head is medium, protected by paired shields on both sides.
2. The pupils are round, but may be oval or cleft. The tail is not too long, it is inferior to the body by 3-5 times. The shape of the tail is different, starting with a steep, ending with a sharp or rounded one. The body is covered with scales, which can stand out or smooth out, it all depends on the particular individual.
3. The upper part of the body does not have a color characteristic of absolutely all snakes. Usually pigmentation varies between greenish and brownish tones. Snakes can be olive, emerald, gray with an ash sheen, as well as dark gray and brown-red. There are reddish individuals and pure black. The final coloring can be variegated or solid with or without spots.
4. The ventral section is pigmented with white, more dirty than clean and solid. Spots or oblong stripes can be seen in this area, located in the middle and going all the way to the tail. The number of teeth is ambiguous, and there is no single size and format. The teeth are mostly small and sharp.
5. Due to the fact that this species is studied quite carefully, experts were able to establish that there are compacted and large teeth on several sides. Also, when the snake swallows food, these same teeth are bent, that is, they are mobile against the background of the rest of the motionless row.
6. The teeth increase from the middle of the jaw to its depth. Closer to the throat are the largest specimens. In some individuals, they are located separately from the rest. The tongue is forked, as, indeed, in all reptiles of this kind.

Human danger

1. Snakes in all their diversity do not harm a person. They do not have the ability to attack, mostly snakes try to avoid people or defend themselves when they approach. Often, individuals do not even know how to bite, they only grab and immediately release.
2. When an individual of the species under discussion sees an approaching threat, it tries to hide out of sight. If such a maneuver failed, the reptile behaves quietly and does not move. He can hiss, jump out in a lunge and do a stance, but this is all feigned.
3. If a person tries to get closer, the snake will still bite, but it will do it weakly, without much damage. In the worst case, barely noticeable scratches will remain. Again, this genus of snakes is relatively calm, it will not attack without warning in the form of a hiss.
4. The main means of protection is the liquid ejected from the cloaca, which smells very unpleasant. If a person managed to catch a snake, he will eventually stop resisting, completely relax and open his mouth. The tongue will fall out, and the snake itself will look like a rope.

habitats

1. It is worth noting the surprising fact that the individuals in question are distributed almost throughout Europe and up to the Arctic Circle. Such snakes live in different parts of Africa, except for the most arid regions and deserts. It is also not uncommon in Central and North America. Snakes are also found in Cuba.
2. Reptiles are common in Asia, Australia, South America and various islands. Where such individuals do not occur, they are replaced by a very close genus of cross-eyed snakes. As for the Russian Federation, such snakes mainly inhabit the entire European part.
3. In general, individuals live in places where water and sufficient humidity are present. Much also depends on the type of reptile. Snakes can be found in mountains, steppes, floodplains, near the sea, ponds, lakes in swamps and similar wet places.
4. There are quite a lot of snakes that live in arid and sandy places where moisture and water are practically absent. Often, individuals prefer to be active during the daytime. During the day they bask in the sun, in the morning and in the evening they go hunting.
5. It is worth noting that such snakes excellently climb trees. They can move among the branches without any problems. Snakes spend a lot of time in the water. They love to swim and dive. With all this, snakes can stay in the water for a long time and sometimes hunt in such an environment.
6. Often, reptiles swim along the coast without getting out onto land. However, there are frequent cases when such snakes were noticed several kilometers from the coast in lakes and seas. While swimming, individuals raise their heads above the water. Such snakes swim well under water and can spend a long time at the bottom.
7. Some species of snakes belong to the species of burrowing reptiles. Most often, such snakes live in the forest litter. In case of danger, they hide under stones. Individuals living in arid regions most often burrow into sand and loose soil, raking it on themselves. At night, most snakes prefer to hide in their homes.

Tiger snakes are not much different from ordinary ones. The individuals in question have a beautiful appearance and are widely distributed throughout the world. They lead a normal life. They hunt during the day and hide in burrows at night.

Video: tiger snake (Rhabdophis tigrinus)