Snake with glasses. Indian cobra. Enemies and victims

The spectacled snake, or as it is also called, the Indian cobra, comes from the asp family, a genus of true cobras. This snake lives in the countries of Central and East Asia. She meets like in the wilds tropical jungle, and on open spaces. Very often you can encounter spectacled cobras on the outskirts of cities and on farms. Her favorite places- ruins of houses, wood or stone piles, clay walls with holes.

Appearance of a spectacled cobra

The spectacled cobra reaches sizes from 1.5 to 1.9 m. Its color largely depends on the environment where the snake lives. The most common are yellow or light gray individuals. But sometimes, much less often, you can see a black snake. The belly of the spectacled cobra is light, almost white. The head has a round shape, the eyes are small, with round pupils. She has two poisonous fangs, which are located in the upper jaw.
There were dark spots on the back of the head, which created a peculiar pattern in the form of glasses. For this, the snake got its name. This image can be seen especially clearly when the cobra senses danger. She raises her body vertically by 1/3, inflates her neck like a hood, turning it completely flat. That’s when the “glasses” on the back of the head become clearly visible.

Lifespan, reproduction of spectacled cobra

The spectacled cobra lays eggs from mid-spring to mid-summer. She uses places that were previously burrows of rodents, hollows of birds or animals, inactive termite mounds and even heaps of fallen leaves. One clutch of a snake consists of 10-30 eggs. The incubation period lasts two and sometimes three months. It all depends on climatic conditions. Newborn cobros hatch with a size of 20-30 cm. From the first days they are independent and at the same time poisonous. Cubs, as well as adult snakes, can scare passersby with their hooded necks. The spectacled cobra lives for about 20 years. They begin to produce offspring in the third year of life.

How does the spectacled cobra behave and what does it eat?

The venom of the spectacled cobra is quite strong. It has the ability to paralyze the muscular activity of its victim. If a snake bites a person, the effect of the poison will begin from the first hour. But at the same time, fatalities are small (6 out of 1000). The reason lies in the fact that the spectacled cobra rarely releases poison when attacking. Usually it just bites when it sees danger. This snake is a predator; it feeds on small rodents, hunts toads and frogs, and does not even disdain other snakes.

Interesting cases from life

Very often, the spectacled cobra is used by magicians in their show programs. They keep it in a basket, and during the performance they open the lid and start playing the pipe. At this time, a snake rises from the basket, sways, repeating the movements musical instrument. This creates the effect of a dance. Some people believe that magicians remove fangs from cobras to protect themselves, but this is not true. Even if you tear them out, new ones will soon appear in the same place. And if the public finds out about this action, everyone will make fun of the magician and drive him away.

The Indian cobra, or spectacled snake (lat. Naja naja) is one of the most beautiful and poisonous representatives of the Asp family (Elapidae). It owes its name to Portuguese sailors, who called it “cobra di capello” (reptile with a cape).

Characteristic appearance according to ancient legend was given to her by the Buddha himself. One day he was too tired from a long journey, so he lay down straight on the ground and fell asleep.

A cobra crawled past and saw a traveler sleeping in the sun. She spread her hood over him, protecting the tired saint from the scorching sun and protecting his sleep. The awakened Buddha was very happy about such a virtuous deed and, as a sign of gratitude, blessed the good creature by laying two fingers on him. Since then, his descendants have worn glasses on the back of their heads and enjoyed well-deserved respect among the local population.

Spreading

The species is distributed throughout India except the state of Assam and partly Kashmir, as well as in Southern China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the islands of the Philippines and the Malay Archipelago.

The spectacled snake has adapted to live in different conditions, however, prefers to settle in open peasant fields. It is not afraid of people and often crawls into their homes, parks and even crowded bazaars. It really needs warmth, so it is found only where all year round It's a hot summer. Leads a terrestrial lifestyle, but if necessary, swims and climbs trees well.

Behavior

The Indian cobra goes hunting at dusk and hunts all night until the morning. It feeds on frogs, toads, small birds and mammals. In cities and villages it purposefully hunts rats. For this, urban and rural residents living in terrible unsanitary conditions are very grateful to her.

Reptiles will not miss an opportunity to feast on bird eggs; they have a positive attitude towards cannibalism, so they try to stay away from their relatives, observing proud loneliness.

When meeting a potential hunting trophy the huntress raises the front third of her body, assesses the distance and, after a lightning-fast lunge, makes fatal bite. Having grabbed hold of the prey, it clenches its jaws tightly and injects poison. When the prey dies, the predator swallows it whole.

The upper jaw is armed with paired poisonous fangs about 7 cm long. Potent gastric juice allows almost complete digestion of any food.

The Indian cobra itself is not aggressive. It attacks only in self-defense, after inflating its hood and offering its appearance disperse peacefully. At the same time, she raises her head high and hisses loudly. If she swells up while lying flat on the ground, it means she is very scared and is preparing to run away. The hood consists of 8 pairs of anterior cervical ribs separated to the sides, which in a calm state are laid along the spinal ridge.

Reproduction

During the rainy season from January to April there is mating season. Reptiles form monogamous families and vigilantly guard the clutch for two months until the offspring appear. Rat holes or tree hollows are used as nests. The female lays from 10 to 30 eggs and most time lies on them, curled up in rings and covering with his body. Incubation lasts 50-60 days.

The process of hatchlings emerging from eggs takes 5-6 hours. Small snakes 25-30 cm long are poisonous from the moment of their birth and after a couple of days they begin to hunt on their own. They grow very quickly. The first moult occurs on the 3rd day, the second on the 7th day, the third on the 21st day, and the fourth on the 30th day. After this, growth slows down and the intervals between them increase. Puberty occurs at approximately three years of age.

Relationships with people

The spectacled snake is completely deaf. She moves not to the beat of the melody played on the flute, but repeating other people's movements and preparing for an attack. Spellcasters, knowing its habits perfectly well, unerringly choose a safe distance, preventing a possible attack.

Among Buddhists and Hindus, it is revered as a sacred animal and one of the incarnations of the god Vishnu. Since ancient times, the ritual of a deadly dance has been preserved in India. Specially trained priestesses-dancers perform complex choreographic compositions in front of the angry bastards, and at the end they unexpectedly bend down sharply and kiss them on the head, instantly jumping back.

An incredible trick at first glance is possible due to the fact that the reaction of trained dancers is 5 times faster than the reaction of a snake.

Extravagant girls studying oriental dances from videos are not recommended to acquire exotic asps and try to do something similar at home in preparation for a talent show.

Lips swollen from poison will likely have to be removed surgically. On top of that, it contains substances that damage nervous system. Symptoms of poisoning appear within 15 minutes to two hours, and within an hour death can occur.

One bite contains 200 ml of poison, and a 20 ml portion is fatal to humans. The symptoms are very extensive. The victim loses coherence in speech and has difficulty swallowing and breathing. Tissue necrosis forms at the site of the bite. Every year in Indochina, several hundred people die from being bitten by a spectacled snake.

In many regions of India, the Nag Panchami festival is celebrated annually, at which numerous spellcasters and fakirs perform. Previously staged fights between snakes and mongooses (usually ending in the death of the reptiles) are prohibited in modern India, but continue to be carried out illegally. Indian cobra venom is used in medicinal purposes, mainly to lower blood pressure.

Description

The length of adults is 1.4-1.5 m, males can reach 2.25 m. The color is very variable, can be from yellowish-gray to brown and black. The belly and throat are yellowish-white. The eyes with round pupils are protected by fused transparent eyelids. The body is covered with smooth scales. The ventral side is protected by wide scutes arranged in one row.

Life expectancy in wildlife about 25 years.

The length of the cobra varies from 1.5 to 2 meters. The reptile lives in Central Asia.In India, the spectacled snake is an object of reverence and even almost superstitious fear..Snake got its name from the two spots that are visible on its swollen hood.

Other names

Naja naja - lat. name of a species of Indian cobra.
Сobra – general English, French, Italian, Spanish. cobra genus name
Spectacled snake.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia (reptiles)
Order: Squamata (scaly)
Suborder: Serpentes (snakes)
Family: Elipidae (slates)
Genus: Naja (true cobras)
Species: Naja naja (Indian cobra or spectacled snake)
Subspecies: monocle cobra (Naja naja kaouthia), Central Asian cobra (Naja naja oxiana), Indian spitting cobra (Naja naja sputatrix), blind cobra (Naja naja coeca), Taiwanese cobra (Naja naja atra) and others, about 10 subspecies are known in total .

Habitat

The Indian cobra is most often found in South Asia and on the African mainland. The subspecies monocle cobra, so called because of the pattern on the hood in the form of a single ring, lives in the southern part Central Asia, in eastern Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and the island of Sri Lanka. Also, the habitat of this snake extends throughout South-East Asia, reaching southern China and the island of Taiwan and covering all of the Sunda and Philippine islands. The latitudes of our country are characterized by the Central Asian cobra subspecies, which inhabits the territories of Southern Turkmenistan, southern Uzbekistan and Southwestern Tajikistan. The Central Asian subspecies of the Indian cobra prefers to live in the foothills, not climbing high, but living on hills with sparse grassy vegetation and many holes and stone rubble where you can hide. In Central Asia, the Indian cobra chooses places near water or mountain gorges. And it also willingly settles near human habitation, for example, in the ruins of old houses, in cemeteries and even in populated villages. However, it can just as easily be found in the arid areas of Asian deserts far from bodies of water. Actually, the Indian cobra, that is, its nominal subspecies, living in India, Ceylon and Pakistan, chooses the most various places– ruins of buildings, tree roots, termite mounds and ravines. She is also not afraid of human proximity. The Indian cobra can settle both in the city and in personal plot, and in a rice field, and in the mountains up to 2700 meters above sea level. The Indian spitting cobra is a resident of Southeast Asia, the Lesser Sunda and Philippine Islands, in particular the islands of Java and Celebes. Other subspecies that can “shoot” poison are found on the Malay Islands.

Description

The Indian cobra owes many legends and stories, including its amazing appearance. It is very colorfully painted. The predominant color is bright yellow with a bluish tint, noticeable in sunlight. In different subspecies of snakes, body color can vary from yellow-gray to brown; there are also completely black snakes. The abdominal part of the body is noticeably lighter - yellow-brown or gray shade. Young Indian cobras have horizontal, wide dark stripes on their skin. As the snake matures, they disappear. The body length of the Indian cobra is one and a half to two meters. Its rounded and slightly flattened head is integral with the body. The Indian cobra's eyes are small and have a round pupil. There are large shields of skin on the head, and the body is long and thinning towards the tail, completely covered with smooth shiny scales.
The Indian cobra earned the nickname of the spectacled snake due to the light pattern on the back of the neck, reminiscent of antique glasses. When the snake is frightened or defensive, it raises the front part of its body into a vertical position, and the cobra's head balances against the enemy. The hood appears due to 8 pairs of front ribs, which at this moment spread apart. The hooded part of the body immediately noticeably expands and flattens, and the glasses clearly appear on the skin. As already mentioned, in the subspecies of the monocle cobra the spectacle pattern consists of one ring, while in the Central Asian subspecies it is absent altogether.
For all its apparent grace, the Indian cobra is quite clumsy and clumsy. However, it swims well, dives and moves along tree branches. A pair of the famous venomous fangs of the Indian cobra are located on the upper jaw, followed by an empty gap, and then several more (1-3) small teeth. However, this snake, unlike its other relatives, bites infrequently. She prefers to scare off her opponent with a loud hiss and impressive appearance, without waiting for him to approach or touch her. But even with direct contact with the enemy, the Indian cobra is capable of first delivering a false bite, hitting the enemy with its head. The thing is that this snake’s teeth are shorter than, say, vipers, so for a full bite, it has to firmly grab the victim with its teeth and squeeze them several times in order to accurately bite and inject the poison. And the teeth of the Indian cobra are quite easy to break, but new ones quickly grow in their place. In fact, it is quite difficult to get bitten by this snake in nature, only if you specifically run into it. In real Indian cobras rarely attack humans.
Of particular interest to scientists is such a subspecies of the Indian cobra as the spitting cobra. This snake really has original way attack. It is capable of spraying poison towards the enemy at a distance of up to 2 meters. This feature operates due to the special structure of poisonous fangs, in which the poison-conducting channel is not directed downwards, like in other representatives of the aspid family, but forward - perpendicular to the front side of the fang. A sharp muscle contraction helps the spitting cobra shoot venom through these holes. The spitting Indian cobra is distinguished by great accuracy. She directs a stream of poison into the eyes of the enemy, but more often uses this skill against large opponents. Such a “shot” can lead to complete blindness if the eyes are not washed out in time.

Nutrition

Various subspecies of cobras hunt in different time days: some in the evening and late at night, others - spring days during most active. On especially hot days summer days Indian cobra goes out for prey and early morning when the sun had not yet begun to burn. Its main food is amphibians (toads and frogs), small lizards and other reptiles, as well as rodents - mice and rats. If, while searching for food, a snake finds a bird's nest, it will most likely be destroyed. And it is no coincidence that the Indian cobra settles near people. In this way, she provides herself with an abundant diet, thanks to the rodents that live near humans, as well as the eggs of poultry. The Indian cobra is quite capable of plundering a chicken coop. In water, it hunts fish. But it can also survive without water for a long time, several weeks or even months, although if there is a body of water nearby, it drinks a lot and willingly.

Reproduction

The nominal subspecies of the Indian cobra is characterized by better fertility than the Central Asian one. There is affection between individuals of different sexes; the female and the male stay together not only during the mating season, but also after fertilization, until the birth of the young. The mating period for Indian cobras begins in winter, and they lay eggs in late spring and protect them with joint efforts. But more often, of course, the female guards her offspring. However, unlike royal cobras, Indian cobras do not hatch eggs, warming them with their warmth. However, the spectacled snake also carefully prepares for the appearance of offspring, choosing the appropriate warm place for the nest, and then defending it with all the courage she can muster. It is better not to disturb the Indian cobra guarding its eggs; during this period it is especially dangerous. In one clutch of an Indian cobra there are about 10-20 eggs, but larger clutches have also been found - up to 45 eggs in a nest. After 2.5 - 3 months, small snakes emerge from the eggs, which are already poisonous, ready for defense and know how to inflate their hood. It is quite difficult to achieve reproduction of the Indian cobra in captivity; not all zoos can boast of this, not to mention private owners of terrariums.

The Indian cobra is so dangerous that it is unlikely to be found in private collections of terrarium enthusiasts. Scientists prefer to observe this snake on the territory nature reserves and rarely in zoos. But if we talk about arranging a terrarium, then for an Indian cobra measuring one and a half meters it should be at least 100x80x60 cm. Another the most important moment– maintenance desired temperature. This can be achieved through heated floors. And of course, the Indian cobra even on limited space Shelter is needed, for example, some plants whose roots you can climb under, or specially adapted boxes. You can use small rodents as live food for the Indian cobra, as well as give it fish, pieces of meat and other sources of animal protein. And yet, we repeat once again, keeping venomous snakes in captivity is very dangerous.

Additionally

In India, cobras are treated not only with fear, but with real reverence and reverence. Hindus worship it as a deity and, having found an Indian cobra in their house, they cajole and even feed it in every possible way. It is not surprising that given this attitude, charlatanism associated with the performances of snake charmers is widespread in India. These people train the Indian cobra, accustoming it to certain movements and sounds, and over time the snake begins to demonstrate a kind of dance to music. They say that unscrupulous charmers simply break out the snake's poisonous teeth. However, researchers have determined that most of these trainers still know how to handle poisonous Indian cobras without resorting to any violence.

Indian cobra(from the Latin Naja naja) is a poisonous scaly snake from the family of asps, a genus of true cobras. This snake has a body that tapers to a tail, 1.5-2 meters long, covered with scales.

Like all other types of cobras, the Indian cobra has a hood that opens when this adder is excited. The hood is a kind of extension of the body, which arises due to the expanding ribs under the influence of special muscles.

The color palette of the cobra's body is quite variegated, but the main ones are shades of yellow, brown-gray, and often sandy colors. Closer to the head there is a clearly defined pattern, reminiscent of pince-nez or glasses along the contour, which is why it is called Indian spectacled cobra.

Scientists divide the Indian cobra into several main subspecies:

• blind cobra (from Latin Naja naja coeca);
• monocle cobra (from Latin Naja naja kaouthia);
• spitting indian cobra(from Latin Naja naja sputatrix);
• Taiwanese cobra (from Latin Naja naja atra);
• Central Asian cobra (from the Latin Naja naja oxiana).

In addition to those mentioned above, there are several other very few subspecies. Often the Indian spectacled cobra is also attributed to the species Indian king cobra, but it's a slightly different look that has big sizes and some other differences, although very similar in appearance.

Pictured is an Indian spitting cobra

The Indian cobra, depending on the subspecies, lives in Africa, almost throughout Asia and, of course, on the Indian continent. In the territory former USSR these cobras are widespread in the open spaces modern countries: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan - a subspecies of the Central Asian cobra lives here.

Chooses to live in various areas from the jungle to the mountains. On rocky terrain it lives in crevices and various burrows. In China, people often settle in rice fields.

Character and lifestyle of the Indian cobra

This type of poisonous snake is not at all afraid of humans and can often settle near his home or in fields cultivated for crops. Often Indian cobra found in abandoned, dilapidated buildings.

This type of cobra never just attacks people unless it sees danger and aggression from them; it bites, injecting poison, only in defense, and then, most often, it is not the cobra itself that serves as a deterrent, but its ominous hiss.

When making the first throw, it is also called a deception, the Indian cobra does not make poisonous bite, but simply makes a headbutt, as if warning that the next throw could be fatal.

In the photo there is an Indian cobra naya

In practice, if the snake managed to inject venom during the bite, then the bitten person has little chance of survival. One gram of Indian cobra venom can kill more than a hundred medium-sized dogs.

Spitting cobra what is the name of the subspecies of Indian cobra, generally rarely bites. The method of its protection is based on special structure canals of the teeth through which poison is sprayed.

These channels are located not at the bottom of the teeth, but in their vertical plane, and when danger appears in the form of a predator, this snake sprays poison on it, at a distance of up to two meters, aiming at the eyes. If the poison gets into the eye shell it leads to a burn of the cornea and the animal loses clarity of vision; if the poison is not quickly washed off, then further complete blindness is possible.

It should be noted that the Indian cobra has short teeth, unlike other venomous snakes, and are quite fragile, which often leads to their chipping and breaking off, but new teeth very quickly appear to replace damaged teeth.

In India there are many cobras living in terrariums with humans. People train this type of snake using the sounds of wind instruments, and enjoy performing various performances with their participation.

There are many videos and photo of Indian cobra with a man who, playing the pipe, makes this adder rise up on its tail, opening its hood and, as it were, dancing to the music playing.

Indians have a positive attitude towards this type of snake, considering them national treasure. This people has many beliefs and epics associated with the Indian cobra. On other continents, this adder is also quite famous.

One of the most famous stories about the Indian cobra is the fairy tale famous writer Rudyard Kipling called "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi". It tells about the confrontation between a fearless little one and an Indian cobra.

Indian cobra nutrition

The Indian cobra feeds, like most snakes, small mammals, mainly rodents and birds, as well as amphibious frogs and toads. They often destroy bird nests by eating eggs and chicks. Other species of reptiles are also used for food, including smaller poisonous snakes.

Large Indian cobra can easily swallow in one go big rat or small. For a long time For up to two weeks, a cobra can do without water, but having found a source, it drinks quite a lot, storing liquid for the future.

The Indian cobra hunts at different times of the day and night, depending on its habitat. It can search for prey on the ground, in water bodies and even in high vegetation. Outwardly clumsy, a snake of this type excels at crawling through trees and swimming in water, looking for food.

Reproduction and lifespan of Indian cobra

Sexual maturity in Indian cobras occurs in the third year of life. The breeding season takes place in winter in January and February. After 3-3.5 months, the female snake lays eggs in the nest.

The clutch averages 10-20 eggs. This type of cobra does not hatch eggs, but after laying them they are constantly close to the nest, protecting their future offspring from external enemies.

After two months, the baby snakes begin to hatch. Newborn babies, freed from the shell, can easily move independently and quickly leave their parents.

Considering that they are born immediately poisonous, these snakes do not need special care, since they can protect themselves even from large animals. The lifespan of the Indian cobra varies from 20 to 30 years, depending on its habitat and the availability of sufficient food in these places.

Indian cobra or spectacled snake

Source: http://iiru.ru

The Indian cobra, or spectacled snake, got its name for a reason. She is bright and extravagant. The main color of her overalls is yellow with blue sparkles and a brown scarf (stripes) at the throat. The back of the overalls is darker - Brown, and in the area of ​​the ribs it’s wonderful identification mark– white applique in the form of pince-nez.

Source: http://givotnie.com

Among these snakes there are also those that have one eyepiece in the applique; these are called monocles.

The Indian cobra grows up to 1.5 - 2 m.

You can meet this beauty in India (hence the name), Central Asia, Southern China, the islands of the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines. The snake has no specific requirements for its place of residence; it thrives in dense jungles, rice fields, and in the vicinity of humans: in parks and garden plots.

In July, the female lays from 9 to 19 eggs, from which babies hatch in late August-early September. The Indian cobra does not hatch eggs, but after laying eggs it is always nearby, protecting future offspring from offenders.

The spectacled snake is a predator and meat eater. She prefers to feast on rodents, amphibians and birds. But its main food is small rodents, so the Indian cobra is respected by farmers, because thanks to its efforts, there are fewer crop pests.

Source: http://cosma.livejournal.com

Indian cobra venom is very toxic, one dried gram is enough to kill 140 dogs average size. In humans, the effects of a bite appear within 10 minutes.

Although Indian cobras love solitude, they have extraordinary artistic abilities, for which they are attracted to participate in the performances of Indian snake charmers. Interestingly, only Indian and Egyptian cobras have learned to be tamed. The charmer plays the pipe, luring the snake out of the basket, and makes it sway to the beat of the music.

Source: http://www.animalsglobe.ru

In fact, the snake follows the movements of the musician, preparing to attack, but it seems that it is dancing. And the caster risks his life every second of his performance. In order to stay alive, he studies the character and habits of his pet in the smallest detail and as soon as he sees that it is ready to attack, he immediately puts it back in the basket. Skilled charmers can distract the snake's attention so much that they manage an incredible trick - kissing a snake; less skillful ones - remove the cobra's teeth. But the latter is rarely practiced: firstly, spectators can ask the caster to show the cobra's teeth, and if they do not appear, he is expelled in disgrace. Secondly, having lost its teeth, the cobra is deprived of poison and cannot digest its prey, therefore it is doomed to a slow and hungry death. Thirdly, changing a pet every 2-3 months is a troublesome and expensive task for a spellcaster.

Fearless Cobra Tamer

Source: http://www.youtube.com/

King cobra or hamadryad

Source: http://iiru.ru

King cobra is the largest poisonous snake on the planet. It grows throughout its life and grows up to 4-5 meters.

Source: http://www.zoopicture.ru

The largest king cobra was caught in Malaysia in 1937; from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail, its length was 5.5 m. While it was being transported to London Zoo, she grew a little, and her length was already 5.7 m. During the Second World War, zoo workers were forced to kill the giant so that if the zoo was bombed, the cobra could not escape and cause trouble. The average weight of an adult individual with its impressive size is only 5-6 kg, so the cobra does not look massive like a python or anaconda.

At the meeting king cobras They measure their height, each one tries to touch the top of the opponent’s head, and the one who manages to do this first is the main one. The second one gives in and tries to get out of the way as quickly as possible.

Source: http://www.tepid.ru

The color of the cobra's overalls, depending on where it lives, varies from olive to dark brown, with white, beige or yellow rings and a yellow belly. The king cobra is called not only because of its size, but also because of the six shields on the back of its head, similar to a crown.

You can meet the King Cobra in South and Southeast Asia. The queen of snakes chooses her habitat rainforests And dense thickets bushes. In densely populated India, forests are being actively cut down. Therefore, the snake had to adapt to new conditions and learn to live next to a person, although people are not very happy about such a dangerous neighbor.

Source: http://www.zoopicture.ru

During the mating period, males, having collided in the same territory, arrange ritual fights and dances, while they do not bite each other (even if they did bite, nothing terrible would happen, because king cobras are immune to their own poison). Naturally, the winner remains near the female. At the same time, the winner is very jealous, and if the loser managed to fertilize the female, he can kill and eat her.

The male takes care of the female for a long time, but not because he is a gallant gentleman, but in order to make sure that she accepts him and will not send him to his forefathers, if something goes wrong.

The female lays 20-40 eggs in the nest. In order not to inadvertently eat the baby snakes, shortly before their appearance, it crawls away to hunt in order to eat enough.