How do snakes eat? Snake - description, species, where it lives, what it eats, photo In the photo is a steppe viper
Snakes occupy a special place among exotic animals, which have recently become popular to keep at home. Both poisonous and non-dangerous reptiles live at home. Next, let's talk about what such pets eat and whether their diet differs from the natural one.
The reptiles in question eat small animals. These reptiles that feed on plants do not exist - absolutely all of them are predators. 
Their menu is very diverse and depends on the size and type - it can be both small insects and larger mammals. Some species eat absolutely everything they catch, and some are quite selective. The diet directly depends on the habitat.
Did you know?The oldest snake in the world- boa Popeye lived for almost forty-one years.
In wild nature
The diet of reptiles depends on preferences, habitat and size. It is difficult to list the prey that they can consume, so let's focus on the most common types of it.
| Type of food | Note |
| Insects | Representatives of this class form the basis of the diet of many venomous and non-venomous small snakes. They also begin to feed on snake cubs. Some reptiles, such as blind snakes, can eat ants, termites |
| mammals | A reptile, if it feeds on mammals, can catch and eat any animal smaller than itself. The food chain begins with a small mouse and ends with an antelope. Snakes don't eat anything too thick or spiky, like hedgehogs. |
| Birds and their eggs | Those species of reptiles that, as a rule, have adapted to climb trees and hunt there, feast on birds. They also eat feathered eggs |
| Fishes | Fish are also creatures that are eaten by reptiles. They feed on those species that live in or near water. |
| Amphibians | Many reptiles eat amphibians, which are abundant in their habitat. It can be frogs, salamanders, newts, worms |
| shellfish | The fat-headed snake, which is found in Asia and America, prefers to feast on snails and slugs. With the help of the lower jaw and teeth in the form of a hook, she removes the mollusk from the shell and eats it. |
| Other snakes | It is very unusual that some species of reptiles eat their own kind. For some, relatives are a "supplement" to the diet, while others, such as the Brazilian Mussurana, eat only them. |
There have been cases when people were found in the stomachs of large snakes, such as pythons and boas. There are even photographs of these events. However, it cannot be said that these reptiles consider humans as potential prey: this is an exception to the rule.
What to feed at home
Feed your reptiles at home the same as they eat in the wild. As a rule, snakes are kept at home, which eat rodents, small birds, their eggs, amphibians and insects. There are few cases when large reptiles are kept, which, accordingly, feed on large mammals. 
Reptiles are advised to give food either already inanimate or stunned: it can be fresh or frozen. The terrarium must have water.
Important!This reptilemilk should not be given: their body is not able to digest it, and disorder is possible.
The reptile does not chew its prey, but swallows it whole. The poisonous reptile before this injects poison, which, in addition to the function of killing, also helps the gastric juices to digest the victim. Some species also suffocate it, and some eat it without killing it at all. 
The snake swallowing process is very interesting, since in many cases the food is larger than the hunter in size. The upper and lower jaws are very mobile, as they are freely attached to the bones of the skull. In addition, the latter consists of two halves and stretches. With the lower jaw, the reptile holds the prey tightly, and pushes it through the upper jaw.
Important!When feeding poisonous reptiles at home, it is imperative to follow safety precautions and, just in case, have an antidote on hand.
Once food enters the esophagus through the throat, its muscles begin to work, pushing it further into the stomach. It, in turn, contains very caustic juices that contribute to its digestion. This process may take several days. There are times when the snake still cannot push through the food, then it simply regurgitates it.
Why do snakes eat themselves
Herpetologists name several reasons why snakes eat their own kind. Some species do this because they eat anything, and smaller relatives just got in the way during the meal. Others eat snakes because it is the basis of their diet - it was so laid down by nature. 
There is a hypothesis that the reptile in question is convenient to swallow due to the structure of its body. It is also possible that the smell of prey, which remained on relatives, provokes snakes to cannibalism.
There are snake species that eat the young and the remains of their eggs. This is done to recuperate when the reptile is weak after breeding.
Did you know?Snakes have eyelids on their eyes, and they are always closed. But this does not prevent the reptile from seeing, since they are transparent.
The food of snakes is as interesting as their behavior. Their diet is varied and sometimes very unusual. If you keep these reptiles at home, then they need to be fed food that is as close as possible to what they eat in the wild.
These amazing reptiles have always caused both delight and fear in humans. It is simply impossible to be indifferent to snakes! About how they eat, breed, where they live and how they are dangerous to people, school textbooks on zoology tell. But there are many interesting facts related to snakes that are not known to everyone. In our article you will find a selection of the most fascinating information about these representatives of the animal kingdom.
snake physiology
What do you know about snakes other than that, unlike most animals, they don't have legs? Let's look at how these creatures work and get acquainted with some interesting facts.
- Snakes have a huge number of ribs - up to 250 pairs. The girdle of the upper limbs is absent, but the remains of the pelvis in some species are preserved, although not functional. Pythons even have tiny vestigial remains of legs. There are no snakes with front or hind legs.
- Snake teeth grow throughout their lives.
- Shedding also occurs throughout life.
- The internal organs are not located compactly, as in humans, but in a row one after another. The left lung is larger in all snakes, and in many species the right lung is completely absent.
- When swallowing prey, the heart can be significantly displaced.
- All snakes have eyelids that are always closed. They are transparent films that do not interfere with vision. However, the eyesight of snakes is not very good. But on the other hand, they are able to distinguish between warm objects, like a thermal imager.
We add that the opinions of scientists regarding the hearing of reptiles vary greatly. It is generally accepted that snakes are practically deaf, but some studies refute this version.
Giants and babies
The largest living snake is the reticulated python. The green anaconda is not far behind him. Representatives of these species have a mass of under a centner and a length of about ten meters.
The largest of all snakes living in the territory of the former USSR is the gyurza. The maximum length of representatives of this species is 2 m.
Let's take a look at some more interesting facts.
- Giant snakes include two more types of pythons: light brindle and dark brindle.
- The female dark tiger python named Baby, who grew up in one of the US zoos, is the heaviest living one. This beauty weighs 183 kg (on average, representatives of the species have a weight of 75 kg).
- The light tiger python reaches a length of six meters, but does not pose a danger to any animal larger than a cat.
- The top five includes the king cobra.
The smallest is the Barbados narrow-mouthed snake. It does not even grow to ten cm. Among the poisonous representatives of the class, one can mention the pygmy viper, which can grow up to a maximum of thirty centimeters.
superkillers
When answering the question about the most dangerous reptile, many will mention the black mamba, because it is she who is considered the most poisonous snake. An interesting fact: the color of this creature is not black, but grayish or brownish. There are many superstitions associated with this snake. Residents of the regions in which she lives, even her name is never pronounced out loud, fearing that the insidious snake will hear and come to visit. The black mamba is also the fastest, because it can move at a speed of 20 km / h.
But the terrible mamba has an even more dangerous competitor - the taipan. It lives in Australia, has an extremely aggressive behavior and an impressive length of several meters. Taipan venom paralyzes the heart muscle, and acts instantly. When you meet him, just run.
The Philippine cobra is a professional sniper. She kills by spitting venom. Even a distance of 3 meters is not safe. But, like other cobras, the Philippine snake rarely attacks first. The traveler should carefully look under his feet so as not to step on it.
The ribbon krait lives in India, where it is called the shy snake. Kraits are not aggressive unless their offspring are touched. But the poison of one snake is enough to send a dozen people to the next world.
The amount of poison contained in the glands of one king cobra will be enough to deal with twenty-three adults. There may simply not be time to administer an antidote. The bite of a king cobra is deadly even for an elephant. Usually, a cobra kills because of the danger that threatens its cubs. Yes, yes, one of the most dangerous reptiles on the planet is a caring mother.
Among non-venomous snakes, there are also born killers. Until recently, pythons were considered harmless to humans, but in recent years, several cases of python attacks on people have been recorded in Southeast Asia. Scientists believe that a python that does not know how to chew and swallows food whole is too tough for a person, as they say (the pelvic bones of the victim will not fit in the mouth of a predator). But people of small build should not trust pythons.
pseudosnake
Let's pay attention to one funny creature, which is also very similar to a snake, but it is not at all. In fact, this is a yellow-bellied lizard. In the process of evolution, the limbs were lost as unnecessary.
Pay attention to the structure of the head. The yellow-bellied eye has movable leathery eyelids. Predators take this lizard for a snake and do not touch it.
There is also an antipode of the yellow-bellied skink, which is called a snake with legs. But here the sensation did not work out, the skink is not a snake, it is also a lizard.
What's on the snake's menu?
Let's look at some unusual facts about snake nutrition.
- All snakes are predators.
- Most of them do not know how to chew and use their teeth only for grasping and tearing food apart.
- The digestion process can take up to several weeks. For example, a python eats only twice a month (this should be remembered by those who decide to get an exotic pet).
- Some snakes are not able to feel full, so they can die from overeating.
Hell and heaven for those who are afraid of snakes
Australia and New Zealand… Fabulous countries on the edge of the earth. When planning a trip to those distant places, do not forget about snakes. Australia is home to 21 of the 25 most venomous snake species. But in neighboring New Zealand there are no snakes at all! The exception is two types of aquatic reptiles, which are not dangerous in the water.
Or maybe you, on the contrary, love these reptiles and want to watch them in their natural environment? Or do you want to tell interesting facts about snakes to children? Well, there are also non-dangerous reptiles in Australia. But the tour must be accompanied by an experienced guide.
As a pet
Anyone who plans to equip a terrarium at home needs to familiarize themselves with the most interesting facts in advance. Snakes have a number of features, their maintenance is simple, but a novice breeder needs to learn a lot.
Study the material on the temperature and drinking conditions, read the rules of feeding. Don't skimp on snake house equipment. Be sure to find out in advance if there is a veterinarian in your locality who works with reptiles. With proper home improvement and compliance with all necessary standards, a snake can live in captivity even longer than in nature. This beautiful creature can become not only a delight for the eyes, but also a true friend. Of course, if the owner is caring, kind and sincerely loves snakes.
What do snakes eat?
All snakes are predators and therefore never eat plant foods.Since snakes swallow their prey whole, they have very caustic digestive juices.The jaws of the snake have an unusual structure. They are very weakly connected to other bones of the skull. Tiny teeth grow along the edge of the jaws, and some snakes also grow two additional rows of teeth in the palate. All these teeth are connected to bones, which are set in motion by special muscles.
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Having captured the prey, the snake holds it with the teeth of the lower jaw, and the upper one pushes it into the mouth opening. When the food has already passed halfway into the mouth, the lower jaw also begins to help the upper jaw move the food deeper into the esophagus.
Due to the special structure of the jaw, the snake can swallow large animals. So, for example, pythons sometimes swallow leopards and deer! But, of course, small individuals eat small animals. Most snakes still feed on medium-sized living creatures: grasshoppers, frogs, fish, mice, rats and birds. Some tiny blind snakes only eat termites. And there are also snakes that prey on their own kind.
As for food, these reptiles are very picky. So, the green snake eats spiders, fish, birds, caterpillars, but will not touch lizards and mice, and the water snake is not indifferent to fish and frogs, but will ignore insects and mice.
Anacondas eat a variety of foods.
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Who is this snake? Perhaps everyone can answer this question without thinking: this is a reptile that crawls on the ground because it does not have legs to walk. Partially correct answer. Why partially? Because there are reptiles that are not snakes, but also do not have legs - these are legless lizards. However, in our article we will not talk about them, but about snakes. After all, the group of these animals is incredibly diverse and interesting.
Scientists count about 2500 snakes in nature. These animals make up a whole suborder in the order of scaly reptiles. It is easy to distinguish snakes from other animals by the shape of the body: it is elongated, as we have already said, snakes have no limbs. The body of these reptiles is flexible, they move in a regiment along the surface, making wave-like movements. The special structure of the skeleton and a large number of vertebrae make snakes real acrobats, because they can curl up into a ball and even tie themselves into a knot!
The sizes of the snakes are also striking in their scope: from a few centimeters to more than 10 meters! About living on our planet, we have prepared for you a separate, very informative story.
Where do snakes live?
Snakes live almost on our entire planet, with the exception of the icy continent - Antarctica. The largest species diversity of these animals can be observed in tropical zones. Here the snakes reach incredible sizes and there are individuals of various colors. They prefer to settle in forests, deserts, swamps, mountains, steppes, as well as in fresh waters.
Lifestyle, nutrition and behavior of snakes in nature
By way of life, all snakes are loners. However, during the mating season, mass accumulations of these animals can be observed, especially during the mating season.
Many of the snakes are deadly poisonous. Especially many of these snakes are found in Africa and Asia. This video will tell about the world:
As for the sense organs of snakes, they do not have excellent hearing or good eyesight. The thing is that snakes completely lack an outer ear, so the snake “hears” almost exclusively due to the vibrations of the soil, or the surface on which it is located. The eyes of snakes do not differ in vigilance, they are only able to notice what is constantly moving; in most cases, snakes do not focus on motionless “prey”.
If the natural vision and hearing of these reptiles are poorly developed, maybe the taste buds of snakes are at their best? Unfortunately, the same is true here. Snakes do not distinguish the taste of the food they eat. In general, they don’t particularly enjoy eating in the usual sense for us, they don’t chew it, but swallow it whole.
The only sense superbly developed in snakes is their sense of smell. Receptors that capture odors are found in these reptiles not only in the nostrils, but also in their long tongue. Therefore, snakes often stick out their tongue to smell their future prey.
And snakes are naturally endowed with so-called thermolocators. These are such special devices located on the muzzle and looking like dimples. Scientists believe that such receptors allow the snake to see the outside world as if through a thermal imager.
The voice of snakes is not developed, the only sound that these animals have learned to make in the process of evolution is hissing. The exception is, perhaps, only rattlesnakes, which can make a “rattle” out of their tail: they have scales arranged in a special way in this part of the body.
One of the features of snakes is molting. The fact is that sooner or later the snake grows out of its scaly shell and you need to “change” it. However, each scale does not change in the snake individually, the animal sheds the old "skin" with a stocking. The discarded "outfit" is called crawling out.
Snakes have a wide variety of colors: from modest and inconspicuous, to incredibly bright and colorful. Some use the color of their skin to hide from enemies or sneak up on their prey. Others, on the contrary, warn with their color that it is better not to approach them. As a rule, all poisonous snakes have bright scales, but there are exceptions.
All representatives of the suborder of snakes are predatory animals. Some feed on mice, others on lizards, still others eat their fellows only smaller ones, fourths dine on bird eggs, and fifths ... they can even eat a whole crocodile!
Often, large ungulates become prey for snakes (of course, very large ones). The snake literally pulls itself on the carcass of the caught animal and gradually swallows it, and then digests it for a long time.
Many readers know that viper snake belongs to the class of reptiles. But not everyone knows that this family of creeping reptiles has more than 58 species.
The habitats of these creatures are very diverse, for example, they can be found in most of the African continent, in Asia, as well as in most of the European territory.
Vipers feel great both in the arid steppes and in the humid climate of the forests of the equator. They can settle on the rocky slopes of the mountains and inhabit the northern forests.
Basically, vipers prefer a terrestrial lifestyle, but among their relatives there are often such individuals who lead an underground lifestyle hidden from prying eyes. A prominent representative of this type can be called earth viper from the genus hairpin (Atractaspis).
earth viper
The main factors for the life of snakes of this family are the availability of food and a sufficient amount of light. Everything else is not so demanding. viper class, as already noted, it is very diverse, but we will talk about four representatives in more detail. So, get acquainted.
The common viper lives throughout the European part of the globe, in regions of Asia, even in the north, up to the Arctic Circle. She leads a sedentary lifestyle - she does not like frequent changes of habitat.
The snake hibernates in the crevices of the earth, in the holes of rodents and other secluded places. Leaves the winter camp usually in the middle of spring, but this depends on the geographical location.
Pictured is a common viper
Habitat geography steppe viper very extensive. It can be found in the steppes of the European zone, especially in the western part. She settled in Eastern Kazakhstan, the steppe regions of the Caucasus and the coast. About vipers many interesting facts are known, for example, they are capable of performing forced marches to a height of up to 3000 m above sea level.
Snakes often choose a certain territory for their habitat, where there are no other representatives of this class besides them. In winter, creeping ones hide underground, and they dig in to a decent depth (1.0 meters or more).
Pictured is a steppe viper
But the fact is that even with a slight minus, the snake can die, so these cautious creatures are reinsured and go to spend the winter at a depth that can keep warm. Vipers often hibernate in large groups, but can also hibernate singly.
Waking up from a long winter sleep, with the onset of spring, vipers crawl out of their shelters, find rocky surfaces, where they enjoy sunbathing.
In our country common and steppe viper can be found everywhere and a meeting with her does not bode well for a person. After all, the poison of large individuals is fatal to people, not to mention small animals and birds, for which a small amount of a deadly substance is enough to die when bitten. Complete viper bite causes the death of the victim within a few minutes.
The nature and lifestyle of the viper
Vipers cannot be called record holders in running, because they are too slow. They are able to spend the whole day lying down without unnecessary movements. But with the onset of dusk, the snakes become more active and begin their favorite pastime - hunting.
It should be noted that large individuals can lie motionless for a long time, expecting that the prey itself will fall into the affected area, and then the viper will not miss the chance to feast on what itself came to it as a dinner.
The main distinguishing feature of vipers is that they are fluent in the art of swimming; swimming across a wide river or a fairly large body of water is a trifling matter for them.
This is probably why vipers can most often be found on the banks of reservoirs, but they also do not shun swamps, and here they simply teem. Often people use the phrase "a swamp infested with vipers", and this is not without common sense.
Vipers love to settle in wetlands.
Everyone knows that snakes are devoid of limbs, but this does not bother them. After all, they can move freely with the help of their natural plasticity and soft spine. Wriggling gracefully among the stones, creeping creatures are able to develop a fairly decent speed.
But the Lord did not endow these creatures with good hearing and visual acuity. Snakes completely lack an auditory opening, and the eye sockets are covered with a dense transparent veil. The eyelids of reptiles are fused, and therefore they cannot blink.
It is well known that black viper poisonous. The only representative of this class - no longer poses a danger to humans. Signs of a viper: Snakes have two large teeth in which poison accumulates.
Pictured is a black viper
The toxic substance is produced by paired glands located on both sides of the eyes, and they are connected to the teeth by ducts. Interestingly, all species have an interesting structure of teeth. The poisonous fang is located on the bone, which is very mobile.
Therefore, when the snake's mouth is closed, the tooth occupies a horizontal position, but as soon as the creature opens its mouth, the poisonous fang stands upright - it occupies a vertical position.
common viper. This type of snake is considered the most common. This reptile reaches half a meter, but there are also larger individuals, whose length from head to tip of the tail is 80 centimeters.
A distinctive feature of the viper is its pattern, reminiscent of a zigzag
The structure of her head is triangular, while this part stands out noticeably on a thick body. Nature has endowed vipers with a wide variety of shades - from inconspicuous gray to bright red-brown. There are also black, olive, silver, bluish vipers.
A characteristic feature of the color is a dark zigzag running along the entire ridge. Not so often you can find a viper with dark stripes located across. On the head of reptiles there is an identification characteristic sign in the form of the letter V or X.
A clear black stripe runs through the center of the eyes along the entire area of the head. An interesting fact: the snake catchers counted the number of scales on the body and found that there are 21 scales around the body in the middle part (rarely 19 or 23).
The snake, in principle, will not bite innocent people. Only if not a cautious traveler steps on her, then she will give a worthy rebuff. Such snakes are called peaceful. She will prefer to quickly move away from a place where she can be seen and hide.
steppe viper. This type of reptile is much smaller than the previous species, and an adult, as usual, can rarely reach half a meter. Unlike its relative, the common viper, the steppe viper has a pointed, slightly raised muzzle.
Vipers have poor eyesight, which is compensated by their quick reactions.
The nostrils cut through the lower part of the nasal septum. A black curving strip along the entire length of the body, along the ridge is also present. Dark spots are clearly visible on the sides. If you turn the reptile on its back, you can see that its belly is gray with numerous speckles of a light shade.
If we compare steppe bite And common viper venom, then the first option will be less dangerous for a person. Gaboon viper. A bright representative of African poisonous snakes. This is truly a solid one.
Gaboon viper is found in Africa
Its body is thick - 2.0 meters or more, and the mass of fattened individuals reaches 8-10 kg. The snake is quite remarkable for its bright variegated coloration, which resembles a hand-painted carpet.
The drawings are filled with various geometric shapes of various bright saturated colors - pink, cherry, lemon, milky, blue-black. This snake is recognized as one of the deadliest, but due to the fact that it is very phlegmatic, many believe that it is not as dangerous as everyone thinks it is.
It can be lifted by the tip of the tail without fear for health, put back, and at the same time she does not even want to make a formidable look. But it is extremely undesirable to tease the snake, because it stays in a rage for a long time and it is unlikely that it will be possible to “contract” with it.
Among other things, the Gaboon viper has the longest teeth full of poison. Looking at photo of vipers you can see the distinctive signs of reptiles.
Snakes are not poisonous representatives of vipers. Distinguish snake from vipers it is possible by bright orange spots located on the side of the head. In addition, they have round pupils of the eyes, and in the previously described species, and in all the others, the pupil is narrowed and located vertically.
Also, this type of snake does not have a characteristic zigzag on its back. Although the coloring of the water snake very much resembles the colors of the viper, because many confuse the checkerboard arrangement of the spots with the characteristic gyrus along the ridge.
In the photo there is a water snake, which, due to its similar color, is often confused with poisonous vipers
But close up, you can see that the spots are interrupted, and do not draw a non-discontinuous zigzag. Already from the head to the tip of the tail tapers evenly and a triangular head is unusual for him.
Viper food
By nature, all types of snakes are predators. They are able to swallow the victim as a whole, and not only small rodents and birds, but also quite large animals, such as others. Sometimes the prey is much thicker than the body of the reptile, which does not prevent the snake from swallowing it whole.
The viper is able to perform such actions due to the special joints of the jaws. The structure of the lower jaw allows you to stretch forward and then return to its original position.
In addition, the halves of the jaws are connected at the chin and, if necessary, can easily diverge to the sides.
The composition of the viper's diet depends on its habitat. Usually for lunch they prefer mice and. But chicks are a favorite food. Small animals, amphibians and lizards are added to this list. It is very interesting to watch the viper when it hunts.
The main prey of steppe vipers are rodents and insects. Perfectly climbing trees, it is not difficult for them to check the nests of birds, as well as birdhouses, to find their favorite delicacy there - chicks. Bird eggs also bring them pleasure. However, this snake loves to pamper itself with a delicacy in the form of medium-sized ungulates.
The Gaboon viper is a hunter by nature. It will take a place in ambush, wait until dusk, and when the warm-blooded animal approaches the right distance, it will pounce and swallow it whole. She loves to eat, hares and other inhabitants of her range. She will not disdain to taste the dwarf, who has strayed from the herd.
Reproduction and lifespan
The mating season for snakes takes place in the spring - mostly May. Pregnancy of a viper, like many other reptile reptiles, depends on the weather and ranges from three months to six months. What is most surprising, sometimes a pregnant snake can even overwinter.
Usually they give birth to 10-20 cubs of their own kind. When they are born, they immediately inherit poisonousness from their parents. A few hours after birth, young individuals molt. You can observe an interesting moment during childbirth.
In the photo, the birth of a viviparous snake
The female wraps around a tree, and the born cubs fall directly to the ground. The cubs live in the forest floor or in burrows and feed on insects. The snake can begin to breed at a fairly solid age for reptiles - about 5 years. Males become sexually mature at 4 years of age.
The life span of vipers in nature is 10 years on average. Steppe vipers begin to breed at the age of 3. Life expectancy is less than that of ordinary vipers, only 7-8 years. The Gaboon viper, as well as all the described species, is viviparous.
Males, like true gentlemen, never bite each other during courtship. The gestation period lasts about 12 months. She is capable of producing from 10 to 40 cubs into the world.