King snake wins beauty contest

Contrary to the popular opinion about the dangers of creeping reptiles, zoologists in Dnipropetrovsk believe that snakes are quite peaceful animals that easily get along with humans. “Snakes that live in wild nature are afraid of people not less than people are afraid of them. But the snakes bred by humans easily become tame,” said the leader of the club Hennadii Buianover. Proof of this is the fact that in eastern and southern Asia non-poisonous snakes are often kept in homes instead of cats for protection against rodents: rats and mice. “Snakes are absolutely not aggressive. If you don’t fool around with it, it will never attack first,” said the zoologist. “When a snake sticks out its tongue, do not be afraid, it’s not a threat – this is the way it smells the air and explores its environment.”

Dnipropetrovsk naturalists say that snakes are in many ways unique creatures that have gone a long and difficult path of evolution. “Reptiles, like birds and fish, are the direct descendants of dinosaurs. As for snakes, they are former lizards, whose limbs have atrophied due to the changes in habitat conditions. It is believed that their distant ancestor looked like a lizard,” said Buianover. Snake’s head is built in a very amazing way – its jaws are mounted on flexible screeds, that is why when they ingest their food it can become ten times wider. Creeping reptile practically pulls itself over its victim and 200 rubs attached to a flexible spine help to push the food inside. Snakes grow all their life and in old age can be very large. The largest snake is the South American anaconda. Its record length is 11.43 meters. There are nearly 10,000 species of snakes in the world, but only 10 percent are poisonous. There are nine species of snakes that live in Ukraine and only two of them can be a threat to the safety of people: Orsini’s viper and the copperhead, which has long been listed among the endangered species in the Red Book. Their natural habitat is forests and swamps and these habitats are steadily declining. Therefore, it is probably not humans who have to be afraid of reptiles, but visa versa.

Zoologist explained that it is absolutely not difficult to keep a snake as a pet: you need to feed it only once every ten days. They feed on chickens and small rodents. Snakes also like eggs and milk. For good health they need some moisture and some heating – electric lamp in a glass cage is sufficient. Reptiles from the northern latitudes hibernate in winter, which is an essential condition for producing future offspring. “In order to take a snake in your hands you have to overcome the fear that all of us have on the level of subconsciousness. But even a child can play with it if he knows the way snakes behave,” Buianover and his son shared with their experience. “Snake is an enigmatic and mysterious creature, that’s why all ancient civilizations considered them a symbol of wisdom.”

Naturalists note that in recent years keeping a snake as a pet has become rather common and even fashionable in Ukraine. In Dnipropetrovsk, there are hundreds of fans of these reptiles. All snakes in the Club of Animal Lovers were born in vitro, but their ancestors were once imported from all over the world. One of the most interesting features of snakes is their color, which can serve as camouflage and helps them to hunt, it also can scare enemies. Often it is non-poisonous snakes that have “frightening” coloring and pretend to be toxic congeners. “In this way they seem to warn other animals that they have to be more careful, shouldn’t step or hurt them,” zoologist interpret snakes’ tongue.

But let’s get back to the Dnipropetrovsk beauty contest. Undisputed champion is the guest from Mexico – the king snake named Manuela. A small snake has a bright red, white, and black coloring, which warns an enemy about the danger. In fact, there is no need to be afraid – king snake is absolutely harmless. Fans of terrarium animals often keep them at home. It grows up to five feet, but has easy nature. “Manuela will sure get her prize at home,” promised Buianover. “She will get a tasty mouse and our queen will have a nice quiet dinner.”

On New Year naturalists in Dnipropetrovsk plan to organize the exhibition “Animal on the Palm of Your Hand” where visitors will be able to hold various creatures, including snakes, in their hands. They say that such interaction has positive effect. The exhibition is designed primarily for young children and will open on Christmas holidays in the City Palace for Children and Youth.