SNAKES: THEY ARE COLD- BLOODED AND ECTOTHERMIC IN NATURE   

SNAKES: THEY ARE COLD- BLOODED AND ECTOTHERMIC IN NATURE   

By: Balami Lazarus     

They are slimy, scally, deadly and venomous. The most feared reptile in the wild.     Writing on this animal will scare some readers and equally raise doubt in their minds because of the facts I will hereby present.     No matter how clear an evidence is, most people will always and at any point in time find a false belief, saying or giving interpretations that they will religiously hold onto as their reasons to be true, which are not so.     

There have been so many lies and false information on snakes than the true side of this creature which has lasted for thousands of years and even to this day. Most people don’t like anything to do with snakes, which is why they are smeared and colour with wrong information. Additionally, a lot of bad things are also linked to snakes such as being evil, demonic and witchcraft activities. They are said also to have or do things that are not possible like: flying, chewing, having horns while others are said to have beards.     

Snakes are my favourite wild animal. I am an ophidiophile. I can remember vividly as a young primary school boy my friends and I used to go snake hunting, that is when I developed interest in snakes and even took time to observe and study them. My work; Findings On Snakes (1988), has exposed me to the true world of this beautiful and charismatic reptile.     

There are 3000 species of snakes on the planet earth, 600 species are venomous while 200 percent are deadly and highly venomous and can kill within minutes. Snakes are not found in New Zealand, Greenland, Ireland, Iceland and Antarctica. They love quiet, cool and dry places and always avoid and hide away from humans. Their life- span is between 20 to 30 years depending on the species of the snake.     

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Snakes are ectothermic creatures and do not produce their own body heat rather they rely on the sun to heat up their bodies. They do not depend on energy from the food they eat to generate their body heat and energy that is why snakes can survive on an extremely meagre diet, and go weeks or months without eating. They also lack biological regeneration of the body cells unlike other animals. This means that snakes cannot get healed if wounded and will eventually die. And tells you why they have no scars on their body. Snakes cannot be tamed or charmed.

They are carefully controlled by the use of repellents or local potent anti- venin substances used by snake farmers and breeders. You cannot frighten snakes with any kind of noise you will make because they do not hear as humans do. They lack external ear openings making them deaf to air- borne sounds. Theirs are called pits. However, they can properly and effectively feel vibration through the ground extremely well. Do you know that if there is an earthquake from a far distance place, snakes can immediately pick up the vibration anywhere?     

When aggrieved or about to attack or strike, the snake’s fangs protrude out and in this condition the snake contract and stiffen its body. Poisonous snakes’ venom are of two types: Blood poison and Nerve poison. Blood poison (neuro-toxin) is slow acting, destroys tissues and causes bleeding. Nerve poison paralyses the nerve which controls movement and it affects breathing while some snakes have both which means death is imminent if being bitten by such kinds of snakes.     

Snakes don’t have eyelids, and they cannot blink or close their eyes. Their eyes are protected by transparent skin- like vile.  They have no legs, but snakes can slither very fast over the ground. They are also experts in hiding. A snake finds its food largely by smell. It picks up scent particles from the air by flicking out its forked- tongue. When the snake brings its tongue back into its mouth, it can tell if the smell is something good to eat.

A snake can sense the body heat from an animal, this sense; lets the snake know exactly where its prey is. The regular shedding of their skins (epidemics) is basically to enable the snake to grow.     Having said much, let me now pick on one specific snake that is Number One among the deadliest, vicious and venomous snakes in the world. Taipan is the most extremely venomous snake that has neuro- toxin poison in its venom. Is a long snake that grows over 2.5 metres.

Taipan is an Australian snake; it has excellent senses of smell and eyesight, intelligent, nervous and alert. Single bite from this fierce snake contains enough venom to kill as many as 100 human adults and as much as 250,000 mice. The average venom yield is over 44mg with a 140mg record yield. Its venom potency is 50 times more poisonous than the deadliest Indian Cobras: Nangin, Najanaja, King Cobra, Gee and  Habu.   

Snakes are part of our eco- system balance. They do have their economic importance in both medical and pharmaceutical sectors providing reasons for research and development (R&D) in medical science and giving a push in the economy of a country.   

Balami, a Publisher/ Columnist.    08036779290.

SNAKES: THEY ARE COLD- BLOODED AND ECTOTHERMIC IN NATURE