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Tag: Snakes

  • Clarion Nightsnake: The Lost Species Re-Emerges In Mexico

    A rare snake species once presumed “lost” forever has been rediscovered after a gap of nearly 80 years!

    The Clarion nightsnake is a species of snake that was first discovered back in 1936 by American naturalist William Beebe. Clarion was the name of one of the Revillagigedo Islands, the place where he first spotted the reptile.

    Unfortunately, subsequent trips back to Clarion failed to produce any more of the nightsnakes spotted by Beebe.

    As time passed, it was assumed that there were was some form of error and that the Clarion nightsnake simply no longer existed. This even lead to the species being removed from taxonomic registries.

    Not everyone was ready to give up on the Clarion nightsnake.

    One such person was Daniel Mulcahy. Mulcahy works as a researcher for the National Museum of Natural History in Washington. He worked closely with Juan Martinez Gomez of the Ecology Institute in Mexico to try to find the lost snake species.

    Gomez, who is said to be an expert on the Revillagigedo Islands, suggested that the pair of them set out under conditions that were similar to what Beebe would have experienced when he came across the Clarion nightsnake.

    Knowing that the islands changed season to season meant it was possible that the snakes would be easiest to find if they were present during certain times of the year. They also knew that the snake would be mainly active during the night hours and its skin patterns allowed it to blend in with the rock formations of the islands.

    Their calculations lead Mulcahy and Gomez to time their expedition for May. Thanks to “putting themselves in Beebe’s place”, the expedition was a success. Juan Alberto Cervantes, one of Gomez’s graduate students, was the one who spotted the lost snake. Cervantes has the distinction of being the first to do so since 1936.

    DNA testing on the snake determined that it was indeed its own species, though it is closely related to Mexico’s Sonora-Sinaloa snakes. The Sonora-Sinaloa is native to a region of Mexico nearly 500 miles away.

    Image via YouTube

  • Snake Eating Croc: What Else Can Snakes Eat?

    Photos of a giant snake swallowing a crocodile have gone viral. The snake attacked the crocodile and the two battled for several hours before the snake overpowered the mighty croc and began to swallow it whole. A photographer enjoying lunch at Lake Moondarra, near Mount Isa in Australia, was able to snap a few photos of the battle.

    While a snake eating a crocodile is a pretty impressive sight, and photos of such a battles are rare, it is not uncommon for snakes to take down and devour large animals. Large snakes are extremely strong and capable of taking down animals that weigh several hundred pounds. Once the animal is down, snakes like anacondas will squeeze and suffocate them before swallowing them whole.

    Most large snakes like Anacondas try to avoid populated areas and do most of their hunting in the rainforest or in rivers. Every now and then, one will wander out of the mist to find new hunting grounds. If these hunting grounds happen to be in a location where domestic pets are found, the snake may be lucky enough to find itself a snack. There are many reports of snakes eating household pets such as cats, birds, rabbits, and as this picture shows, dogs.

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    In many parts of the world, farmers are forced to raise their animals and livestock near predators. While wolves and lions are obvious threats to farm animals, this photo shows that anacondas can be just as fierce. A horse is the unlucky victim of this hungry, big snake.

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    While most snakes are happy to hunt easy prey like fish, birds, and small mammals, some snakes just can’t resist getting their jaws around something larger. Nyalas are deer-like animals that live in Africa. Nyalas and anacondas often cross paths, but usually neither one pays the other any mind. In this photo, an anaconda gets the better of a nyala, and manages to not only kill it, but swallow its entire body as well.

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    Snakes are able to open their mouths extremely wide and once they have swallowed a large meal, they can go several days and even weeks without eating again. The snakes in these photos clearly had large appetites, and in this case, did not bite off more than they could chew.

    Images via YouTube, YouTube, YouTube, and YouTube

  • Snake Eating Croc: Ultimate Battle

    Watching a snake chomp down on a crocodile is not something one sees everyday. Australian resident Tiffany Corlis and other onlookers witnessed a five-hour long struggle between a water python and a three-foot crocodile inside Lake Moondarra. The snake ultimately swallowed the crocodile, but not before a long battle ensued.

    According to Corlis the whole ordeal was an amazing display of the brutality that often occurs in nature. “(The crocodile) was fighting at the start, it was trying to keep its head out of water and survive, but as the morning progressed you could tell both of them were getting a little weaker as the struggle was going on, finally the croc sort of gave in.” Corlis said before adding, “It was just unbelievable, we were sort of thinking the snake had bitten off a little more than it could chew, pardon the pun, but it did actually eat the crocodile. You could see the crocodile in the snake’s belly which I think was probably the more remarkable thing. You could actually see its legs and see its scales and everything, it was just amazing.”

    The battle between snake and crocodile may seem like an epic battle between two of nature’s most notorious beasts; however, the actual size may not be quite so impressive. Terry Phillip, who is the curator of reptiles for Reptile Gardens located in Rapid City, South Dakota, recently spoke with National Geographic. According to Phillip, “These animals aren’t giants. That snake is likely about 15 or 20 pounds [7 to 9 kilograms], and the croc might be 5 to 7 pounds [2 to 3 kilograms], probably three feet [one meter] long. And for these species, native to that part of Australia, this is a very natural event. While that looks like a really big meal, it’s a pretty common one for that type of snake.”

    Either way, it was a bad day to be a croc.

    Image Via Wikimedia Commons

  • Two Thousand Mice Dropped On Guam to Kill Snakes

    It was an odd site in Guam on Sunday, as two thousand mice floated down from the sky on tiny cardboard and tissue paper parachutes. Why were mice flying through the air? They were dropped from a plane over the Andersen Air Force Base in the United States territory of Guam on a mission to kill the brown tree snakes that have invaded the country.

    The mice were already dead before being dumped, and had been pumped full of 80 mg of acetaminophen. An $8 million United States program was approved in February to help eradicate the snakes and save the wild life and exotic birds that have become the snake’s favorite snack. Sunday’s drop marked the fourth rodent air assault, and the biggest so far.

    “Every time there is a technique that is tested and shows promise, we jump on that bandwagon and promote it and help out and facilitate its implementation,” said Tino Aguon, the acting chief of the United States Agriculture Department’s wildlife resources office for Guam.

    United States Department of Agriculture assistant state director supervisory wildlife biologist Dan Vice explained the process of dropping the mice. “What we’re going to be watching is the oral delivery of oral toxicans out of a helicopter,” Vice said. “The process is quite simple. The helicopter is going to make low altitude flights over the forest at relatively slow speeds they’re going to be certified pesticide applicators inside the helicopter delivering the baits out of the helicopter on a time sequence.”

    He continued to explain the reason behind the parachutes and their design. “The cardboard is heavier than the tissue paper and opens up in an inverted horse shoe,” Vice said. “It then floats down and ultimately hangs up in the forest canopy. Once its hung in the forest canopy snakes have an opportunity to consume the bait.”

    The program chose to use acetaminophen in the mice because it is lethal to snakes and can kill them in as short as 72 hours. Vice assures us, however, that the mice will not be lethal to any other animals that may get ahold of them.

    “One reason acetaminophen is so effective for snakes is that its very low toxicity to other organisms. of all the organisms in the forest to be concerned about the monitor lizards, the iguanas is probably the one that is potentially at risk but because the baits are hung up in the forest canopy and not distributed on the floor the monitors aren’t going to encounter the baits with great frequency the monitors climb trees but they tend not to feed in trees,” he said.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Another Snake Hoarder Charged in Ohio

    Another Snake Hoarder Charged in Ohio

    A Cleveland, Ohio area man plead not guilty to the illegal selling of dangerous animals, after authorities found roughly 100 snakes in his home.

    Police found 97 non-venomous snakes, as well as a few vipers, after Joseph McCollum, 46, went to a Struthers, Ohio emergency room for treatment for a rattlesnake bite.

    McCollum, along with girlfriend Michelle Barrett, were arrested, and also charged with felony child endangerment. Some of the snakes, reportedly stacked “floor to ceiling,” were housed in unmarked aquariums in the bedroom of McCollum’s 12-year-old son. Various plastic containers also comprised McCollum’s reptilian menagerie.

    McCollum, who had a warrant out for a previous child endangerment charge, plead not guilty in Struthers municipal court to the illegal sale and auction of animals. He’s yet to enter a plea regarding his latest child endangerment charge.

    According to Stuthers Police Detective Jeff Lewis, McCollum operated the “Boa Store,” a business which shipped snakes throughout the country. Lewis commented, “We were shocked at the inventory of snakes he had. They were floor to ceiling and there were also a lot of rats – for feeding purposes.”

    Regarding the endangerment charge – rattlesnake venom is a mixture of 5-15 enzymes, various metal ions, biogenic amines, lipids, free amino acids, proteins, and polypeptides. It’s evolved to disable prey, and also begin the predigestive process by breaking tissue down from the inside. The venom is very stable, and doesn’t weaken after years in storage.

    Struthers, a suburb of Youngstown near the Pennsylvania and Ohio border, falls under a recent state law which prohibits the ownership of exotic and dangerous animals without permits. McCollum was charged under the statute, which was modified after a Zanesville man set loose 48 large lions, tigers and bears, before committing suicide in 2011. Police basically went on a big-game hunting expedition across the Ohioan countryside in that incident.

    In related news, a Long Island man was recently found having about 850 snakes in his house, in another illegal reptile sales operation. Forty Burmese pythons where also recently found in an Ontario motel room, to where the owners had planned to illegally breed the snakes.

    Four of the poisonous snakes taken from the Struthers home were moved to a zoo in Kentucky.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Snake Handler Dons Google Glass To Show Us How She Inspects Venomous Snakes

    Google Glass offers us a chance to see the world through the eyes of some of the most interesting professions in the world. The Taronga Zoo in Sydney has already shown us what a day in the life of a zookeeper is like, and now the Houston Zoo shows us what life is like for those who handle dangerous animals.

    The Houston Zoo was recently asked how it handles its venomous snake species, and one of its snake handlers was more than happy to strap on Google Glass to show us. In the below video, you’ll see our snake handler try to coax a black forest cobra into a tube for a routine inspection.

    The black forest cobra isn’t the most dangerous snake in the world, but it’s venom still packs a punch. According to Wikipedia, this particular snake can inject a large amount of venom in a single bite. After a bite, a human can die within 30 to 120 minutes if antivenom is not administered immediately. During that time, those who have been bitten will suffer drowsiness, limb paralysis, hearing loss, inability to speak, dizziness, fever, abdominal pain and respiratory symptoms. As you can see, it’s not pleasant and makes the work of snake handlers all the more impressive.

    Google Glass is amazing in that it let us see into the world of such a dangerous profession. It also reconfirms my convictions that going near snakes is always a bad idea, especially when snakes have proven time and time again that they become eldritch abominations upon death.

    [h/t: Softpedia]
    [Image: houstonzoo/YouTube]

  • Decapitated Snake Bites Itself in Your Daily WTF Video

    Warning, this may creep you out – depending on your tolerance for nature being freaky as hell.

    I’m going to let you guys in on a little secret about my phobias. I really, really hate spiders. I also really, really hate centipedes. Basically, my rule is that if it has 8 legs or more – screw that. Anything that has fewer than 8 legs, I’m cool with.

    By my own rule, snakes are a-ok in my book. No legs – awesome. I ain’t scared of you, snake.

    But this is just…what the hell? Ignore the slightly annoying commentary and witness nature at its most WTF:

  • 19-Foot Python Found, Killed in Miami

    19-Foot Python Found, Killed in Miami

    Though the classic Jennifer Lopez/Ice Cube movie Anaconda may have exaggerated it just a bit, it is true that snakes can grow to a terrifying size. Now, one man in Miami has found a record-setting snake that’s longer than three human adults are tall.

    According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), a man named Jason Leon has found the longest Burmese python ever recorded in the state of Florida. The female snake is 18 feet, 8 inches long- more than one foot longer than the previous Florida record-holder. It also weighs 128 pounds.

    Leon reportedly saw three feet of the snake poking out of the bushes on the side of a rural road and stopped to capture the snake. Leon, who has experience with Burmese pythons as pets, began dragging it out of the brush by grabbing it behind its head. The snake was killed with a knife after it attempted to wrap itself around Leon’s leg.

    “Jason Leon’s nighttime sighting and capture of a Burmese python of more than 18 feet in length is a notable accomplishment that set a Florida record. The FWC is grateful to him both for safely removing such a large Burmese python and for reporting its capture,” said Kristen Sommers, Exotic Species Coordination section leader for the FWC.

    The FWC considers the Burmese python an invasive species that disrupts the ecosystem of the Florida Everglades. The record-setting snake is now being studied by researchers at the University of Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center.

    (Image courtesy the FWC)

  • Player Dies: Snake Bite Kills From Field Hockey Pitch

    Player Dies: Snake Bite Kills From Field Hockey Pitch

    An Australian field hockey player was bitten by a snake while attempting to get it off the pitch and died hours later, officials say.

    A series of unfortunate circumstances led to the death of 26-year old Karl Berry on Tuesday; thinking the snake was non-venomous, he picked it up without hesitation and threw it into the bushes, suffering a bite in the process. Deciding not to seek medical attention, Berry then went on a run for training. Tragically, running only caused the venom to circulate through his blood stream faster than usual, and he collapsed. When paramedics arrived, however, Berry didn’t mention the snake bite for several minutes. Those minutes could have been the thin line between life and death.

    “When the paramedics looked at his hand they saw the bite mark on his finger. The bite was more consistent with a bite from a poisonous species,” said St. John Ambulance Operations Manager Craig Garraway.

    In fact, it was a Western Brown, considered to be one of Australia’s most dangerous snakes.

    Berry reportedly picked up the snake because it was edging close to a group of children who were playing near the field.

  • 53 King Cobras In Car, Driver Arrested

    A man in Vietnam was arrested on Monday after officials discovered 53 King Cobra snakes in his car when he was stopped in Hanoi.

    The man says he was paid to transport them, but there are few details at this time as to where he was taking them or who paid him. Authorities say the snakes were taken to a wildlife rescue center before being released back into the wild and were unharmed despite being transported together in a large bag.

    Cobras are considered a delicacy in parts of Vietnam, so it’s possible the snakes were destined for a harsh fate before being rescued. They are also sought for their exotic skin, which is turned into items such as belts and shoes. The driver was paid $50 for his trouble, but was arrested since the hunting and trading of King Cobras is banned there.

  • Not Afraid Of Snakes? You Will Be After Watching This Severed Snake Head Move In For A Kill

    Snakes are terrifying. The good thing is that snakes are mortal. They can no longer harm us after its head has been lopped off, right? Right?

    National Geographic reports that Santa Cruz resident Thomas Scott recently found himself face-to-face with a rattlesnake. He valiantly chopped its head off, but found that nature is never that easy to subdue:

    Holy sh*t, did you see that? The head literally jumped a few inches forward. It even bared its fangs a few times. This is either a zombie snake, or a case of immortality being applied to the wrong animal.

    National Geographic says that it’s neither. Instead, reptiles, unlike mammals, retain their hunting reflexes up to an hour after death. That means that a severed rattlesnake head can still kill you after it’s been beheaded.

    Armed with this knowledge, I expect all hikers to be equipped with flamethrowers from now on. It’s the only to be sure that this hellspawn remains dead.

    [h/t: Geekologie]

  • This Robot Snake Will Wrap Around Your Neck With A Deathlike Grip

    This Robot Snake Will Wrap Around Your Neck With A Deathlike Grip

    Snakes, and their total absence of limbs, make them some of the most terrifying creatures on the planet. Not to mention the variety of ways snakes can kill us. Why then must science create a robotic version of Satan’s avatar?

    The Biorobotics Lab at Carnegie Mellon University has been hard at work on what they call a modular snake robot. Why would they create such a thing? Here’s how they explain it:

    Snake robots can use their many internal degrees of freedom to thread through tightly packed volumes accessing locations that people and machinery otherwise cannot use. Moreover, these highly articulated devices can coordinate their internal degrees of freedom to perform a variety of locomotion capabilities that go beyond the capabilities of conventional wheeled and the recently developed legged robots. The true power of these devices is that they are versatile, achieving behaviors not limited to crawling, climbing, and swimming.

    That actually sounds pretty useful. I’m sure a number of industries, including defense, could do some pretty amazing things with a robot that can move in and out of tight spaces. So why is this particularly robot so terrifying? Just watch this:

    As you can see, our robot snake friend here can immediately constrict around a object after being thrown at it. Sure, it looks cool at first, until you realize that somebody (or some robot) may one day throw this thing at your neck. It’s hard enough already to fight off a Boa Constrictor. Just imagine how hard it would be to fight off a robot snake whose sole directive is snuffing out the life you hold dear.

    [h/t: Wired]

  • Python On Plane Wing Is Your WTF Story Of The Day [Video]

    I promise not to make any stupid “Snakes on a Plane” jokes. A Python was spotted on the wing of a Quantas Airways plane during a two-hour flight from Cairns, Australia to Papua New Guinea.

    According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the serpent was spotted by a passenger about 20 minutes into the flight, in an incident that more closely resembles a famous Twilight Zone episode than the Samuel L. Jackson film.

    In other news, Snakes on a Plane director David R. Ellis died this week. Unfortunately, that’s not a joke.