A snake may flick its tongue more frequently to
sample the air in order to:• explore new surroundings;
• locate special features of their home range;
• seek a suitable mate;
• confirm the presence of prey;
• determine if a predator or human is near.
A snake’s tongue is harmless and serves the snake only as a
sensory device.
SENSING
VIBRATIONS
A snake has neither an external ear opening nor a tympanum
(exposed ear drum).
Rather, it feels vibrations, which travel along the snake’s
jawbone and are processed
through an internal ear within the snake’s head.
TOUCH
Snakes, although covered in tough scales, are very sensitive to
touch and certainly
feel pain.
VENOM
The massasauga’s venom consists of toxic proteins and digestive
enzymes that kill
prey and begin to break down the tissue for easy digestion. The
venom is produced in
glands located within each side of the snake’s head. During
envenomation, the
venom travels from the glands into small delivery ducts and
through the fangs into
the prey animal.
Venom is produced and stored in the glands of a snake, and must be
injected. When
an animal is poisonous the poison is distributed through its body
and cannot be
injected into another species. Poisonous animals are not edible,
whereas a
venomous animal can be eaten if you avoid the glands containing
the venom. The
eastern massasauga rattlesnake is venomous.
Scientists consider the eastern massasauga rattlesnake capable of
controlling both
the depth of its bite and the amount of venom it injects into the
prey animal. This skill
is apparent from the fact that the snake may make a defensive
strike without using
its venom. This “dry bite” may occur in 25% of defensive strikes.
Last Page
| Next Page |
Top | Table of Contents
|
