Quite often, snakes cause fear and horror and are associated with danger. People are afraid of being bitten by snakes, considering their venom deadly poisonous. There are many "serpentine" myths that are only the fruit of human fantasy and do not have a scientific basis.
1. Snakes drink milk.
In one of his detective stories, Arthur Conan Doyle developed the idea that snakes drink milk. This idea soon became generally accepted. In fact, giving a snake to drink milk can be fatal, since the snake's body is not adapted to assimilate lactose-containing foods.
2. When attacking, the snake will surely sting.
A snake attack is not always accompanied by a bite. Snake venom is not found in the tongue, but in the canals. The probability of getting poison into your body is possible only with a bite. Snakes are as afraid of people as people are of snakes. When meeting with a person, the snake tries to avoid any contact. But only in case of serious danger can it bite.
3. Before pouncing on a person, the snake sticks out its tongue.
A common stereotype that has emerged from watching some films. Snakes lack nostrils, the corresponding airways are on the tongue. To do this, the snake sticks it out, and this has nothing to do with the attack.
4. Almost all snakes are deadly.
Not all snakes are poisonous, according to studies of serpentologists, out of 2,500 species of snakes, only 400 are dangerous. Most of them live in South America.
5. A snake is not dangerous if its teeth are pulled out.
The snake's venom is in the dental canals, pulling out teeth for a while, you can protect yourself. But when the teeth grow back, there is a high chance of getting a dose of venom from the bite.
6. If a snake sees a person, it will definitely attack.
The snake does not like human contact and attacks only in case of danger. As soon as the snake sees a person, it either freezes or begins to hiss and wriggle. Thus, she asks to leave her alone. If you take a few steps back, the snake is likely to disappear from view.
7. Snakes eat meat.
Basically, snakes feed on mice, frogs, some types of reptiles. The king cobra prefers to eat its smaller counterparts. Each species has its own preferences and cannot be generalized.
8. All snakes are cold.
The snake is a cold-blooded animal. But her body temperature matches the environment. Unable to constantly maintain their body temperature at the right level, snakes love to bask in the sun.
9. The body of the snake is slimy.
The body of a snake has no pores, so it cannot be slimy. On the contrary, snake skin is pleasant and dry to the touch.
10. The snake entwines the trees.
This is due to the story of the tempting snake, which, according to legend, wrapped around the trunk of a tree. In fact, snakes crawl along the trunk onto tree branches and are located there almost parallel to the ground. They just lie on the branch without wrapping around it.
