Without special need, a person prefers not to face many dangerous animals. These are the snakes. In addition to their specific appearance, many of them have the ability to kill with poison.
Which snakes are really worth fearing?
According to scientists, there are about 2,400 species of snakes in the world. Approximately 8% of these are poisonous. The poison of some is capable of killing a person in a split second, the dangerous product of others acts exclusively as a paralytic agent, in others it is not capable of causing any harm to a person.
Some people speculate that snakes have a specific sting, or they inject venom with a forked tongue. However, this opinion is incorrect. Basically, snake venom can enter the bloodstream only through a bite.
The only danger is the teeth of the snake: pointed fangs, in many cases bent back. This structure allows the animal to immobilize food and swallow it whole. Today, there are only two known families of venomous snakes in the world: cobras and vipers. All of their representatives have the ability to produce a hazardous substance. Poisonous snakes are also found in the coluber family.
How poison is secreted and a dangerous bite occurs
All poisonous snakes have glands in the mouth. They run along the upper jaw and connect to two symmetrically located teeth. Hollow tubules pass through them (in some representatives, the grooves go out). The jaw muscle is located at the poisonous gland. With a mechanical action (bite), it presses on the gland, which contributes to the production of poison. It fills the teeth, the grooves of which open, releasing the poison directly into the bite.
However, not all cobras need direct contact with their prey. Among the family, there are unique "spitting" representatives. In this case, the venom spills out from the holes on the front of the teeth. It only acts in contact with mucous membranes. Spitting cobras tend to aim their victims in the eyes to blind them.
Scientists note that representatives of the viper family are distinguished by a more complex structure of teeth. Their fangs are longer, sharp, curved back. When the mouth is closed, the teeth seem to fold. At the climax of the hunt, they turn 90 degrees, assuming a combat position.
It should be noted that cobras and vipers bite differently. The first need to quickly carry out a series of bites in order to properly immobilize the victim. Vipers cannot afford to clench their jaws due to the length of the teeth (sometimes up to 4 cm) and their fragility. Therefore, the snake actively works only with its upper part, quickly striking it at the victim. Teeth are very often broken. So that the viper does not remain hungry and unprotected, at the same time as the active ones, it has growing replacement fangs.
