Sr. No.
|
Order
|
Examples
|
1
|
Rhynchocephalia
|
Sphenodon (Living fossil)
|
2
|
Squamata
|
Lizards ( wall lizard (Gecko), flying lizard (flying dragon), Varanus, Chameleon, etc.
Snakes (Cobra, King cobra, Krait, Viper (Pit viper, Pitless viper) Rat snake, Python etc.
|
3
|
Chelonia
|
Turtles, Tortoises, Terrapins, Tryonix, Green turtle, etc.
|
4
|
Crocodilia
|
Crocodiles, Alligators, Caimans, Gharials
|
2. This animal remain unchanged since evolved about 200 million year hence called living fossil. .
3. It is medium sized reptile also called as tuatara.
4. It found only on few island surrounding New Zealand.
5. The colour of body is olive green or brown in colour with white or yellow spots.
6. Body covered with scales.
7. Presence of mid-dorsal crest of spine.
8. Spines are absent on neck.
9. Horn of scale present on head.
10. Snout is beak like.
11. Limbs are pentadactyle.
12. Sphenodon has third eye present on top of the head between eyes.
13. Presence of two rows of teeth in bucal cavity.
14. It is nocturnal animal and burrowing in habitat.
15. Hibernate (Winter Sleep) during winter.
16. It is carnivorous.
17. Female lay dozen of eggs in to the dig burrow.
2. limbs are weak and pentaductile. In some marine forms limbs are modified into paddles.
3. Dorsally body is covered with plates, plastron or polygonal scutes or leathery skin.
4. Neck, limbs and tails are retractile.
5. Tail is very short.
6. In adults teeth are absent and are replaced by horny plates.
7. Copulatory organ in male attached to ventral wall of colaca.
8. These are oviparous animals.
9. Regular hibernation occurs in temperate region.
10. In the skull, quadrate bone is immovably articulated.
11. Ribs and thoracic vertebrae are usually fused with carapace.
12. Pelvic girdle consists of ilium, ischium and pubis.
13. Pectoral girdle composed of scapula, pro-coracoid and coracoid bones.
Ex. Green turtle, Testudo, indian soft shell turtle etc.
2. They are carnivorous.
3. They cold blooded.
5. Presence of power full limb with jaws.
7. Tail is massive and muscular.
8. Dorsal side of body is covered with protective plates.
9. Four chambered heart.
12 Oviparous animal.
14. In adults extensive parental care about young.
Types of Snake, Snake Venom and First Aid
treatment
The actual poison of venom appears to consist of albuminous
substances in solution. It has different actions in different snakes. Venom may
(i) act on nerve cells and cause respiratory paralysis; (ii) destroy the
endothelium of smaller blood vessels and allow blood to seep into the tissues;
(iii) destroy erythrocytes and (iv) cause blood coagulation.
1. Neurotoxic Venom:
1.
Neurotoxic venom found
in cobras, krait, sea snakes, etc.
2.
It causes paralysis of the respiratory muscles.
3.
Death of victim caused
due to respiratory paralysis.
4.
Venom primarily
affects the nervous system,
5.
Venom of Kraits is
also neurotoxic.
2. Haemotoxic Venom:
1.
It is found chiefly in
vipers.
2.
It causes haemorrhage.
3.
The haemolysis and haemorrhage
caused by the venom.
4.
so pronounced that
bleeding occurs from the eyes, renal and alimentary tract epithelium.
5.
Chance of survival
from snake bite depends to a great degree on the amount of venom
Venomous and Non-venomous snake snake
Non-Poisonous Or Non- venomous Snakes:
1. Python:
1. Python is a large, massive, non-poisonous snake covered with small scales and shields on the head and large plates below.
2. Tail is prehensile.
3. It has a vertical pupil.
4. It constricts warm-blooded animals in its coils and kills them due to suffocation,
5. Pythons have vestigial pelvic girdles
6. The claws are seen on either side of the cloaca, they play a part in copulation.
7. They are oviparous.
8. Indian python, is over 8 metres long.
9. It is grayish-brown with red and black spots and a mark like a spearhead between the eyes, ventral side is yellowish.
10. Scales of upper lip have pits.
11. It is nocturnal and very often waits on trees for its prey.
12. It loves to lie in water.
13. Pythons are found in Asia and Africa.
3. Eryx: Sand
Boa (Mandul)
1. Eryx johnii is commonly called Indian or John Sand Boa or Mandul .
2. It is found in dry, hot, sandy parts of India, Africa and Sri Lanka.
3. The body is short and flat with a stumpy tail, eyes are minute.
4. The head is pointed and resembles the tail, hence, it is often called a two-head boa.
5. It has a uniformly sandy brown colour,
6. it may have cross bars and dark spots, with small smooth scales above
7. Eryx is 1 metre long. It is a harmless, sub-terranean snake.
8. It lives in burrows of small rodents on which it feeds
9. It also feeds on lizards and worms.
4. Zamenis (Ptyas): Rat Snake
1. Zamenis mucosus is commonly called dhaman or rat- snake of India.
2. It is a highly active non-poisonous snake which feeds on rats, small rodents, and frogs.
3. It grows to a length of 2.5 metres, and has an elongated tail.
4. Scales above are smooth with pits, below they are large transverse bands. Colour is brownish above with black bands on the tail.
5. It is pale yellow ventrally.
6. The eyes are large with round pupil.
7. It is very swift, ill-tempered and bites viciously.
8. It is oviparous.
9. It is regarded as a friend of the farmers because it destroys rats.
10. It is found in India, Myanmar and Java.
Poisonous or Venomous Snakes:
The poisonous snakes are kraits, cobras, pitless vipers and pit
vipers, sea snakes, etc. These possess poison glands and fangs.
Following poisonous snakes are found in India
1. Bungarus: Krait (Manyar)
2. Naja: Cobra
4. Viper:
3. King cobra (Nagraj)
5. Hydrophis: Sea snake
1. Bungarus: Krait (Manyar)
1. Bungarus is commonly called krait.
2. It has several species in India and Malaya.
3. It is slender and about 1 metre long, of pale brown colour with darker bluish-black markings having white cross bars, ventral surface is white.
4. Fangs are small.
5. Scales are smooth.
6. The backbone is ridged having a central row of enlarged hexagonal scales.
7. It is oviparous and the female incubates the eggs.
8. It feeds on toads, mice and smaller snakes.
9. The common krait, Bungarus caeruleus, comes into homes, is slow moving, but is highly poisonous.
10. Its venom is more poisonous than that of a cobra.
2. Naja: Cobra
1. Naja is commonly called Indian Cobra or nag.
2. Naja naja is also called Naja tripudians.
3. It is a highly poisonous snake growing up to 2 metres in length, of brown or blackish colour.
4. It lives in holes and under stones.
5. It feeds on frogs, lizards, rats and other snakes.
6. Scales are smooth, dorsal surface of the head has small scales and large shields.
7. Presence of hood is characteristics of cobra.
8. hood spread is more than in other cobras.
9. Pupil is round.
10. Fangs are small and non-movable.
11. On each side is a large poison gland enclosed in a fibrous capsule, its duct runs into a canal in the fang.
Venom is neurotoxic
3. King cobra -
1. Naja hannah (king cobra also called Hamadryad), is found in India, Malaya, and southern China.
2. It grows up to 6 metres, but has a diameter of only 7.5 cm, the average length is 3.5 metres.
3. It is the world’s largest poisonous snake and the most deadly and venomous of all snakes.
4. The venom injected is large in quantity and causes quick death due to respiratory paralysis.
5. The king cobra has a small head, the hood spread is only about 10 cm, on the hood are transverse bands and white marks.
4. Viper:
1. Vipera (viper) head is large, flat, and covered with small scales.
2. Nostrils are lateral, eyes are far forwards and there is a sensory pit between the eye and the nostril in some.
3. Pits are sensory organs with which the snake can detect its prey. The scales on the body are keeled. Tail is short and tapers abruptly.
4. Scales on the head are small and keeled.
5. In vipers, movable fangs with canals.
6. The fangs are erected for biting and folded back against the roof of the mouth when not in use.
5. Hydrophis: Sea snake
1. Hydrophis is commonly called Sea snake.
2. The body is long and laterally compressed posteriorly.
3. Head and neck are very slender.
4. The general colour is dark olive green above with yellowish cross bars and white below. The ventral scales are small.
5. Tail is laterally compressed and acts like paddle in swimming.
6. Eyes are small with rounded pupil.
7. Viviparous. Carnivorous, feeding on fishes, etc. Hydrophis is deadly poisonous.
8. its venom is neurotoxic.
Symptoms of snake bite
Signs or symptoms of a snake bite may vary depending on the type of snake, but may include:
1. Puncture marks at the wound
2. Redness, swelling, bruising, bleeding, or blistering around the bite
3. Severe pain and tenderness at the site of the bite
4. Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
5. Labored breathing (in extreme cases, breathing may stop altogether)
6. Rapid heart rate, weak pulse, low blood pressure
7. Disturbed vision
8. Metallic, mint, or rubber taste in the mouth
9. Increased salivation and sweating
10. Numbness or tingling around face and/or limbs
11. Muscle twitching
First Aid treatment; Definition
First aid is emergency care given immediately to an injured
person. The purpose of first aid is to minimize injury and future disability.
In serious cases, first aid may be necessary to keep the victim alive.
The first aid treatment for snake bite
· Treat all bites as poisonous
· Keep person calm and as still as possible
· Remove all jewelry
· Wash wound with soap & water
· Apply suction device if person is more than an hour from treatment
· Immobilize limb below the heart
· Give 100% oxygen if available.
· Apply tourniquet, ice, or water.
· Take a photograph of the snake from a safe distance if possible. Identifying the snake can help with treatment of the snakebite.
· Keep calm.
·
.
Venomous and non venomous snake Distinguishing Characters
Near about 2500 to 3000 species of snake found all over the world. But not all the species of snake are poisonous. Because of few of them, entire snake world have bad reputation.
According to WHO in India about 45000 to 50000 victims die due to snake bite every year. But official record is only about 12000 to 15000.
Identification of poisonous and non-poisonous snake is not hard task.
1. Identification of snake by the nature of bite mark
2. Identification of snake by flow of blood from wound
3. Identification of snake by nature of tail.
4. Identification of snake by nature head shield or scales.
1. Identification of snake by the nature of bite mark:
If non-poisnous snake bites tends to several small punctures in two rows due to maxillary teeth mark and palatine teeth mark.
But if poisonous snake bite it shows two prominent spots due to fang , along with a palatine teeth mark.
2. Identification of snake by the flow of blood from the wound
When non-poisonous snake bites, blood flows from the wound for short period and gets clots naturally but if poisonous snake bites, blood-coloured fluid continuously oozes through the wound because venom prevents the clotting of blood.
3. Identification of snake by nature of tail.
If the tail is flattened and laterally compressed then the snake is a sea snake and deadly poisonous.
If we observed the tail is rounded and cylindrical, it is a land snake. Then, snakes may be poisonous or non-poisonous.
If the ventral scales are large transverse plates extending fully across the ventral side of the belly, the snake may be poisonous or non-poisonous. Now examine the dorsal scales of the head
5. Identification of snake by nature head shield or scales.
If the dorsal side of head is covered with shields. The snake may be poisonous or non-poisonous.
Scales on head
If the head is covered with a smaller scale, then the snake is a viper and it is a poisonous snake.
If the head is covered with smaller scales and there is lorea pit. it is pit viper and snake is poisonous.
6. Identification of snake by nature of vertebral.
if the mid-dorsal side shows the presence of hexagonal scales called vertebral the snake is poisonous and it is krait. In addition to vertebral scales, the krait can be identified by examining the 4th infra-labial shield and a single row of sub-caudal.
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