A fascinating beauty: a coral snake

No matter how much you learn the incredible wonders of our planet, and for wonder there is always a place. We are accustomed to hidden reptiles, gliding unnoticed among foliage and grass. A completely different impression is made by a coral snake. One name of what it costs! About this reptile they say a lot. She regularly takes prizes in various ratings, bewitching experts with her looks and habits. Let's see what's extraordinary about it.

Description

The coral snake received its sonorous nickname due to its unusual color. The predominant color is red. The aspid, unlike many other relatives, is brightly colored. Red spots alternate with contrasting white and black. More rarely there are absolutely incredible snakes, flaunting the celestial blue or pink dawn, pouring rings on the skin. The size of this reptile is not impressive. Its maximum length is seventy centimeters. Head small, dulled. This aspid is very fond of changing skin. It molts up to six times a year. Another oddity for the snake is that it likes to drink water, but do not swim.

Lifestyle

People rarely get the chance to admire this "beauty". She prefers to hide in damp foliage, cool grass. The coral snake leads a nocturnal life. Sometimes, during the rainy season, her instincts fail. Then you can see the aspid in the open area. Is it dangerous. A poisonous coral snake can harm a person. The habitat of this animal is from the southern US states through Brazil to the plateau of Mato Grosso. The search for a coral snake is not an easy task. She does not like curious views, occasional anxieties. Lives among foliage and grass. Most of the time he spends in the shade, or even buried himself in the ground. On the surface in normal (non-marital) time, a coral snake can be kicked out only by showers that interfere with its quiet existence. Sometimes it appears in human habitation (by chance, mostly). Coral snake is oviparous. The mating season for these animals is only once a year. One to two eggs appear in the clutch.

Food

Coral snake (photo) prefers hunting. In its diet includes insects, amphibians, some lizards. Sometimes she is able to catch and swallow a small bird. Without food, the snake can stay for a long time, which can not be said about water. She needs to drink often (for reptiles). Already on the third day of the "drought" she begins to feel a lack of moisture. When keeping aspidum in captivity, it must be ensured that he has constant access to water (a full drinker). Feed follows large insects (recommended Madagascar cockroaches) or earthworms. In captivity, a bastard needs constant care. Fans of terrariums are advised to purchase serum ahead of time and monitor its shelf life in order to avoid trouble.

Bite

A person with this snake is not advised to argue. She bites normally in the leg. Since its teeth are small, a barely noticeable wound appears.

More often than not, the person understands the event in pain, poured on the limbs, and then not always. After a dozen minutes, vomiting appears, sometimes with blood. Sometimes there is a severe headache. If you do not take the antidote on time, then paralysis can develop, in rare cases the heart does not stand, then a lethal outcome follows. The snake is characterized by a tenacious bite. She does not unclench the jaws immediately after the poison is injected, like other asps. She "chews" her victim. From the bite there are many hardly noticeable wounds. If you're lucky, and she immediately slips off the skin, then the effect of the poison will be minimal.

Coral snake due to the brightness of the exterior is very popular among fans of reptiles. She is kept in terrariums, studying, making films. Even tattoos in the style of this aspid have become a fashion trend among certain groups. It is a symbol of a fearless, insidious, wise, secretive warrior endowed with immense power.