Poisonous species of snakes

According to scientists, of the three thousand species of venomous snakes for humans, 450 are dangerous. The poison for them is defense, a tool for hunting and even a means for digesting food. Types of venomous snakes are prevalent mainly in the warm tropical regions of the planet. There they represent a real danger for people because of the large numbers. The sad statistics of bites with a fatal outcome puts on the first places Africa, Indochina and South America. Cases of deaths from snake bites in Europe and the CIS are rare. In the CIS, most of them occur in the Caucasus and Central Asia. In total, 11 kinds of snakes dangerous for humans live in the CIS.

Different kinds of snakes have a poison of different composition, actions and strength. But, despite the differences, there is a unit of measurement of the strength of the poison. This is the DL50, where the letters are an abbreviation for Latin words, meaning "deadly dose" in translation. It is expressed in the concentration of dry snake venom (μg / g - microgram in grams), which is enough to kill the mouse. Now, the snake from Australia Oxyuranus microlepidota is considered the most poisonous.
Poisonous not only snakes inhabiting land, there are also marine venomous species of snakes. The degree of danger of a bite depends not only on the strength of the poison itself, but also on its amount, which can introduce into the body a snake. The record here belongs to the royal cobra and bushmeister. Opened species of snakes that do not have poisonous teeth, which usually introduces poison. They have poisonous saliva, it is just as dangerous to humans.

Some snakes are poisonous glands, for example, the royal aspidum, common in Southeast Asia. With glands, his whole body is covered up to the tip of his tail. The Royal Aspide goes hunting at night and moves, hiding under fallen leaves, so it's very difficult to notice.

But not all poisonous species of snakes lead such a secretive way of life. Russell's Viper, she's a spectacle snake, does not hesitate to crawl even into a man's dwelling. Although her food is rats, frogs, poultry, she has caused the death of so many people. She has an awesome appearance, on the opening hood - a bright pattern, reminiscent of the shape of the glasses.

How does the venom act? Types of venom snakes vary in the nature of their impact. Some fold blood in the vessels, others cause paralysis and convulsions, affecting the nervous system and the brain. It is interesting that the snake itself does not harm the poison. This is the result of evolution, because the poisonous species of snakes did not appear overnight. The poisonous glands that are in the mouth, appeared from the altered salivary, in the process of natural selection, which lasted for thousands of years, remained the most resistant to the poison specimens.

Poisonous snakes have enemies who feed on them: brave, dexterous mongoose, African bird-secretary and, finally, our usual hedgehog. These animals also adapted and became less susceptible to poison, although it acts on them, but is much weaker. Therefore, hunting, they dodge the bite.

But snakes are immune to their own poison. If a viper and a gyurza come together in a fatal duel, one of them will perish.

The poison of snakes for man is not only evil, it has been used in medicine for a long time as a most valuable medicine. A lot of kennels have been created for the breeding of snakes, on which periodically passes the so-called milking. So the existence of poisonous snakes is necessary both from the point of view of biological balance, and benefit to man.