Talk:Snake

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[edit] Senses

"A snake smells through its nose" - This is not true, is it? Smells using the Jacobson's organ (sp?) in the roof of its mouth. Wait a sec...I understand that snakes have a Jacobson's organ which works in conjunction with the tongue to pick up and "sense" molecules from the surroundings. But, don't they also use their nostrils for smelling? I suspect there is an olfactory portion of the snake brain; does it receive information from the nostrils only, from the Jacobson's organ only, or from both??Psslither 17:40, 3 October 2006 (UTC)psslither

That's the least of the problems with this article. Snakes are also deaf, but it recommends that you make plenty of noise tos care them off.

Snakes are deaf, but the noise causes vibrations which they are extremely sensitive to. --Neonstarlight 09:50, 26 May 2004 (UTC)
Snakes have no external ears, so cannot hear air vibrations, but have a unctional inner ear and can hear conducted (ground) vibrations.
Sound is vibration. These statements make no sense. —Keenan Pepper 00:22, 16 January 2006 (UTC)
Uh it makes every sense. They can hear people stomping their feet, but not the bee flying around.

Bones in their heads sense vibrations FROM THE GROUND. So they can't hear a hawk's screeches, but they can sense the footsteps of a badger. Make "sense"? (Get it?) Also, they don't smell with their noses, I think that's true. They smell with their tongues. (To say it for a general audience...) Dora Nichov 09:18, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Fix

Someone want to change "I want these motherfucking snakes of this motherfucking plane" back into just "snake"?

[edit] Uropeltidae

How do the Uropeltidae fit in ?? Thanks, GerardM 17:52, 5 Jun 2004 (UTC)

Uropeltidae is a family of snakes that inhabit southern India and Sri Lanka. They're named that because of a large shield at the end of their tails. (Uropeltidae = Shield Tail) Neonstarlight 11:32, 8 Jun 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Surviving snake bite=

The information is accurate only for North American pit vipers. A North Americal coral snake (micrurus fulvius (fulvius|tenere)) will produce negligible local reaction, and symptoms are often delayed many hours, with 12 hours until respiratory paralysis becomes noticeable not unusual.

Venom does NOT spread "instantaneously" or even nearly so, via the circulatory system. It is effectively a subcutaneous injection, and spreads slowly via the lymphatic system. In Australia, the standard and highly effective first aid is "pressure immobilization" - apply an elastic bandage as for a sprained ankle from the bite site as far up the affected limb as possible, to obstruct lymphaic return (but not blood flow) and keep the limb immobile. This is technically a lymphatic tourniquet, but when teaching laymen, the term "tourniquet" is generally avoided, as people confuse it with an arterial tourniquet.

Some have recommended this technique for use with digestive-style venoms such as rattlesnakes as well, but a consensus is not established. It does not appear to do grave harm, and can always be taken off if you change your mind. For toxins that must reach the body core to cause serious harm, such as paralytic neurotxins, it is highly effective.

--Why not add this information to the article? And maybe also add some of the info from that section of this page to the Snakebite article, such as the number of venomous snakes and the frequency of lethal bites?


I don't know if it would be such a great idea to add too much info from the snakebite article to this one, but number of dangerous snakes and the like would be fine. My main concern is the 32kb warning and since Wikipedia articles should preferably be smaller or equal to 32kb, it would be better to leave the articles broken up the way they are.
Also, the snakebite article isn't nearly complete as I am still working on it whenever I have the time. But regardless, I would not mind help finding snakebite pictures with Wikipedia compatible licensing to help illustrate the article. --Every1blowz 23:28, 5 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Honey

is harmful to snakes?--Jondel 4 July 2005 02:35 (UTC)

Never heard that before. Dora Nichov 09:18, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Snake is not a game on mobile phones

This is not what snake means:

Snake is also a game, now very popular and implemented on mobile phones.

it became popular first when it was created in q basic a basic structural software used to create short programs like snake or pac man

Is that sentence wrong then? I don't think I follow you. Pcb21| Pete 8 July 2005 07:08 (UTC)

[edit] Snakes

Snakes do not have ears so it is always a mysterie how do they here when a enemie is coming. I think they here the vibration of the prey coming. Some snakes are venamous and some are not.

-Timmy Medland, age 6

Again, sound is vibration. Snakes don't have external ears, they have internal ears which give them a decent sense of hearing, especially for low frequencies. —Keenan Pepper 00:24, 16 January 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, they sense with bones in their heads. Plus hearing is not the only sense they have. They can also smell and see, and some can sense the body heat of warm-blooded prey. Really cool. Dora Nichov 09:20, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Boas are not Venomous

Boas kill thier prey by constriction, not by venom. I went ahead and removed Boa from the list of venomous snakes.

True. Dora Nichov 09:21, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Irulas

Irlas are not from Andhra Pradesh. They live in Tamil Nadu.

[edit] disarticulated jaw

The article falsely stated, "Contrary to the popular myth, at no point do they "unhinge" their jaws (disarticulate their mandibular joints)." This is not a myth. Many snakes, such as the Egg-Eating Snake, do indeed disarticulate their jaws during feeding. I removed the sentence. wikipediatrix 04:30, 26 December 2005 (UTC)

Incorrect. Though the jaw expands greatly, all joints remain in contact with one another, with the mandibular symphysis joined by a highly elastic ligament. The joints move, and the jaw opens to great lengths, but there is never anything which is technically accurate to call 'disarticulation'. - mokele 4:00, 8th of March 2006

Incorrect!? I don't think so. I thought they do unhinge their jaws as well as expand the elastic whatever in their lower jaws. Moreover, I've seen a snake unhinge it's jaws then hinge them back again when it was finished with it's prey on Discovery... Plus every source I have state that they unhinge their jaws. Dora Nichov 09:24, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] .hey

hey guys i am back you shuld include a page about the cure for rattlesnake bites in the 1800s' thanx guyz it will help on my school project

You can ask on this talk page, but you can't request an article on the web for all to see just for yourself. By the way, I don't know anything related to what you need on your report. Dora Nichov 09:25, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Lethal List

The list of lethal venemous snakes is innacurate since not all the venemous snakes listed are lethal. Cotton mouths and copper heads for instance have killed less people in the U.S. then bees. Even untreated a copperhead bite can not kill an adult without additional factor or complications. The list should be renamed to simply "Venemous snakes" or two seperate lists should be created for lethal and venemous. --Surreal 12:05, 10 January 2006 (UTC)

  • I agree. Just make venemous, as lethality has too many variables. Wikibofh(talk) 13:47, 10 January 2006 (UTC)
No, definitely don't name it "venomous snakes". A lot of snakes are venomous and if we were to add them all that would be one really long list. Not to mention no snake is 100% lethal all the time since so many factors come into play. So I agree, the name of the list is misleading and does need to be changed.
I’m thinking we should rename the list something to the effect of "potentially lethal snakes". That way, copperheads and water moccasins can stay on the list as removing them from the list sort of defeats the purpose of Wikipedia. --Every1blowz 04:23, 11 January 2006 (UTC)
The list itslef isn't structured very well since it includes species as well as families of snakes and genus (pit vipers, rattlesnakes and then lists species of pit vipers, rattlesnakes, etc). It would be a lot of work indeed to list every species. Perhaps species should be removed unless they don't fall into a family or genus that is completely venomous. I don't see a problem with naming it "potentionally letahl" since there are no real "mild" venoms that I'm aware of.
On the types of venom snakes inject- there are two common types refered to as hemotoxin and neurotoxin. Though the info in the changes (history) is accurate (there are several toxins found snake venom) their are only two types of venom distinguished. Not necessary to include so I didnt change it. Just thought I'd throw the info out. --Surreal 13:23, 11 January 2006 (UTC)
If no one else has any problems with "potentially lethal snakes" then I'd like to change the name to that.
As for the snake venom thing, I simply thought it'd be better to direct readers to the more appropriate and in-depth article since it's really beyond this article's scope to discuss snake venom. --Every1blowz 20:26, 11 January 2006 (UTC)
  • I came across this: venomous snakes. I suggest the list of snakes under the section be removed and replaced with the link. --Surreal 08:39, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Regions of the World?

Can someone make a section about where most snakes live in the world? I will if necessary but so far I do not have any information. --Godtvisken 15:10, 28 January 2006 (UTC)

Nearly everywhere except the poles. Dora Nichov 09:55, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Don't forget, they don't live in Ireland! =P Robin Chen 02:25, 12 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Taxobox color

Is there any reason this taxobox is blue, instead of the standard pink (indicating an animal group)?Dinoguy2 22:44, 2 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Repeated Vandalism

Pardon me, but this article seems to be subject to extremely frequent vandalism, and all instances of the word "snake" have been replaced with "I want these motherf**king snakes off these motherf**king planes" as of the time I'm writing this. As a nonmember, it seems I cannot revert the article to an earlier version; could someone please make the necessary change? Thanks. Anonymous - 3/30/06

  • Actually, you can. You just need to click on an older version, edit and save. Wikibofh(talk) 00:13, 31 March 2006 (UTC)


[edit] While I was in Arizona....

While I was in this US state, I was told about a green colored snake called a "Two Step". This thing bites you, you take two steps before you die. Maybe some escaped from a zoo, got out of someone else's collection they got from Viet Nam, where the snake is native there, used by the Viet Cong AS a sort of a "Booby trap" against the "Tunnel Rats" during the Viet Nam War. Martial Law 01:47, 11 April 2006 (UTC) :)

  • I live in Arizona, and it sounds apocryphal to me. It would have to be a specific species, and the same species in two diverse climates such as Arizona and Viet Nam sounds unlikely. Given their geographic distances, it is beyond unlikely. Unless there is a species given, I'm going to revert the changes out. Wikibofh(talk) 03:59, 11 April 2006 (UTC)
I was told it was a small green colored snake by another prospector. Martial Law 04:20, 11 April 2006 (UTC) :)
I was near Quartzite, Arizona itself, and near a small hill called Dome Rock. Martial Law 04:22, 11 April 2006 (UTC) :)
Maybe someone had brought a few back from "Nam" as a "exotic pet". Martial Law 04:24, 11 April 2006 (UTC) :)
  • But without a citation it's just heresay. I'm going to remove them out and if you can find a species or citation we can put it back in. Regardless, it would have to be an exageration, simply because even if it stopped your heart instantaeously (which it couldn't) you can stumble more than that.  :) Wikibofh(talk) 23:29, 11 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Add Smithsonian Education link?

Hello. I am a writer for the Smithsonian's Center for Education, which publishes Smithsonian in Your Classroom, a magazine for teachers. An online version of an issue titled "Reviled and Revered: Toads, Turtles, Snakes, and Salamanders" is available at this address:

http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/herps/start.html

If you think the audience would find this valuable, I wish to invite you to include it as an external link. We would be most grateful.

Thank you so much for your attention.

[edit] Etymology?

I'd question the relevance of having a fairly long etymology of the word "snake" in the opening paragraph, and then doing the same thing with "serpent" a bit down. Wikipedia is not a dictionary. Also, even if they are to be kept, I would ask that they be corrected: if it came into the English language before c. 1100 it does not "come from Old English", as Old English is the direct ancestor of Modern English, rather than a separate language from which English can borrow words; also, it is standard practice to put asterisks before reconstructed, potentially flawed words that were never written down, which goes for all Proto-Indo-European roots. elvenscout742 22:41, 19 June 2006 (UTC)

Old English Is Anglo-Saxon And Heavily Germanic And Scandinavian and Was Used Before 1100, Followed By Middle English (after the addition influences of the normans), Then Modern 81.146.61.102 00:42, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Snake Food

I think that the article snake food should be merged into the feeding section. --Gray Porpoise 21:27, 2 August 2006 (UTC)

  • Fine by me. use the {{mergeto}} and {{mergefrom}} templates and we'll discuss. Wikibofh(talk) 22:06, 2 August 2006 (UTC)
The templates are in place. --Gray Porpoise 23:07, 7 August 2006 (UTC)


5 families of venomous snakes

You omitted Atractaspididea. They are a family of snakes some of which are venomous, formerly classified as elapids, vipers, and colubrids. Members contain the four major types of dentition:opisthoglyphs, proteroglyphs, solnoglyphs, and aglyphous. Some of which (Atractaspis bibroni most notably) are considered dangerous to humans.--Todg 18:07, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] poisonous snakes

In my opinion, everyone on the internet should do some reasearch and figure out all the poisunous snakes. Children may come here(like me) and need reasearch.

no offense is intended however the correct term is venomous snakes poison is released into the air venom is injected.64.141.125.5 19:12, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Snakes of The Bible and The Koran

What's wrong about linking to: Snakes of The Bible and The Koran? Doesn't it fit to the passage about snakes in mythology? 84.132.131.102

the link appears to be a 1 page commercial for a book Sir-wiki 22:38, 7 October 2006 (UTC)

"1 page"? Have you read it? I count three pages, with some further information beyond the wiki-article. In my opinion, that site gives a good overview of snakes in old testament, new testament, Greek mythological and astrological background, and koranic and arabic mythology - all from a herpetological point of view. 84.132.131.102






from nomž 88.109.177.152 08:19, 16 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Control poison?

Crotalus horridus claims that "Like all other venomous snakes, it can control the amount of venom that is delivered." If true, I would like to see that mentioned and expanded on here. -- Calion | Talk 16:49, 9 October 2006 (UTC)

Etymology: snake-(s)erpent- erpeto-(from the greek verbe

 erpo ,erpomai )

G'day. I'm really new to Wikipedia, re. editing anything, so please let me know if I'm going wrong somewhere. I just wanted to mention that I have read that snakes do have venom yields.

I'm not sure how much you know about snakes, but *from what I've read* snakes tend to try to preserve their venom for prey. When feeling threatened, they can strike without injecting venom. I wish I still had the link so I could show you.

Well, I hope this helped and I hope I did this correctly.

[edit] Life Cycle of Snakes

I think it would be useful to include a section on the lifecycle of snakes. Beyond just how they are fertilized/born, but also what they are up to the rest of the time. For example, do they hibernate in the winter, etc.

/Debb 12/7/2006 —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Beefalo (talk • contribs) 21:14, 7 December 2006 (UTC).

[edit] Hibernation

In some places snakes go in Hibernation. Could something be added about this? Wiki-uk 10:35, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Needed Citations

-Absolutely needed in the "snake charming" section. This sounds as if someone saw Indiana Jones, read about snake charming on the internet, and wrote the section. its unecessary and erroneous.

- The evolution section needs Citations as well. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by XenosM (talk • contribs) 19:07, 5 January 2007 (UTC).

Snakes are poikilometic animals. We may call them cold blooded animals. They can not regulate their temperature as mammals do. So, to a great extent, their life is regulated by the environmental temperature. They are at their best in temperature range of 20 degree Celcius to 35 degree Celcius (The temperature range may be different due to local adaptation or their may be interspecies differences). Their internal system gests slow and they become unfit for survival beyond the temperature range. If temperature goes above 35 degrees, they would go to some safe place, to avoid excessive heat. This is called estivation.

If the temperature goes below 20 degree Celcius, they would go under the earth at some depth, for security and also to conserve their energy. This is called Hybernation. During Estivation and Hybernation, their metabolic rate is reduced, heart rate is slow and so is their breathing. They use their stored fat to survive in this period. With a rise in temperature above 20 degree, they would come out of the safe place and start hunting again, partly to replenish the depletion of stored fat.

[edit] Evolution

there are two sections entitled "Evolution" and "Evolution of Snakes". The second really doesn't have anything to do with evolution. Perhaps it should be called something along the lines of "Families of Snakes"? - Im.a.lumberjack 19:05, 19 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] what does snake eat

what do snake eats i dont no much —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 74.107.159.46 (talk) 12:36, 2 February 2007 (UTC).

check diet of the main snake page.64.141.125.5 14:55, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Venomous snakes

In the main article it gives a list of various toxins including neurotoxins and hemotoxins which are accurate however it also says bungarotoxins which according to the www.mereksource.com website are (bun·ga·ro·tox·in) (bung²g[schwa]-ro-tok¢sin) a strong neurotoxin from the venom of kraits (Bungarus); three electrophoretic fractions, a-, b-, and g-bungarotoxin, have been identified. a-Bungarotoxin, the chief fraction, binds irreversibly with acetylcholine receptors, producing neuromuscular block.

This indicates to me that it is only from kraits and therefore should not be included in the main snake page if included in wikipedia at all. it also says that a bungarotoxin is an neurotoxin. 64.141.125.5 14:54, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

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