You are afraid of snakes, so what are snakes afraid of?

The zodiac lady opens the microphone:

"You're afraid of me because there's a misunderstanding between us...

Although I accidentally broke into your heart and mind

Bringing a dark cloud of shadow,

However, life is not easy and needs encouragement.

In thousands of years of civilization,

We also created some beautiful memories for you.

If you try to understand me a little better,

Maybe you will become my fan?"

We have many natural enemies.

Snakes have many natural enemies, including birds of prey in the sky, beasts on the ground, and even those that are larger than us! Birds of prey: Some medium-sized and large birds of prey will prey on snakes in open areas. For example, snake eagles are particularly good at preying on snakes around wetlands. Animals: Most snakes distributed in Nanjing are small and medium-sized non-venomous snakes. Many omnivorous native animals such as badgers and raccoon dogs may also prey on some snakes. Pelagics: King cobras and Elaphes will prey on other smaller snakes.

Snake carving catching snake

Survival challenges help you develop your "special skills"

Snakes also have a wide menu, and their diets vary greatly depending on their habitats. For example, snakes living around wetlands are good at preying on fish and frogs, snakes in the forest like to prey on birds, and snakes living around farmland and communities mainly prey on rodents. In addition, body size also affects the type of food snakes choose. For example, the largest existing snake in my country, the Burmese python, can prey on medium-sized mammals, while the smallest blind hook snake mainly looks for ants, termites, or eggs in the soil or tree holes.

After cruel natural selection, each snake species has its own "special skills" for survival. Some snakes are good at ambushing, using their excellent camouflage to hide in the environment, and some can imitate the shape of vines and branches to quickly attack when prey passes by; some snakes are good at taking the initiative, such as the native black-necked snake, which moves very fast and relies on its developed vision and sense of smell to search and chase prey; and some pit vipers have their tails specialized into the shape of insects to lure birds to prey, and then perform the drama of "the mantis stalks the cicada, while the oriole is behind"...

How do snakes swallow such large food? Snakes' teeth do not have the function of chewing, so they cannot chew food and can only swallow it whole. Although the saying "a greedy snake swallows an elephant" is a bit exaggerated, snakes can indeed swallow food that is far larger than their own body size. This is due to their two separate jaws, which can expand horizontally to facilitate swallowing. The ribs of snakes can also expand to form a larger space in the body to accommodate food.

How do snakes perceive the environment? Snakes do not have external ears and eardrums, and can only sense ground vibrations through bone conduction ; most snakes, especially nocturnal snakes, are "nearsighted" and can only sense nearby moving objects; some snakes have evolved special thermal imaging capabilities to compensate for their lack of vision. For example, some pit vipers and pythons can use the cheek or lip pits on their faces to sense infrared rays and gain night vision, thereby locating and capturing warm-blooded rodents; snakes have a keen sense of smell and can collect odor molecules through their forked tongues, which are then received and transmitted to the brain through the vomeronasal organ for processing, so as to perceive the surrounding environment and find prey and mates. Snakes need to integrate multiple senses to perceive the world. As for what the world that snakes perceive looks like, I'm afraid only snakes know!

Our beautiful image

Relax, here are some romantic memories about she... Nuwa, with a human head and a snake body , transcends the three intentions of human, snake and god. The legend comes from "Huainanzi", which tells the story of ancient times when the pillars supporting the four directions of heaven and earth collapsed and the earth cracked; Nuwa went through hardships and smelted five-colored stones to repair the sky, and the flood receded. Her kindness and protection for people also embodies tolerance and symbiosis.
"Ahahaha...Ahahaha...West Lake is so beautiful in March..." The legend of the West Lake has been spreading these days...In the Chinese classical literature "The Legend of the White Snake", the image of Bai Suzhen closely links snakes with loyal love and perseverance. She is sincere and brave for love, which makes snakes more romantic and touching in Chinese culture.
There are "dragon robes", but are there "snake robes"? "Lüshi Chunqiu" records: "There is a dragon flying, and five snakes follow it." This precisely illustrates the relationship between dragons, snakes and imperial power. Snakes are followers of dragons. Officials wear python robes, and emperors wear dragon robes. "Five toes for dragons, four toes for pythons" is used as a distinction. Take a look at the picture below!

Why is there a "snake" in the hospital's emergency sign?

The first aid signs on hospitals and ambulances are also called "Stars of Life", featuring "snake staff, six pillars, the Great Wall, and olive branches". The legend of the snake staff originated from ancient Greek mythology. According to legend, Asclepius was the ancient Greek god of medicine. It was because of snakes that he realized the healing power. He wrapped the snake around his staff and kept it with him to help patients.

"The weak and helpless need protection..."

In cities, snakes face many threats to their survival, and the number and species of native snakes are also on a downward trend. Threat 1: Roadkill ; snakes are cold-blooded animals and need to rely on the external environment to regulate their body temperature. Many nocturnal snakes will actively seek heat sources to increase their body temperature and metabolism. Hardened roads can absorb more heat from the sun than soil and grass, and are usually hotter, which will cause snakes to climb onto the road and face the threat of being crushed by traffic; Threat 2: Many areas still have the tradition of "beating snakes" and "eating snakes", and the illegal reptile trade will cause a decline in the number of wild snake populations; Threat 3: Secondary poisoning ; the use of rat poison and pesticides around cities will cause secondary poisoning of snakes; Threat 4: Habitat fragmentation ; the natural environment suitable for snakes to live in is squeezed out, and food resources are in short supply. Nanjing has forests and mountains, and the ecosystem is rich and healthy. There are more than ten species of snakes that have been accurately recorded in the urban area. In Hongshan Park, we have recorded 7 native snakes: red-banded snake, Chinese small-headed snake, black-browed snake, two-spotted snake, short-tailed pit viper, king snake and tiger-spotted collared snake. They hide during the day and come out at night, living in natural mountain forests, connecting complex life networks, forming an important part of the local ecology, and have unique ecological value. We advocate: establish ecological aesthetics, respect multiple roles, and protect equal treatment!

So, has our tense relationship eased after reading this? I wish you all a happy and prosperous Year of the Snake!