The protagonist of this year's Spring Festival, the zodiac, may be a little misunderstood by us...

It's coming! It's coming!

The Year of the Snake, this is the Chinese zodiac sign

This year represents wisdom, agility and mystery.

Coming soon~

Let us take this opportunity to step into the world of snakes.

Explore their charm and mysteries!

Nanjing is a city of natural beauty, with mountains, forests, wetlands and farmland, and a rich and diverse ecosystem, which is naturally a paradise for many native snakes. Even in the urban area, more than ten species of native snake "residents" have been recorded!

Did you know ?

——What are the common snakes in Hongshan Park? ——

Answer: 7 kinds!

Red Chain Snake (Cartoon Version)

Red-banded snake (real version) Photographed by Gao Yuan

Red-banded snakes like to move around hilly areas and near waters. Their black and red rings are a striking warning color. (They are slightly poisonous. Although they do not pose a threat to humans, it is best not to provoke them.)

Discover the story:

July and August are the most active months for red-banded snakes, and they only come out at night. The corridor connecting Beimen Lake and the forest is a high-incidence area for red-banded snakes, and the wonderful moment of red-banded snakes preying on toads has been observed here~ Short-tailed Agkistrodon (cartoon version)

Short-tailed pit viper (real version) Photographed by Gao Yuan

The short-tailed pit viper is the only venomous snake that is naturally distributed in Nanjing. The short-tailed pit viper has a short tail, a gray body color and mottled patterns, which can hide well in the forest. They like to move around mountain ditches and village grass, but are usually only active at night and in the early morning. It is generally not easy to find.

Discover the story:

There have been two sightings of the short-tailed pit viper in the Dahongshan area of ​​the park, both of which were found on the roadside. Unlike other colubrid snakes in the park, the short-tailed pit viper is more "calm" in temperament, mainly relying on ambush hunting, and usually hunkers down to defend itself when encountering disturbances. Don't underestimate them~

Tiger-necked snake (cartoon version)

Tiger-striped collared snake (real version) Photographed by Fang Jianbo

When threatened, the tiger-necked snake will raise its neck in an aggressive posture. They have venom glands, but they are not connected to their teeth, so the venom has a very limited effect. They usually like to move around wetlands with lush water plants, waiting for opportunities to prey on frogs, tadpoles and small fish.

Discover the story:

There is only one relatively old record of the tiger-necked snake in the park, which was located in the pool area in front of the elephant house. The tiger-necked snake is more dependent on natural wetlands, but due to the hardening of the river system in the urban area and the lack of native aquatic organisms, it is difficult to see them in the urban area. However, there is still a high rate of sightings in paddy fields and fish ponds in the suburbs. We are also working hard to improve and restore the ecological functions of water bodies in the city, hoping to share our city with native wild species including the tiger-necked snake and build ecological beauty together.

Chinese small-headed snake (cartoon version)

Chinese small-headed snake (real version) Photographed by Gao Yuan

The small-headed snake is also frequently encountered in the park. It has more than ten black-brown diamond-shaped horizontal stripes evenly spaced on the back of its body, and its slender body looks like a scale with a scale, so it is commonly known as the "scale snake".

It is a non-venomous snake that mainly feeds on the eggs of reptiles and birds. It has sharp "teeth" that can cut the eggshells and suck the egg liquid.

Discover the story:

Summer is the peak season for snakes in China. The bird eggs concentrated in the Xiaohongshan bird exhibition area attract snakes to visit frequently (of course, the bird exhibition area will also be strictly guarded during the breeding season to prevent it from easily getting its hands on them). In addition, the gecko eggs on the walls of many venues are also the target of snakes.

King Elaphe (Cartoon Version)

King Elaphe (real version) Image source: Cat Alliance CFCA

The Elaphe is a large non-venomous snake that can grow to more than 2.5 meters in length. It is called the "king snake" because of the black pattern of the Chinese character "王" on the scales of its head. The Elaphe is large in size, fast in crawling, and highly aggressive. It preys on rodents, birds, and some smaller snakes.

Discover the story:

There are relatively few wild populations of Elaphe chinensis in Nanjing, and the park had a sighting record in 2022. When disturbed, Elaphe chinensis will secrete a foul fluid from its anal glands as a defense. When facing wild animals, keeping a distance and not touching or harming them is the way to get along with them~

Black-browed Elaphe (Cartoon Version)

Black-browed Elaphe (real version) Photographed by Qiu Xianchun

The black-browed snake is a large non-venomous snake that can grow to more than 2 meters in length. It has thick black eyebrows behind its eyes and often lives near human communities. In many places, it is called a "house snake" and mainly preys on small animals such as rodents and frogs.

Discover the story:

One day in October 2022, volunteers found a wild black-browed snake under the eaves of the two reptile huts in the local area! Thanks to the conservation of the local ecological environment in the local area, wild animals have gained more living space. Of course, it is with the participation of local wild animals that nature can be made more beautiful.

Elaphe tatarinath (cartoon version)

Elaphe truncatus (real version) Photographed by Heibao

Compared with other snakes in the park, the Elaphe tatarinath is much smaller in size, and its adult size can only grow to about 80 cm. It has a wide range of diet, especially small reptiles such as geckos and lizards.

Discover the story:

There have been two sightings of the Elaphe davidianus in the park. One was when it broke into the feed room in the native area and ate mice. The other was when the keeper found it in the animal facility while it was eating bird eggs. Although snakes may occasionally cause some impact on other animals or human communities, they should never be labeled as "harmful" and condemned by everyone. Learn about the 7 common snakes in our park.

Are snakes really that dangerous?

Can you tell a poisonous snake from its head?

......

"Snake Myth Buster"

It turns out that we have such a deep misunderstanding of snakes...

Oddly enough, our fear of snakes seems to have been in our hearts since we were little, but in the end, this fear is mostly because we know too little about these slippery little creatures! In fact, once you uncover the mystery, you will find that they are far less scary than you imagined, and they may even be a little charming!

01

Are snakes really that dangerous?

In fact, the snakes living around us are not that scary. Most of them are non-venomous snakes and do not pose much threat.

Local snakes usually hide during the day and come out at night, and many species are not numerous, so the probability of encountering a snake is not high. Even if you encounter one, as long as you don't get close or disturb it, there will be no danger. In most cases, the snakes will actively avoid it and leave.

02 Can you tell whether a snake is poisonous by looking at its head?

There is a folk rumor that "triangular-headed snakes are poisonous, and round-headed snakes are non-venomous."

This seems to make some sense at first.

Is that really the case?

For example, species of the Viperidae family are all highly venomous snakes, and their heads are indeed triangular. However, most Colubridae are non-venomous snakes, and their heads are usually round. However, there are exceptions in nature, such as the non-venomous shrike cobra, which also has a triangular head. In addition, the triangular heads of many highly venomous snakes, such as the Bungarus, are not obvious. Therefore, if you don't understand them, you can't take it lightly. Keep a distance, and don't disturb or hurt them. This is the correct way to get along with them.

Round head of a swimming snake (from the Internet)

Triangular head of short-tailed pit viper (from the Internet)

03 How do snakes walk without legs ?

Four ways to choose?

Although they have no limbs, snakes can still move flexibly and quickly.

Snakes have broad, solid rectangular scales on their abdomens, called ventral scales, which are like tank tracks, providing strong grip. Each scale corresponds to a vertebra and a pair of ribs, and is driven by well-developed muscle groups. When crawling, the muscles drive the body to swing, and the ventral scales rely on the friction between the ground to generate reaction force to move flexibly.

Belly scales (from the Internet)

Snakes have four modes of locomotion: serpentine, rectilinear, telescopic, and lateral.

(See watermark for image source)

Winding

Straight Line

Telescopic

Sideways

04How to prevent snakes in the wild?

Bring a stick to "stir up trouble"?

Summer is the most active season for snakes, and at night, the wet mountain bushes are the most common areas for snakes to appear. Therefore, if you don't want to have a "close contact" with snakes, you have to reduce the time and space intersection with them.

In summer, it is best not to blindly enter remote woodlands and bushes. When hiking, it is best to bring a stick to avoid alerting the enemy. In addition, it is best to carry lighting equipment when traveling at night, pay attention to roadside ditches, discover them in advance, and actively avoid them.

05What should you do if you are bitten by a snake?

"Use your mouth to suck out poison", "cut off your fingers to survive"

You mustn't!!!

If you are bitten by a snake, the first thing you should do is to stay calm, reduce activity, and call 110 or 120, which is a reliable way to save yourself.

Don’t believe the rumors of “sucking out poison with your mouth” or “cutting off fingers to survive”! ! ! !

If conditions permit, identify the snake's appearance and preferably take a photo, which can provide the hospital with accurate and targeted treatment basis.

How do snakes swallow super-large meals?

What are the natural enemies of snakes?

......

There are many interesting little facts waiting for you to learn!