Tag archives for Snakes
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While many animals are celebrated in cultures as symbols of good tidings and fortune, not all animals are so highly esteemed. There are some animals in Western Culture of which people are consistently wary, especially when these animals make an unexpected appearance. Such animals are considered by some to be bad omens and sometimes even…
People who handle or keep poisonous snakes have to consider that at some point, whether or not it is their fault, they might get bit. Getting antivenom to deal with the ensuing poisoning however, may not be a simple prospect. If the patient is not given the appropriate antivenom for that particular snake’s venom, the…
More than 8,000 people are bit by venomous snakes a year in the United States and 99% of these bites are from the Crotalidae (pitviper) family. Rattlesnakes are the most common culprit. Despite the large number of bites, there are only about a dozen deaths resulting from venomous snake bites annually. People just do not…
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© Mike Barron The American alligator is a species success story. For millions of years, their kind has survived and evolved with the planet. And while the American alligator was once endangered, they now thrive in their native range, growing up to 15 feet in length. These giant reptiles are opportunistic hunters, lurking in waters…
Catching a massive, venomous snake is dangerous business. But what if there was a safe way to capture the creature from a safe distance? Robots are often used for jobs that are too dangerous for humans, such as defusing bombs, capping oil wells deep down in the ocean, even exploring other planets. But can a…
Photo Credit: Ohio Division of Wildlife Eastern plains garter snakes can be found in the prairie regions of the United States and Canada. During the warmer, drier months of the year, these serpents burrow underground or slip beneath rocky roadsides to stay cool. In the state of Ohio, the Eastern plains garter snake (Thamnophis radix)…
In areas where winters are especially cold and harsh, certain animals have adapted to survive the chilliest conditions by hibernating. But as available hibernation sites may be limited in these zones, some species gather together in dens, caves, trees, cavities and burrows to fall into a deep winter slumber. By slipping into a state of…
© David Hamlin/NGT&F A “super snake” is a serpent of our nightmares. A massive, writhing cold-blooded tube of 10,000 muscles, capable of delivering 9,000 pounds of pressure, growing to lengths of over 30 feet and weighing over 300 pounds. Giant snakes – such as the green anaconda or reticulated python – have a slow metabolism…
In the U.S., pet pythons can be a danger; killing or seriously injuring more than 20 people in the last ten years. A python’s constriction is powered by 10,000 muscles. A human arm has five. Python vs. Gator premieres Wednesday December 15 at 10P et/pt.Video Preview: Rescue firefighters get a 911 emergency call claiming “my roommate is being chocked…
When food is scarce, the heavy-bodied Western diamondback rattlesnake can go without food for up to two years. But it moves its ribs along the ground, distinguishing vibrations, looking for the perfect place to score a meal. Thermal pits on its face detect heat, and its forked tongue picks up the tiniest of smells. Then…
Strike Force Production Crew Diary It’s obvious, when you’re dealing with highly venomous animals you have to be very careful. But when you’re filming a documentary about two scientists that handle deadly animals all the time, you have to be very careful. They make it look so easy, they make handling these killers look like…
In the eastern range of the United States, venomous copperheads are commonplace in the spring, summer and fall. The broad-banded species – like this snake, pictured – have dark, reddish brown cross bands that wrap around its body, a triangular-shaped head, heavy body, and tail tips with a grayish-green or even turquoise hue. As pit vipers,…
Vipers have been evolving their way to the top of the reptile heap for millions of years. Armed with an amazing arsenal of deadly tools, vipers have proven to be remarkably successful predators. Sharpened by millennia of natural selection, vipers have used these advanced traits to penetrate almost every continent on the globe. But in…
Rafiki – one of the large male lions in the Kingdom – needs surgery on both of his hind legs. In this episode, we’ll follow Rafiki’s operation, an abandoned hyena cub’s first introduction into the nursery and a painful but expected death at the Park. Then, just as things begin to slow down, the Kingdom…
Under the veil of the night, Wagler’s pit vipers use a predatory superpower – heat-sensitive pits – to detect and strike prey. And while considered relatively tranquil for a poisonous snake species, Wagler’s can still deliver a potent bite when threatened. On a recent ecotour in Malaysian Borneo, we spotted both a juvenile and adult…
Africa’s wild spaces host an incredible array of creatures who engage in a daily ballet of life and death. Among this myriad of species is an elite group of twelve known for their deadly proficiency. Africa’s Deadly Dozen airs on Nat Geo Wild Sunday September 12 at 7P et. Video Preview: The African python can…
A team of snake experts takes you inside the world of snakes – from the swamps of Madagascar to the Streets of New York City. Snake Wranglers give you an inside view as experts risk their lives to collect life-saving venom, conduct dramatic rescues, and wrestle slithering giants. Catch an episode of Snake Wranglers at…
Reaching more than 30 feet long and lurking in swamps, trees and basements, reticulated pythons and green anacondas are as big as they’ve ever been. Could their appetites be getting bigger? With an arsenal of 100 razor-sharp teeth and 10,000 muscles, these reptiles deliver a final, crushing blow with a heart-stopping force of 9,000 lbs.…
Not only are the Python Hunters experts at catching Burmese pythons, but they also investigate the creatures’ habitat. Shawn, Greg and Mike head to the edge of a sawgrass marsh to explore through knee-deep waters in search of pythons, and to explore the invasive species’ predator-prey relationships. Birds and mammals prey on them as hatchlings…
Burmese pythons hail from the tropical climate of Southeast Asia, yet over the past two decades they’ve established an invasive population, estimated in the thousands, in the Florida Everglades. Now, a cold front has hit the state, and frigid temperatures are threatening the species. The guys head out in the cold, treading through remote tree…
Nature’s creatures have been using chemical warfare for millions of years. Perhaps the most notorious of all venomous snakes, the king cobra packs a potent bite. Just one injection of its lethal venom is strong enough to bring an elephant to the ground. Serpents defend themselves, strike prey and inject victims in a variety of…
Foreign animals are invading the Everglades. From cane toads to fire ants, these unwelcome inhabitants are disrupting the natural ecosystem of the region. But among all the intruders, no species poses a greater threat than the Burmese python. Burmese pythons are native to the jungles of southeast Asia. Legend has it that these pythons were…
