 
  Agkistrodon piscivorus is a venomous snake, a species of pit viper, found in the southeasternUnited States. Adults are large and capable of delivering a painful and potentially fatal bite. When antagonized they will stand their ground by coiling their bodies and displaying their fangs.Although their aggression has been exaggerated, on rare occasions territorial males will approach intruders in an aggressive manner.
This is the world's only semi-aquatic viper, usually found in or near water, particularly in slow-moving and shallow lakes, streams, and marshes. The snake is a strong swimmer and will even enter the sea, successfully colonizing islands off both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The common names for the species include variants on water moccasin, swamp moccasin or black moccasin; also cottonmouth, gapper, or simply viper.
Many of the common names refer to the threat display, where this species will often stand its ground and gape at an intruder, exposing the white lining of its mouth. The diet consists mainly of fish and frogs.
Snake Venom.
Snake venom is highly modified saliva that is produced by special glands of certain species of snakes and it injected by two front fangs or in some cases two rear fangs.
There are two main types of venom:
Neurotoxin - This attacks the nerve cells and death often occurs from respiratory failure.
Cytotoxic - This venom is found in the puff adder. A single bite can lead to haemorrhages, bleeding and swelling. Other symptoms can occur including, oedema, nausea and vomiting, blood blisters together with weakness and dizziness with in some people periods of semi - unconsciousness.
From the tiny blind snakes of the Tropics to the anaconda's home in the marsh lands of South America. These beautiful reptiles have slithered across our earth for millions of years. There are many types of snakes found on the vast earth we live on today, some carry large amounts of powerful venom and others just use their power of constriction to seal the fate of their prey. Snakes are very shy and reserved reptiles and thrive on warming up in the midday sun where most of these cold blooded serpents get there energy from.
Some snakes hunt at day others at night and feed on a whole variety of food like: rodents, fish, frogs, small birds and even lizards and other snakes. The more l
arger type like pythons and anacondas like to feed on larger and more heavier prey, and when a snake this big attacks it will go for the kill grabbing their prey by the throat and throwing coil after coil around it until it is secure and will squeeze very tightly and will keep squeezing harder every time the prey breathes out, when eventually the animal will fixate (Freeze) once starved of oxygen.
After this, the snake will begin the feeding process, starting with the preys head first. The powerful jaw muscles of the snake will start to work by dislocating the jaw, and the snake's mouth will expand and stretch down the length of the animals body eventually leading the animal into the snakes gut where the highly active and quick dissolving digesting acids are put into full action turning the prey into food for the snake.
When larger snakes eat a large meal they tend not to
hunt or eat for months or maybe even a year, as they can survive for a long time on one large meal.And on a
lighter note, this makes me laugh everytime i hear someone say "yuk i hate snakes they are slimmey" in fact they are not. Their bodies are dry.
Human relationships with snakes..
Well... I agree most of us dis-like them, some even have them as their worst life long fear. But this is only due to the fact that people do not know much about the
m.
I have browsed through pages upon pages of internet video footage of people deliberately causing harm to snakes, one of my most disturbing is someone blow torching a snake in half.
I think to myself "why are people so barbaric?"
We need to look after these serpents and give them
back the respect they deserve as they have just has much right to be on this earth as we do. We need to have world protection for snakes as numbers are declining fast and we need to act fast to save this vulnerable species.
One way of making a start is by supporting my efforts and stamping out the sheer unnecessary cruelty towards them.
Deliberate persecution..
Many snakes are killed on
sight when spotted by people due to fear and ignorance. The loss of habitat also affects the snakes in this regard. Once the snakes have lost their natural habitats it puts them in greater danger of coming into contact with people.
Almost all surprise encounters between snakes and humans end with the snakes being killed. The greatest example of direct killings, however, are the barbaric rattlesnake round ups that are held annually in the United States. Over 100,000 snakes die due to these round ups every year!
The snakes that are captured are first brutally tortured. They are kicked, whipped, burned, and stomped on. After
being tortured the snakes are then killed.After i read this i felt sick, this sort of behaviour needs to stop and stop fast because if 100,000 rattlesnakes die in a brutal blood sport each year then it is going to end up being the case that we are going to say goodbye to the rattle snake altogether.
Please may i remind you that alot of you do say to me;
"what about the poor rodents that snakes kill
Well.. the the answer to that question is simple really, it is in a snakes instinct to catch and eat mice and rats and other types of prey.It is apart of their food chain and it is a natural cycle.Some farm owners like to keep snakes as it helps to keep the rodent population down and by doing this it helps us by stopping the vermin
destroying a crop that is a source of food for us. I would hate to think what it would be like having a world with no snakes due to man wiping them out. Lets hope we never see that day snake lovers...
Lets show them that all snakes are wonderful reptiles and not to take the Hiss out of them!
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World Protection For Snakes © 2012
The World Protection For Snakes is not a profitable organisation nor a
and acts solely in the interest of snake conservation work.
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