Odatria_14_NOV13 - Victorian Herpetological Society
Odatria_14_NOV13 - Victorian Herpetological Society
Odatria_14_NOV13 - Victorian Herpetological Society
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Top Ten Little Known Venomous SnakesEveryone knows cobras, rattlesnakes and coral snakes, but there are plenty of venomous snakes around theworld that are seldom heard of. This is a small selection of these unknown, and often deadly, species is boughtto you from Listverse. As always, if you disagree greatly from this list or just wish to submit you own, feel free tosend us your own particular top ten reptiles or amphibians (complete with pictures) and we will happily publishit in a later edition of <strong>Odatria</strong>.10. Water Cobra (Boulengerina annulata) Althoughrelated to true cobras, the water cobra actually belongsto a different genus and gets its name after its ability toflatten its ribs to form a “hood”, similar to that of their morefamous relatives. There are two species, the best knownbeing the ringed water cobra. Water cobras are foundin Africa, and can grow up to 2.7 metres long. They areindeed mostly aquatic, never wandering far away fromthe water, and can remain submerged for a long time.Very venomous, but shy; will only bite if provoked. Thissnake is not to be confused with the Giant water cobra, orfalse cobra (Hydrodynastes), from South America, which,although larger, isn’t nearly as dangerous.8. Mexican Jumping Viper (Atropoides nummifer)With their short, thick bodies and large, flattened heads,these pitvipers are highly reminiscent of African speciessuch as the Gaboon viper and the puff-adder. They arefound in the rainforests of Mexico and Central America, andhave been said to attack with such force that they actuallylift their body from the ground. However, they are rathershy and will only strike if harassed. They do, however, bitewith greater force than other vipers, and instead of quicklybiting and retreating, they often hold on to their enemyand chew to deliver as much venom as possible. Mexicanjumping vipers can grow up to 1.2 meters long and theirvenom has an anticoagulant effect in human blood.9. Mamushi (Gloydius blomhoffii) The Mamushi isJapan’s most dangerous snake; it is also found in Koreaand China. It belongs to the pitviper family along with therattlesnake and the American copperhead. It can grow upto 90 cms long, but is usually smaller; nevertheless, it ishighly dangerous due to its hemorrhagic venom, deliveredthrough long, retractable fangs. It feeds mostly on fish,frogs and small mammals, and is viviparous.7. Coral cobra (Aspidelaps lubricus) These snakes (nottrue cobras) get their name from their striking colorationand ability to flatten their neck into a hood. They are foundin Africa and are highly venomous, but have short fangsand poor eyesight due to their mainly burrowing lifestyle.Even so they should be avoided, for there is no knownantidote for their bite. They feed on lizards and smallmammals.