Already ordinary. Already ordinary (non-poisonous snake) How to feed the snake at home

Already ordinary and the content of the snake at home are described in this material. Already ordinary - the most common type of snakes. They live in almost the entire territory of Eurasia. They belong to the family of already-shaped non-venomous snakes. They differ from others in their "yellow ears". These are pronounced marks on the head of yellow, occasionally orange.

Females are larger than males, can reach a length of 1.5 meters. The sex of snakes can be distinguished by the size of the tail. In males, it is long with a thickening at the base. In females, the tail is much shorter and has no thickening, conical shape. They feed mainly on frogs, rodents and rarely fish.

The danger for the snake is storks and other birds of prey. They are aggressive, at the sight of a person they flee. Once in the hands, they hiss and writhe in rings, after which they emit a smell that discourages the appetite of many animals. They can swim well, they can stay under water for about half an hour.

Their mating season begins in April. From June to August, female snakes look for a place to lay their eggs (warm and humid places are suitable). Also suitable are places such as heaps of humus, fallen leaves, damp moss.

Winter, starting from November, is spent in burrows, crevices.

They tolerate life well in captivity and are quickly tamed. Today, it is no longer uncommon to meet snakes as a pet.

For a pond, you need a container where the animal can swim freely. This is especially necessary during the molting period. Pebbles or sphagnum moss are suitable for soil.

Already ordinary and keeping the snake at home - a terrarium for the snake

In the terrarium, there must be a shelter where it will sleep. Pieces of bark, etc. are suitable for this. Driftwood, branches, houses, etc. are suitable as decor.

For supporting optimal humidity should be sprayed with water once a day. In such a terrarium, two zones should be located: wet and dry. In wet conditions, moss and plants are necessary.

There must also be a thermal and cold zone. In a warm zone, a shelter with moss is placed. Temperature is between 30 and 35 degrees daytime, at night - from 20 to 22 degrees.

For supporting optimal temperature You can use thermal mats or thermal cords. Heat lamps can be used in warm areas. The lamp is suitable from 40 to 60 W with a mirror coating. In addition to such lamps, you need to place an ultraviolet lamp. To do this, you need to use Repti Glo 5.0 lamps, in which the ultraviolet content is most suitable for keeping such an animal.

The snake's diet includes amphibians (fish, lizards, frogs). In captivity, it is also necessary to provide the pet with such feed. You need to feed the snake once every 5-7 days. During this time, his body will digest food, and the animal will get hungry.

It is desirable to add specialized fortified supplements to ordinary food. It will be useful to teach snakes to eat fish fillets, but you should not completely switch to such food. Food for them should be lively and varied. They drink from a pond, so you need to keep it clean and change the water regularly.

They get used to the person pretty quickly. Over time, they become less aggressive towards humans. But at first they can even bite, but this is done extremely rarely.

You should not constantly carry it in your arms, for the snake it will be stressful. The first thing to consider is the interests of your pet.

Create everything the necessary conditions for living snakes, and then he will please you too!

Video is ordinary

As a child, I often went fishing and to the forest for berries or mushrooms. And, of course, in wet weather I met snake. Very nasty animals. And most often already. Yes, many will say that you should not be afraid of snakes, and they are generally harmless. But when you are in the forest and you see a snake, you do not have time to quickly determine what kind of snake it is. So, now I will tell you about the fear of my childhood. About " already».

What do snakes eat

Already - this snake, which is most common in Eurasia, not poisonous. The diet of the snake is not too varied, here is a list of what it usually is eats:

• live frogs.
• rodents.
• Fish.

Here is a list of those who usually eats snakes:

• storks.
• Predatory birds.
• Some mammals.

The snake feeds in the same way as all other snakes. No longer chews prey, but swallowsfully, and since this snake does not have poison, the victim at the time of ingestion will still be alive. If the object is large enough, then the process of eating can take a very long time. But after such a meal may not eat for a few days. Several cases have been recorded when the snake remained no food for 300 days and did not receive any harm to health. Snakes can go a long time without food, but they cannot do without water.

On the ground, usually a snake for a long time haunts your victim. In the water, on the contrary, it hides in some place and waitingt prey, which swims towards him.

Some information about already

Distinguish the snake from other snakes in yellow or white spot on the head. But in a very rare cases there may be no spots on the head at all. Usually, snakes do not differ in size, but in some cases, the size of females reaches up to 2,5 meters in length.

No matter how strange it may sound, but it's easy tamed and does not experience any problems with life Vcaptivity. In Ukraine and Belarus, cases were recorded when locals tamed kite for capture mice.

Already - not aggressive snake. But when attacked, he starts hiss and throws his head forward. If this does not help, then he issues odorous liquid which repels animals. When all else fails, the snake just pretends to be dead, relaxing all muscles.

Not many people like snakes, but we have to meet them. The main thing is to know how to distinguish one snake from another. But never get close to a snake unless you're sure it won't do you much harm. be careful!

Already- a snake belonging to the class of mammals. Many of us are terribly afraid of snakes, but is it worth it? common grass snake ? Is it dangerous for humans and does it have poison? Today we will answer these questions, as well as touch on the habitat of the grass snake and find out what it eats in nature, and we will start with its characteristics.

Description of common snake

snake length 1 meter, but some individuals grow up to 1.5 meters. Its main and characteristic peculiarity- bright spots on the back of the head. They can be orange, yellow and whitish. Quite rarely, only black snakes, or mild spots, are found, so it is quite easy to recognize the snake. Leather snakes are dark grey, black or light grey. gray individuals may show dark spots. Belly the snake is light with a dark stripe from tail to neck. snake body slender, and in some individuals you can see paired brushes, but not in all. Eyes the snakes are rounded, but there are snakes with "cat's eyes". Tail much shorter than the body, about 3-5 times, with various forms- sharp, abrupt, rounded. Visible throughout the body scales, some individuals have smooth skin, others have ribs. The snake has teeth on the upper part of the mouth, a few teeth increase in the opening of the pharynx, in some teeth small and motionless, while in others they are bent, there is also a bifurcated language. Lifespan of common snake in nature for about 20 years, at home the figure remains the same.

Is the common snake poisonous and is it dangerous to humans?

Generally, snakes safe for humans. They do not know how to bite, but they can scratch the skin, and if there is a bite, then it is insignificant. Yes and common snake, seeing a person, tries to hide as quickly as possible, he flees, and does not attack. But if they are taken by surprise, they hiss, turn their heads as if they want to bite, but it rarely comes to a bite, and the bite itself heals very quickly. Already- a calm snake, but for the purpose of protection, it can shoot a white-yellow liquid from its teeth, which is unpleasant in smell, and if it does not scare away the observer, it opens its mouth and relaxes the body, depicting death. At this moment, you can see droplets of blood from the throat, or he will simply burp food out of fear. But if snake do not touch, but you will not have to see all this.

WHAT IT EATS, WHERE THE CONTENT OF THE COMMON SNAKE AT HOME LIVES AND CONTENTS

What does the common snake eat in nature?

The main diet of snake- Amphibians and fish. It feeds on frogs, tadpoles, and toads. In addition, snakes eat lizards, their eggs, mice, rats, moles, other rodents, insects, small birds their eggs and chicks, bats, small squirrels, and even their own kind or other snakes. Already swallows prey whole as it lacks teeth or other adaptations to tear prey. If the lunch is small, then he will quickly cope with the food, and if the prey is large, it will take several hours, and after such a meal you can eat nothing for two days. Can do without food for a long time, but there is no water without, and in hot weather, it is easy to meet snakes near water bodies. On the land already pursues its prey, in the water it can sneak up to it for a long time, and then suddenly pounce.

Habitat of common grass snake

Already can be found near bodies of water, under a bridge, near a lake or pond. In addition, they like to settle next to people, choosing quiet and secluded places, like a basement, a haystack, a cellar, a barn, in the roots or hollows of trees, in a garden, in firewood, in a pile of stones, in a garden, and even in a pile of garbage. . snakes they are very fond of warm bedding, and live next to poultry, laying their eggs there, but they will never go to large animals.

Habitat of common grass snake- almost all of Russia, the east of Primorye, the borders of the Komi Republic, the border of Karelia. Almost all of Europe, and some individuals already found in Africa, Central, South and North America, Australia, Asia, Cuba, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, Oceania.

VIDEO: ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THE COMMON SNAKE

IN THIS VIDEO, YOU WILL SEE AND LEARN HOW TO KEEP A COMMON ALREADY AT HOME

Even in the century before last, an ordinary one could calmly settle in a peasant yard, without fear for his life. The villagers were afraid to kill an intruder because of the superstitious fear of bringing trouble to their home.

Appearance, description of an ordinary snake

The reptile belongs to the already-shaped family, differing from its girlfriends in the snake kingdom with yellow “ears” - symmetrical marks on the head (closer to the neck). Spots are lemon, orange, off-white or completely invisible.

The size of an average individual does not exceed 1 m, but there are also more solid specimens (1.5-2 m each). Males are much smaller than females. The head of the snake is noticeably separated from the neck, and the body longer than tail 3-5 times.

The top of the snake body can be painted in dark gray, brown or olive color, diluted with a dark "chess" pattern. Belly - light gray or off-white, with a dark longitudinal stripe in the center. In some individuals, this strip occupies the entire lower side. Among snakes there are both albinos and melanists.

Similarity to a viper

This is interesting! The harmless snake is related to poisonous viper few: favorite places of relaxation (forests, ponds, lawns) and the desire to avoid collision with people.

True, the viper rarely retains composure and attacks a person at the first careless movement.

There are many more differences between reptiles:

• it is longer, slimmer than a viper and has a smoother transition from body to tail;
• yellow spots stand out on the head of the snake, and a zigzag strip stretches along the back of the viper;
• the snake has an oval, slightly ovoid head, while that of the viper is triangular and resembles a spear;
• snakes do not have poisonous teeth;
• snakes have pupils that are vertical or round (similar to those of a cat), while vipers have pupils that are transverse, like sticks;
• snakes eat frogs, and vipers prefer mice.

In fact, there are many more differences (for example, in the form of scales and scutes), but an amateur does not need this knowledge. You won't look at the scales when threatened by a snake attack, will you?

Range, habitats

IN northern latitudes common snake can be found from Karelia and Sweden to the Arctic Circle, in the south - on the northern coast of Africa (up to the Sahara). Western border of the range passes through the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula, and the eastern one captures central Mongolia and Transbaikalia.

Snakes adapt to any landscape, even anthropogenic, as long as there is a reservoir with stagnant or slowly flowing water nearby.

These snakes live in a meadow, in a forest, a river floodplain, a steppe, a swamp, mountains, gardens, city wastelands and forest park areas. Settling in the city, snakes often find themselves under the wheels, as they like to bask on the pavement. This is the main reason for the decline in the population of snakes in a densely populated area, although in global terms, there is no need to worry about the number of the species.

Length and lifestyle

Already lives a lot, from 19 to 23 years, and the main condition for its long life is water, which is responsible for the scientific name of the species - natrix (from the Latin natans, translated as "swimmer").

This is interesting! The snakes drink and bathe a lot, making long swims without a specific goal. Their route usually runs along the coast, although some individuals have been seen in the open sea and in the center of huge lakes (at a distance of tens of kilometers from land).

In water, it already moves like all snakes, vertically raising its neck and wave-like bending of the body and tail in a horizontal plane. While hunting, it dives deep, and when resting, it lies on the bottom or wraps itself around an underwater snag.

It searches for prey in the mornings/evenings, although the peak of activity occurs during daylight hours. On a clear day, an ordinary one exposes its sides to the sun on a stump, stone, hummock, fallen trunk, or any convenient elevation. At night, it crawls into a shelter - voids from uprooted roots, a cluster of stones or burrows.

Enemies of common snake

If the snake does not hide before sunset, it will quickly cool down and will not be able to quickly escape from natural enemies, among which are seen:

• predatory mammals including fox, raccoon dog, weasel and hedgehog;
• 40 kinds large birds(for example, storks and herons);
• rodents, including rats;
• amphibians such as frogs and toads;
• trout (eats young animals);
• ground beetles and ants (destroy eggs).

Trying to catch fear on the enemy, he hisses and flattens the neck area (pretending to poisonous snake), folds the body in a zigzag and nervously twitches the end of the tail. The second option is to run away.

This is interesting! Once in the paws of a predator or human hands, the reptile pretends to be dead or splashes with a smelly substance secreted by the cloacal glands.

The snakes are constantly experiencing a shortage of reliable shelters, which is why they use the fruits with pleasure. human activity, living in houses, chicken coops, bathhouses, cellars, bridges, sheds, compost heaps and garbage dumps.

Diet - what does an ordinary person eat

The gastronomic preferences of the snake are quite monotonous - these are frogs and fish. Periodically, it includes other prey of a suitable size in its diet. It can be:

• newts;
• toads;
• lizards;
• chicks (dropped out of the nest);
• newborn water rats;
• insects and their larvae.

Snakes disdain carrion and do not eat plants, but they willingly drink milk when they are in a terrarium.

When hunting for fish, it already uses a waiting tactic, grabbing the victim with a lightning movement when it swims close enough. The frogs are already actively pursued on land, but they do not even try to jump to a safe distance, not seeing a mortal danger in the snake.

A fish dish is already swallowed without any problems, but eating a frog usually stretches for many hours, since it is not always possible to grab it right by the head. Like other snakes, it already knows how to stretch its throat, but the angular frog is in no hurry to go to the stomach and sometimes breaks out of its supper mouth. But the executioner is not ready to let the victim go and grabs her again to continue the meal.

After a hearty meal, they go without food for at least five days, and if necessary, for several months.

This is interesting! There is a known case when a forced hunger strike lasted 10 months. He was subjected to this test by a German naturalist who did not feed the experimental subject from June to April. The first feeding of the snake after the hunger strike passed without deviations from the gastrointestinal tract.

snake breeding

Puberty occurs at 3-4 years. The mating season lasts from April to May, egg laying occurs in July-August.. Mating seasons in different regions may not coincide, but always start at the end of the first seasonal molt(already usually changes the skin, catching and digesting the first prey). Cases of autumn mating have been recorded, then the female lays eggs after wintering.

Coition is preceded by the interlacing of several snakes (female and many males) into a "nuptial ball", which results in the laying of leathery eggs in an amount from a few to 100 (and even more).

This is interesting! If there are not enough secluded places in the habitat of the population, the females create a collective storage of eggs. Eyewitnesses told how they once found a clutch of 1200 eggs in a forest clearing (under an old door).

The masonry must be protected from drying out and cold, for which the snake is looking for a moist and warm "incubator", which often becomes a pile of rotten leaves, a thick layer of moss or a rotten stump.

Having laid eggs, the female does not incubate the offspring, leaving it to the mercy of fate. After 5-8 weeks, small snakes 11 to 15 cm long are born, from the moment of birth they are preoccupied with finding a place for wintering.

Not all serpents manage to feed themselves before the cold, but even hungry kids reach the spring heat, except that they develop a little slower than their well-fed sisters and brothers.

Snakes remarkably tolerate captivity, are easily tamed and undemanding in content. They need a horizontal type terrarium (50*40*40 cm) with the following equipment:

• thermal cord / thermal mat for heating (+ 30 + 33 degrees in a warm corner);
• gravel, paper or coconut for substrate;
• shelter in a warm corner (to maintain humidity, it is placed in a cuvette with sphagnum);
• shelter in a cold corner (dry);
• a capacious container with water so that the snake swims there, gets wet during molting, and not only quenches thirst;
• UV lamp for daylight.

IN sunny days additional illumination of the terrarium is not required. Spray it once a day warm water so that the sphagnum always remains moist. The snake's home diet consists of small fish and frogs: it is desirable that the prey show signs of life, otherwise the pet may refuse to eat.

This is interesting! Sometimes snakes are accustomed to thawed foods. They feed already-shaped 1-2 times a week, large reptiles- even less often. Once a month, mineral supplements are mixed into food, and mineral water is given instead of ordinary water. The water in the drinker is changed daily.

If desired, the snake is hibernated, for which, with the onset of autumn, the lighting / heating time is reduced from 12 to 4 hours. After you achieve a decrease in temperature in the terrarium to + 10 + 12 degrees and stop lighting it, the snake will fall into hibernation(up to 2 months). The dream you simulated will have a beneficial effect on the body of a rested pet.

Already ordinary at home in our time is not at all considered a rarity. someone as pet holding a cat or guinea pig, and someone likes reptiles. The common and common viper are the most common creeping reptiles in nature, but if you have already decided to have such a creature at home, then it is better to opt for a non-poisonous one than for dangerous viper. To keep this moisture-loving creature in a home terrarium, you need to know some rules and features of animal care. If you do not create the necessary conditions for it, then it may die, which happens, unfortunately, very often among the negligent owners of this creature. Creating such conditions is not very easy, in this article you will find recommendations and tips that will help make the stay of a reptile with ears comfortable in your home. If you follow all the rules, then a pair of snakes will even give their owner a considerable offspring.

Already ordinary: description

Of the numerous genus of its own kind, the common one is the most major representative. Moreover, the tail of this creature occupies a fifth or third of the total length. Usually adults are about one meter in length. It is known that on the Svir River, the common one already reached two meters in length, this place is famous for such large reptiles.

Most people imagine a reptile with a black body and two large yellow spots located on the back of the head. Few people know that in nature in some places the common one is already “painted” in a completely different way. The top of the body can be gray with different shades, against this background one can see spots arranged in a checkerboard pattern, or narrow stripes “drawn” across. The common grass snake looks very beautiful, the length of which is more than one meter, with a mesh pattern throughout the body.

As you know, it already differs from the viper in the presence yellow spots on the head, but there are representatives of this species that do not have such distinctive characteristics. There are also individuals with pink, white or orange-red markings. In this case, all shades of yellow are acceptable.

The scutes of the upper lip are white, separated by black stripes. Its belly is white with a gray tint and black or blue-gray spots. Pure black snakes and white-pink albinos with a grayish tint are found in nature. The latter have red eyes.

It is difficult to distinguish males from females, except perhaps in size and tail. The "boys" are much smaller than the "girls", and the males also have noticeably longer tails.

Character and lifestyle

Ordinary already behaves actively only in the daytime. He loves to bask in the sun, swim in the pond. By the way, snakes are excellent swimmers and divers. They can stay under water for 20-30 minutes. There were cases when a swimming snake was seen very far from the coast. With the onset of dusk, the reptile looks for a cozy and safe place to sleep and spends the night there, during which its body cools down. A bunch of branches or foliage, a snag or a fallen tree can serve as a refuge for a snake.

Reptiles with ears on their heads are very fast, it doesn’t cost them anything to instantly climb a tree. In winter, they hibernate, and their greatest activity is observed from April to September. In the same period, these harmless reptiles reproduce.

When asked if the common one is poisonous, the correct answer is “no”. No wonder so many terrarium lovers keep them as pets. Unlike wild counterparts, domestic snakes are easily tamed and quickly get used to their owner. You can freely pick them up.

How to equip a terrarium

If you decide to settle a snake in your house, then you should be prepared for the fact that you will need to create for it all the conditions necessary for existence. Many people ignore advice on caring for reptiles, and as a result, their pets simply die. In order for an ordinary one to feel comfortable in your terrarium, it is required to equip it in accordance with all the rules.

For such a non-venomous snake, a spacious and long terrarium will be required, since a volumetric pool will need to be placed in it. Such a bath should be quite big size so that the pet can completely fit in it. So most of the snake house will be occupied by the pool, without it it will no longer be able to live, since it needs to bathe and drink water often.

The bottom in the terrarium is covered with peat or sand, the main thing is that this soil retains moisture for a long time. In the corner, it is necessary to lay moss so that the snake can, burrowing into it, rest. In a place free from the pool, snags, branches or placers of stones are placed. The top of the terrarium should be tightly covered with a net so that a nimble pet cannot escape from its house.

Common snake: content

In the content of the snake, a very important point is temperature regime. A stone or snag is placed in one corner of the terrarium, and a heating lamp is placed on top. Here the snake can warm up at a temperature of no more than 35 degrees. In another place, a cool corner is set up. In this shelter, the temperature should be about 22 degrees. At the specified rates average temperature in the terrarium is from 22 to 26 degrees.

The humidity level in the snake dwelling is maintained by regularly spraying the soil and moss. At night, lighting and heating the terrarium is not required; during the warm daytime, ordinary sunlight will be enough.

With proper care and maintenance, a homemade one can live for about 20 years.

How to care for common grass snake

In addition to the fact that the owner of the reptile must monitor the temperature and humidity in the terrarium, he will need to create all the conditions for hibernation and an active lifestyle of the snake. Once a week, the house is cleaned, the house must be cleaned regularly. Once every 30 days, to remove ticks, the pet is dipped in a solution of potassium permanganate (1%), only with such a procedure you need to carefully monitor so that the snake's head does not get wet.

Nutrition

A person acquiring a reptile should know what an ordinary one eats, since he prefers to eat only live food, and the owner will have to give his pet mice, toads, and fish that have not been previously killed. The fact is that this snake will not be interested in either a rodent or a frog if the food does not move. In rare cases, owners manage to accustom their pets with a well-developed hunting instinct to eat dead food.

You need to feed the snake 1-2 times a week. If pet large size, then he eats less often, but at the same time his lunch should be more voluminous. Every month the snake should receive mineral supplements to the feed. Can be added from time to time mineral water into the drinker.

reproduction

For a pair of snakes, mating games start with a nod of the head. Such a ritual begins with the fact that the male holds his head high, shaking it from side to side. If the female accepts signs of attention, then she answers the gentleman with the same gestures. When mutual understanding is reached in a couple, the “boyfriend” moves on to more active courtship and rubs against the back of his “lady”.

Eggs of the common grass snake contain small snakes whose hearts are already beating, since the development of offspring begins already in the body of the female. The eggs themselves are not like chicken or bird eggs, they are very soft and sticky, which is why they are able to stick to each other. If the terrarium is not humid enough, they will dry out and the offspring will die.

The incubation period lasts about 10 weeks. Young females are able to lay 10-15 eggs in a clutch, while a mature individual lays about 30 eggs or even more.

Offspring of common snake

Newborn babies have a special tooth with which they break the shell and for the first time look at the world. The baby will leave the egg only when he is convinced of his complete safety, there should be complete silence and calmness around him at this time.

The size of newborn babies is 10-12 cm, they begin to behave very actively from the first day of their lives. You can feed them earthworms and small frogs.

Hibernation at home

In order for an ordinary one to hibernate, its owner must provide him with the proper conditions for this. With the onset of autumn for 30 days, it is necessary to gradually reduce daylight hours to 4 hours and do the same with the heating period.

After such preparation, the lighting stops completely. In the terrarium, the temperature is lowered to 10 degrees. As a result of such actions, it already falls into hibernation and spends in this state for about two months. Such a break in the activity of the reptile is necessary so that in the future it develops well and breeds to the joy of the owner.

Moult

Shedding is normal for snakes. The common snake, like all its relatives, sheds its skin. If molting occurs normally, the skin from the body of the reptile comes off entirely. Before this process begins, the snake becomes less active and loses its appetite. During this period, the owner must ensure that a sufficient level of humidity is maintained in the terrarium, this is necessary in order to facilitate the process of changing “clothes” for the pet.

How does an ordinary one defend?

As mentioned earlier and as everyone knows, the ordinary one is not poisonous. How then does this snake defend itself and how does it behave in moments of danger? It’s better not to try to pick up a wild snake, but a domestic one does not protest against such an action only on the part of its owner, to which it is used. If this creature with ears on its head does not like the attention of a person, it will behave like poisonous snakes. When a formidable hiss and throwing of the head does not help to scare off the enemy, it already uses its signature number, releasing a liquid from the intestines, which has a very strong and unpleasant odor. After all these actions, the offender must surely retreat, but if this does not happen, he will simply pretend to be dead. As for bites, this animal decides to take such a step in very rare cases.

Common snake and viper

The creeping reptiles most known to all people are vipers and snakes. How is it different from the common viper? The answer to this question needs to be known first of all to those who like to relax in the forest or near water bodies in the bosom of nature. If a meeting with a snake does not threaten a person at all, then a close acquaintance with a viper is very dangerous, since this creature is poisonous.

It is completely impossible to distinguish between a snake and a viper by color, the main difference is the ears on the sides of the head of a non-venomous snake, but snakes are completely black and without characteristic ears. In this case, it is better to bypass this crawling creature. The difference between poisonous and non-poisonous reptiles is observed in the pattern on the body. On the back of the snake, dark spots are arranged in a checkerboard pattern, while the viper is painted with zigzags.

• To completely remove the skin during molting, it already finds narrow cracks and crawls through them. Thus, the skin slides off the animal, like an inside-out stocking (it starts from the head).
• The bite of the snake does not pose any danger to humans.
• Residents of small villages very often domesticate wild snakes so that these non-poisonous snakes exterminate rodents on the farm.

• The snakes swallow their prey alive without killing it first.
• When the weather is too hot, the reptile can sink to the bottom of the reservoir and stay there for quite some time, waiting until its body cools down.
• If the snake is in danger at the time when he swallows food or has just swallowed it, then the snake regurgitates food and flees or tries to defend itself. In this case, a mouse or a frog that has been in the mouth of a reptile may remain alive.