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How to Differentiate Between Poisonous Snakes and Non Poisonous Snakes
ASIF IBRAHIMBY
LECTURER OF ZOOLOGY GOVT.DEGREE COLLEGE RAMBAN (J&K)
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Some snakes harm their prey by injecting venom through their fangs; some of this venom can be harmful to humans, resulting in what we often think of as "poisoning" (although it's technically called venom, not poison). It is not out of the question to encounter snakes while are hiking or camping. So, before venturing into nature, it's necessary to know how to tell the difference between venomous and non-venomous snakes.
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PART 1 . IDENTIFYING COMMON FEATURES
1. Look at the head. Most venomous snakes usually have triangular shaped heads.
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2Observe the colors. Some venomous
snakes such as the coral snake have
bright colors.
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3.Look into their eyes. Some venomous snakes have vertical eye slits, versus round pupils usually seen in non-venomous snakes.
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4.Look for a pit between the snake's eyes and nostrils. A venomous snake normally has a heat-sensitive pit there to locate warm-blooded prey. Non-venomous snakes lack such pits.
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5. See if there is a rattle. A snake with a rattle on its tail must be a rattlesnake,
which is venomous.
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6. Notice the underside scales on the tip of the tail. Most venomous snakes have one row of scales there while non-venomous snakes usually have two rows.
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7. Check the bottom of the tail if you can. The bottom of the tail (behind the anus) of venomous snakes looks the same as the rest of the belly. If the snake has a cross pattern (like a diamond shape) it is non-venomous. However, this may not be easy to find out, unless the snake is dead
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8. Watch water snakes swim. Only venomous water snakes swim with their entire bodies visible on the water
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9. Examine the bite marks in case of a snake attack. Two close-set puncture marks would indicate that the snake has fangs and is venomous. By contrast, a ragged bite mark means the snake lacks fangs, which only non-venomous snakes have.
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PART2KNOWING THE EXCEPTIONS
The coral snake is venomous but has a round-shaped head while some non-venomous snakes may flatten their heads to resemble triangles when they are threatened.
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Some colorful snakes, such as the scarlet snakes, the scarlet kingsnake, and the red milk snake, are non-venomous.The black mamba, the cobra, and the inland taipan snake are venomous but have round pupils like most non-venomous snakes. So does the coral snake, which is venomous as stated above.
