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What causes the rattle in a rattlesnake's tail?
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Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes native to the Americas known for their loud rattling tail. The tip of their tail, known as the rattle (middle), vibrates to deter predators or serves as a warning to passers-by. The rattle is composed of a series of hollow, interlocked segments made of keratin, which are created by modifying the scales that cover the tip of the tail. The contraction of special "shaker" muscles in the tail causes these segments to vibrate against one another, making the rattling noise (which is amplified because the segments are hollow) in a behavior known as tail vibration. The muscles that cause the rattle to shake are some of the fastest known, firing 50 times per second on average, sustained for up to three hour ...
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5999 |
bio_man |
7 years ago |
You won't believe what this viper does to lure hungry birds
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The rare Iranian spider-tailed viper ( Pseudocerastes urarachnoides) waggles a fake "spider" - actually a fleshy lure with leg-like scales at the tip of its tail - to tempt birds within striking distance. Until 2001, the viper was known only from a single misidentified specimen collected during a U.S. expedition to Iran in 1968. The weird structure on its tail was so unlike anything documented in other snakes that it was written off as a birth defect or an abnormal growth. While scientists had suspected its unique tail was used for luring prey, new observations of the dramatic bird captures now confirm this. The new study also revealed the viper starts growing its tail lure after birth, and that it isn’t complete until adulthood.
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2753 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
Twice the fear, twice the venom
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A Chinese snake breeder recently made a rather unexpected discovery: a two-headed baby Chinese cobra, both with individual, fully-functioning brains.
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1312 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
How to play dead (like a pro)
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Lots of animals play dead when they’re threatened, but this little hognose snake really knows how to commit to a role. Somebody get this guy a part on Broadway! These pigeons also appear to have mastered this tactic.
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11785 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
They see me crawlin', they runnin'...
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The southern black racer ( Coluber constrictor priapus) is a non-venomous American snake that is very active during the day. This may explain why it was spotted winding its way through a wire fence.
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3233 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Scaly viper
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The bush viper lives up in the trees of the tropical forests of Africa, and does most of its hunting at night. They are highly venomous and are found only in tropical sub-Saharan Africa.
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2553 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Pixelated snake
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This is the Green vine snake ( Ahaetulla nasuta), a slender tree snake found in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The snake is mildly venomous, and its bite causes swelling and pain. They feed on frogs and lizards. There is a widespread myth in parts of southern India that the species uses its pointed head to blind its human victims!
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10009 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Two-headed snake
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This two headed albino milk snake was born two years ago in Florida. The condition is known as Polycephaly and occurs when monozygotic twins fail to separate completely. Most organisms with this condition will not live for long, but occasionally you will get cases like this one, where the snake(s?) seem healthy enough and can live for years. The heads act independently of one another, and will fight over food given the opportunity. ...
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4306 |
duddy |
10 years ago |