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๐“†—๐—” ๐—ฃ๐˜‚๐—ฏ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—”๐˜„๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€ & ๐—œ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฃ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—บ ๐—”๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜ ๐—ฆ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—”๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ๐˜๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ข๐—ณ ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ช๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—น๐—ฑ๐“†ˆ
And A Bit Of Humor Too!

๐†๐จ๐›๐ข ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ - ๅŽๅŒ—่ฎ(Gloydius stejnegeri)๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ -๐‚๐ก๐ข๐ง๐š ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณThe Gobi Pit Viper (Gloydius stejnegeri) is a venomous...
01/25/2025

๐†๐จ๐›๐ข ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ - ๅŽๅŒ—่ฎ
(Gloydius stejnegeri)
๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ

-๐‚๐ก๐ข๐ง๐š ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ

The Gobi Pit Viper (Gloydius stejnegeri) is a venomous pit viper snake species found in China and Mongolia. This species inhabits a variety of environments, including deserts and rocky areas.

The average length of mature individuals is up to 625 mm. The body pattern consists of a pale gray or brown background, overlaid with a series of dark, irregularly-shaped blotches. These blotches are bordered with black and often have lighter centers. The head is typically dark brown or black, with beige or pale-gray sides.

The specific name, stejnegeri, is in honor of Norwegian-born American herpetologist Leonhard Stejneger.
Gloydius stejnegeri, used to be the subspecies of Gloydius intermedius
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PC: Steve Chisholm, W. Scott Lupien, China Wild Tour.

#๐—ก๐—ผ๐˜๐—ฒ:-
Snakes play a vital role in our ecosystem by controlling pest populations and maintaining balance. By appreciating and understanding these incredible reptiles, we can reduce fear and promote coexistence.





-----------๐“†™ ๐“๐ž๐š๐ฆ ๐‘๐ž๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ž๐ฌ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐–๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐“†ˆ๐“†—

๐‚๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ฅ ๐€๐ฌ๐ข๐š๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ - ๐Œ๐š๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ž ๐’๐š๐ฅ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐š(Gloydius intermedius)๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ -๐’๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐Š๐จ๐ซ๐ž๐š ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ทThe Central Asian pit viper...
01/24/2025

๐‚๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ฅ ๐€๐ฌ๐ข๐š๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ - ๐Œ๐š๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ž ๐’๐š๐ฅ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐š
(Gloydius intermedius)
๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ

-๐’๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐Š๐จ๐ซ๐ž๐š ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท

The Central Asian pit viper, with a cadre of closely related and widely distributed subspecies and species, has raised considerable confusion about its taxonomic classification. The snake has "been the subject of considerable taxonomic instability..." as one authority said.

It varies in pattern and color within the specific species. According to some sources, it attacks aggressively, posing a serious danger. According to others, it withdraws timidly, posing little danger. Its venom composition may vary with its locality -- highly toxic according to some, mildly toxic according to others -- posing problems in designing treatment for bites. It has several different common names, for instance, Central Asian Viper, Asiatic Pit Viper, Mongolian Pit Viper, Mamushi and Amur Viper, and it also has several different scientific names, for instance, Trigonocephalus intermedius, Ancistrodon intermedius and Haly intermedia. The snake comes with uncertainty in its characterization.

The Central Asian pit viper bears a taxonomic relationship at the family (Viperidae) level with the new world Copperhead, The Cottonmouth Water Moccasin and the Cantil Viper as well as the Siberian Pit Viper, The Malayan Pit Vipers and others. Each of these species is distinguished by a heat-sensing pit on each side of its head, between the eye and the nostril. The pit functions as a thermoreceptor, which serves to convey differences in temperatures.

The Central Asian Pit Viper measures about 15 to 30 inches in length. Typical of pit vipers, it has a relatively stocky body with a fairly narrow neck and a short and tapered tail.

Although it varies in color and pattern within the species, the Central Asian pit viper, generally, has several dozen irregularly shaped, dark crossbands, or splotches, that saddle its back, from its neck to its tail, overlying a much lighter base color. Sometimes the bands may be partially bordered with an even darker outline. The snake has a lighter-colored belly, which may be heavily or lightly speckled.

The sensitivity of the snake's heat-sensing pits would likely compare with that of other pit vipers, although that has apparently not been investigated thoroughly. It can probably use its pits -- in effect, infrared sensors -- to "see" heat signals with only slight differences. It can distinguish between the "heat signature" of potentially vulnerable prey and that of larger and potentially threatening animals.

The Central Asian pit viper occurs across a vast range, extending from the Caspian Sea east-northeastward to the Gobi Desert and from northern Iran and Afghanistan northward to southern Russia. It favors rocky grasslands, scrublands and open woodlands, said the Armed Forces Pest Management Board's Living Hazards Database. It "Feeds primarily on rodents, lizards, frogs and large insects," according to Clinical Toxinology Resources. It also likely preys on birds.

When it strikes, the Central Asian pit viper, like its Viperidae kin, opens its mouth nearly 180 degrees, with its fangs projected forward. When it drives home its fangs, it uses specialized muscles to express the venom glands, controlling the amount of venom it injects. It immediately withdraws, prepared to strike again.

The pit viper's venom delivery system is highly evolved, ranked by many scientists as the most sophisticated in all of nature.
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PC: Yucheol Shin, Dongmingoh, Herpetologist of Korea

#๐—ก๐—ผ๐˜๐—ฒ:-
Snakes play a vital role in our ecosystem by controlling pest populations and maintaining balance. By appreciating and understanding these incredible reptiles, we can reduce fear and promote coexistence.





-----------๐“†™ ๐“๐ž๐š๐ฆ ๐‘๐ž๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ž๐ฌ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐–๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐“†ˆ๐“†—

๐“๐ก๐ž ๐‘๐จ๐œ๐ค ๐Œ๐š๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข - ๐€๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ - ๐‚๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐›๐จ๐ฌ๐š(Gloydius saxatilis)๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ -๐‘๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐š ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บGloydius saxatilis, The Rock Mamus...
01/23/2025

๐“๐ก๐ž ๐‘๐จ๐œ๐ค ๐Œ๐š๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข - ๐€๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ - ๐‚๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐›๐จ๐ฌ๐š
(Gloydius saxatilis)
๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ

-๐‘๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐š ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ

Gloydius saxatilis, The Rock Mamushi - is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Asia (Russia, China, and the Korean Peninsula) and belongs to the family Viperidae. Despite being assessed as Least Concern in IUCN Red List because of its large distribution in forest areas and mountainous zones, G. saxatilis in Korea has been decreasing due to poaching. The genetic information and biological data about this species are lacking. Also, many researchers in Korea used G. intermedius as an alternative name of G. saxatilis (David and Vogel 2015). In this study, we determined the complete mitogenome of G. saxatilis.
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PC: Joker Hanamichi, Liza feaven, Kamil Belyalov.

#๐—ก๐—ผ๐˜๐—ฒ:-
Snakes play a vital role in our ecosystem by controlling pest populations and maintaining balance. By appreciating and understanding these incredible reptiles, we can reduce fear and promote coexistence.





-----------๐“†™ ๐“๐ž๐š๐ฆ ๐‘๐ž๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ž๐ฌ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐–๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐“†ˆ๐“†—

๐Œ๐€๐Œ๐”๐’๐‡๐ˆ   ใƒ‹ใƒ›ใƒณใƒžใƒ ใ‚ท   ๐’๐€๐‹๐Œ๐”๐’๐€๐‰๐š๐ฉ๐š๐ง๐ž๐ฌ๐ž ๐Œ๐จ๐œ๐œ๐š๐ฌ๐ข๐ง - ๐‰๐š๐ฉ๐š๐ง๐ž๐ฌ๐ž ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ (Gloydius blomhoffii)๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ -๐๐š๐ฌ๐ฎ, ๐๐š๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐š, ๐“๐จ๐ค...
12/23/2024

๐Œ๐€๐Œ๐”๐’๐‡๐ˆ ใƒ‹ใƒ›ใƒณใƒžใƒ ใ‚ท ๐’๐€๐‹๐Œ๐”๐’๐€
๐‰๐š๐ฉ๐š๐ง๐ž๐ฌ๐ž ๐Œ๐จ๐œ๐œ๐š๐ฌ๐ข๐ง - ๐‰๐š๐ฉ๐š๐ง๐ž๐ฌ๐ž ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ
(Gloydius blomhoffii)
๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ

-๐๐š๐ฌ๐ฎ, ๐๐š๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐š, ๐“๐จ๐ค๐ฒ๐จ, ๐‰๐š๐ฉ๐š๐ง ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต

The Japanese Mamushi, Gloydius blomhoffii, is a medium-sized pit viper found in Japan, Korea, and China and is one of the most familiar snake species to Japanese people due to its nutritional and medicinal value, as well as its venomous nature.
Gloydius blomhoffii is distributed throughout Japan except for Okinawa Prefecture.
They are nocturnal but sometimes can be found while having sunbathing during the day time.

Mamushi is a small snake, about 60 cm long, with fangs about 5 mm long.
The components of Mamushi venom are diverse, including protease and phospholipase A2.
About 2,000 to 3,000 Mamushi bites occur annually. The number of fatalities is about 10 per year.

Mamushi (Gloydius blomhoffii) snakebite is the most common type of snake injury in Japan and is also seen in China and Korea. Although the components of Mamushi venom have been investigated, epidemiological and clinical descriptions still remain limited in the English literature. The aim of this study was to review the clinical features and management of patients with injuries related to Mamushi snakebites.
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PC: Takehiro Kakegawa

#๐—ก๐—ผ๐˜๐—ฒ:-
Snakes play a vital role in our ecosystem by controlling pest populations and maintaining balance. By appreciating and understanding these incredible reptiles, we can reduce fear and promote coexistence.





-----------๐“†™ ๐“๐ž๐š๐ฆ ๐‘๐ž๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ž๐ฌ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐–๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐“†ˆ๐“†—

๐’๐ก๐ž๐๐š๐จ ๐ˆ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐š๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ - ๐’๐ก๐ž๐๐š๐จ ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ(Gloydius shedaoensis)๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ -๐’๐ก๐ž๐๐š๐จ ๐’๐ง๐š๐ค๐ž ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฅ๐š๐ง๐, ๐๐„ ๐‚๐ก๐ข๐ง๐š ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณGloydiu...
12/22/2024

๐’๐ก๐ž๐๐š๐จ ๐ˆ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐š๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ - ๐’๐ก๐ž๐๐š๐จ ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ
(Gloydius shedaoensis)
๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ

-๐’๐ก๐ž๐๐š๐จ ๐’๐ง๐š๐ค๐ž ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฅ๐š๐ง๐, ๐๐„ ๐‚๐ก๐ข๐ง๐š ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ

Gloydius shedaoensis is a venomous Pit-Viper species found only on Shedao Island in China. Although very small, this island is home to an extraordinarily large population of these snakes.

The Shedao Pit-Viper (Gloydius shedaoensis) presents a unique sedentary lifestyle in extreme seasonal food scarcity. The snakes occur exclusively on the Shedao Island (meaning โ€œsnake islandโ€ in Chinese), which is a small island off the coast of the Liaodong Peninsula in the Bohai Sea. The island is approximately 0.73 km2 in size and 5.3 km away from the nearest continent (Li 1995). The adult snakes are โˆผ600 mm in length and the generation time is โˆผ3 years, which is similar to its mainland relative, the black eyebrow pit-viper (G. intermedius).

The Shedao pit-viper (Gloydius shedaoensis) exhibits an extreme sedentary lifestyle. The island species exclusively feeds on migratory birds during migratory seasons and experiences prolonged hibernation and aestivation period each year (up to eight months). The sedentary strategy reduces energy expenditure, but may trigger a series of adverse effects and the snakes have likely evolved genetic modifications to alleviate these effects. To investigate the genetic adaptations, we sequenced and compared the transcriptomes of the Shedao pit-viper and its closest mainland relative, the black eyebrow pit-viper (G. intermedius). The Shedao pit-viper revealed a low rate of molecular evolution compared to its mainland relative, which is possibly associated with metabolic suppression. Signals of positive selection were detected in two genes related to antithrombin (SERPINC1) and muscle atrophy (AARS). Those genes exert significant functions in thrombosis, inhibiting oxidation and prolonged fasting. Convergent and parallel substitutions of amino acid with two other sedentary vertebrates, which often suggest adaptation, were found in a fatty acid beta-oxidation related gene (ACATA1) and a circadian link gene (KLF10), which regulate lipogenesis, gluconeogenesis, and glycolysis. Furthermore, a circadian clock gene (CRY2) exhibited two amino acid substitutions specific to the Shedao pit-viper and one variant was predicted to affect protein function. Modifications of these genes and their related functions may have contributed to the survival of this island snake species with a sedentary lifestyle and extreme seasonal food availability.
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PC: Xianchun Qiu

#๐—ก๐—ผ๐˜๐—ฒ:-
Snakes play a vital role in our ecosystem by controlling pest populations and maintaining balance. By appreciating and understanding these incredible reptiles, we can reduce fear and promote coexistence.





-----------๐“†™ ๐“๐ž๐š๐ฆ ๐‘๐ž๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ž๐ฌ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐–๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐“†ˆ๐“†—

๐“๐ก๐ž ๐‡๐ข๐ฆ๐š๐ฅ๐š๐ฒ๐š๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ - ๐‡๐ข๐ฆ๐š๐ฅ๐š๐ฒ๐š๐ง ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ(Gloydius himalayanus)๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ -๐‡๐ข๐ฆ๐š๐œ๐ก๐š๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐š๐๐ž๐ฌ๐ก, ๐ˆ๐๐ƒ๐ˆ๐€ ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณThe Himalayan ...
12/19/2024

๐“๐ก๐ž ๐‡๐ข๐ฆ๐š๐ฅ๐š๐ฒ๐š๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ - ๐‡๐ข๐ฆ๐š๐ฅ๐š๐ฒ๐š๐ง ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ
(Gloydius himalayanus)
๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ

-๐‡๐ข๐ฆ๐š๐œ๐ก๐š๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐š๐๐ž๐ฌ๐ก, ๐ˆ๐๐ƒ๐ˆ๐€ ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ

The Himalayan Pit Viper is a highly venomous pit viper snake species found in the high-altitude regions - slopes of the Himalayas (Pakistan, India, Nepal).

The Himalayan Pit Viper is known for its camouflage appearance, hiding skills, non aggressive behavior and slow & deliberate movement. It uses a slow motion slither to navigate its environment, minimizing the chances of detection by predators or potential prey.

The Himalayan Pit Viper moves slowly from one place to another. When disturbed, it retreats to its hiding place.
When provoked, the Himalayan pit viper raises its tail tip and hooks and unhooks it alternately. This movement is thought to lure prey, fascinate prey, and warn.

This Pit Viper is a stealthy, nocturnal snake with heat-sensing abilities and venomous fangs, playing a crucial role in maintaining a balanced ecosystem in the Himalayan region.
Its distinctive coloration, slow movement, and wide distribution make the Himalayan Pit Viper a fascinating and adaptable species, but it faces threats from habitat loss and human activities.

This is a highland snake and is found in altitudes ranging from 2,100 to 4,900 m (6,900 to 16,100 ft) in the mid and western Himalayas. It takes refuge under fallen timber, crevices, in or under rocks, beneath boulders, ledges, stones and fallen leaves.
This camouflage provides it with an advantage when it comes to ambushing prey or avoiding potential threats.

However, many of the local people who encounter this species are unfortunately bitten when they accidentally step on them or place their hands on them. For this reason, this species is always high up on our target list when we are in Himachal Pradesh, to allow us to better understand why and how people are bitten.

From our current understanding, people are usually bitten when working in tall grass or when walking at night without a torch resulting in a horrendously painful and potentially life-threatening bite.
Its venom is highly potent and serves as a defense mechanism against predators and in capturing prey.
The Himalayan Pit Viper has long, hollow fangs that deliver venom to its prey or potential attackers. The venom is a potent mix of toxins that immobilizes the prey and aids in digestion.

Himalayan pit vipers have been found up to 4900m above sea level, which makes it the highest living snake ever found.

The Himalayan Pit Viper is viviparous, meaning it gives birth to live offspring rather than laying eggs. This allows for greater protection and increased survival chances for the young snakes.
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PC: Parag P. Shinde, Ben Owens

#๐—ก๐—ผ๐˜๐—ฒ:-
Snakes play a vital role in our ecosystem by controlling pest populations and maintaining balance. By appreciating and understanding these incredible reptiles, we can reduce fear and promote coexistence.





-----------๐“†™ ๐“๐ž๐š๐ฆ ๐‘๐ž๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ž๐ฌ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐–๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐“†ˆ๐“†—

๐‘๐ž๐-๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ญ๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐€๐ฅ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ž ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ ๐Ÿฆ‹๐Ÿ๐“๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐š๐ง๐ก๐ž ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ(Gloydius rubromaculatus)๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ -๐˜๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ก๐ฎ, ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ก๐š๐ข-๐“๐ข๐›๐ž๐ญ๐š๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐š๐ญ...
12/19/2024

๐‘๐ž๐-๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ญ๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐€๐ฅ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ž ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ ๐Ÿฆ‹๐Ÿ
๐“๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐š๐ง๐ก๐ž ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ
(Gloydius rubromaculatus)
๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ

-๐˜๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ก๐ฎ, ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ก๐š๐ข-๐“๐ข๐›๐ž๐ญ๐š๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐š๐ญ๐ž๐š๐ฎ, ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐œ๐ž, ๐‚๐‡๐ˆ๐๐€ ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ

Gloydius rubromaculatus โ€“ A recently described Moth-preying Viper and the second highest altitude snake in the world. The first specimen was discovered at the altitude of 4000 m A.S L.

The specific name of the new species is made up of the Latin word โ€œrubroโ€ (red) and โ€œmaculatusโ€ (spot), indicating cardinal crossbands on the body.

The Sanjiangyuan region of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot of alpine mammals but a barren area in terms of amphibians and reptiles. Here, we describe a new pit viper species, Gloydius rubromaculatus sp. n. Shi, Li and Liu, 2017 that was discovered in this region, with a brief taxonomic revision of the genus Gloydius. The new species can be distinguished from the other congeneric species by the following characteristics: cardinal crossbands on the back, indistinct canthus rostralis, glossy dorsal scales, colubrid-like oval head shape, irregular small black spots on the head scales, black eyes and high altitude distribution (3300-4770 m above sea level). The mitochondrial phylogenetic reconstruction supported the validity of the new species and furthermore reaffirms that G. intermedius changdaoensis, G. halys cognatus, G. h. caraganus and G. h. stejnegeri should be elevated as full species. Gloydius rubromaculatus sp. n. was found to be insectivorous: preying on moths (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Sideridis sp.) in the wild. This unusual diet may be one of the key factors to the survival of this species in such a harsh alpine environment.
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PC: Zhou Hang, Jingsong Shi & Xi'er Chen, Terry Townshend

#๐—ก๐—ผ๐˜๐—ฒ:-
Snakes play a vital role in our ecosystem by controlling pest populations and maintaining balance. By appreciating and understanding these incredible reptiles, we can reduce fear and promote coexistence.






-----------๐“†™ ๐“๐ž๐š๐ฆ ๐‘๐ž๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ž๐ฌ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐–๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐“†ˆ๐“†—

๐‚๐š๐ฎ๐œ๐š๐ฌ๐ข๐š๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ - ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐’๐ข๐›๐ž๐ซ๐ข๐š๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ(Gloydius halys)๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ -๐Œ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ ๐ƒ๐š๐ฆ๐š๐ฏ๐š๐ง๐, ๐ˆ๐‘๐€๐ ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ท(๐€๐ฅ๐›๐จ๐ซ๐ณ ๐Œ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐š๐ข๐ง๐ฌ) G...
12/17/2024

๐‚๐š๐ฎ๐œ๐š๐ฌ๐ข๐š๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ - ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐’๐ข๐›๐ž๐ซ๐ข๐š๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ
(Gloydius halys)
๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ

-๐Œ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ ๐ƒ๐š๐ฆ๐š๐ฏ๐š๐ง๐, ๐ˆ๐‘๐€๐ ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ท
(๐€๐ฅ๐›๐จ๐ซ๐ณ ๐Œ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐š๐ข๐ง๐ฌ)

Gloydius halys, a.k.a. The Siberian pitviper is a venomous snake that is found in West Asia, North Asia, and Russia, across several countries including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The snake belongs to the subspecies of pit vipers, family Viperidae. Pit vipers are termed so, due to the presence of certain heat-sensing organs located in a recess/notch between their eyes and nostrils
The Siberian pitviper preys on a variety of prey including lizards, frogs, rodents, small snakes and small birds. It is a diurnal reptile that can be found on rocky mountain slopes, plateaus, and plains. It may be found at elevations of up to 13,000 feet (about 4,000 m). Siberian pitviper can grow from anywhere between 1.5 to nearly 3 feet in length
The snake has a medium-sized body with a short tapering tail with yellow/brown/black tip. The head of the snake is broad, flat, triangular-shaped, and distinct from its neck; the snake has a slightly upturned snout. The body color is varied and may be in dark brown, olive green, pale gray, or yellow. The back is marked by dark crossbands interspersed with light olive or pale yellow bands. The snakeโ€™s belly may be in gray shades scattered with darker spots.

Human contact with the snake is not uncommon. Siberian Pitviper Snake Bites can cause moderate envenomation (venom injection) that can result in possible deaths without early treatment. Depending on the subspecies and geographical location, some Siberian pitvipers tend to be more aggressive than the others.

The signs and symptoms of Siberian Pitviper Snake Bite may include severe localized effects such as pain at the bite site, swelling, and blistering. Systemic symptoms may include low blood pressure, severe tissue necrosis, shock, mild paralysis, and renal damage.
The venom is a potent mix of neurotoxins and hemotoxins that can cause variable symptoms in the victims.
Early administration of suitable antivenom (or antivenin) is the mainstay of treatment. Apart from this, symptomatic treatment is necessary, which may include pain medication, intravenous fluid administration, blood transfusion, and respiratory support, as needed.
The prognosis of Siberian Pitviper Snake Bite with prompt and effective therapy is usually good; but without proper treatment, deaths have been reported.

The Caucasian pit viper occupies a diverse range of habitat types, from 30 m to about 3,000 m above sea level, within northern and southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains, thus serving as an ideal example to evaluate phylogenetic and phylogeographic patterns of a terrestrial poikilothermic species in northern Iran. Even though this species has been under intensive exploitation for venom milking by the Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute since 1924, the details of its evolutionary history and population structure have remained poorly understood to this day.
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PC: Marc Vaillant, Matthieu Berroneau

#๐—ก๐—ผ๐˜๐—ฒ:-
Snakes play a vital role in our ecosystem by controlling pest populations and maintaining balance. By appreciating and understanding these incredible reptiles, we can reduce fear and promote coexistence.





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สŸแด€ แด ษชแด˜รˆส€แด‡ แด…แด‡ สŸโ€™แด‡ส€ษข.... โณ ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐€๐ฏ๐ข๐œ๐ž๐ง๐ง๐š ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ - ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐’๐š๐ก๐š๐ซ๐š ๐’๐š๐ง๐ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ(Cerastes vipera)๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ -๐’๐š๐ก๐š๐ซ๐š, ๐Œ๐จ๐ซ๐จ๐œ๐œ๐จ ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฆT...
12/16/2024

สŸแด€ แด ษชแด˜รˆส€แด‡ แด…แด‡ สŸโ€™แด‡ส€ษข.... โณ

๐“๐ก๐ž ๐€๐ฏ๐ข๐œ๐ž๐ง๐ง๐š ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ - ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐’๐š๐ก๐š๐ซ๐š ๐’๐š๐ง๐ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ
(Cerastes vipera)
๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ

-๐’๐š๐ก๐š๐ซ๐š, ๐Œ๐จ๐ซ๐จ๐œ๐œ๐จ ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฆ

The Sahara snad viper (Cerastes vipera) is a venomous viper species. Although not aggressive, when threatened it will readily stand its ground and form C-shaped coils that rub together and produce a rasping or crackling sound.

These short vipers are common in sandy habitats and sand dunes of the Saharan desert into the Arabian Peninsula.

Sahara sand vipers are native to North Africa and the Sinai Peninsula. In arid North Africa, they are found in Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Mali, Tunisia, Libya, Niger, Chad, and Egypt. In the Sinai Peninsula, they occur in Egypt, Sudan, and Israel. These vipers inhabit deserts with sandy soils, including sand dunes and sandy regions with scrub in coastal areas.

The Saharan Sand Viper is a small snake of around 30 cm with a maximum size of around 50 cm. They are nocturnal and actively hunt at night. During the day this snake hides under bushes or buried in the sand.

This species feeds on lizards and geckos that it ambushes from a buried position in the sand, with only the eyes sticking out above the sand.

The venom of these snakes is not well known, but causes severe swelling, and nausea. Although no human fatalities have been recorded, bites should be treated at a hospital.
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PC: Rabie Atlas - Paul Lernnart Schmid - Guy Haimovitch

#๐—ก๐—ผ๐˜๐—ฒ:-
Snakes play a vital role in our ecosystem by controlling pest populations and maintaining balance. By appreciating and understanding these incredible reptiles, we can reduce fear and promote coexistence.





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๐Œ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐ž ๐„๐š๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ๐ง ๐‡๐จ๐ซ๐ง๐ž๐ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ ๐€๐ซ๐š๐›๐ข๐š๐ง ๐‡๐จ๐ซ๐ง๐ž๐ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ (Cerastes gasperettii)๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ -๐”๐€๐„ ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ชThese ambush hunting snake...
12/13/2024

๐Œ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐ž ๐„๐š๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ๐ง ๐‡๐จ๐ซ๐ง๐ž๐ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ
๐€๐ซ๐š๐›๐ข๐š๐ง ๐‡๐จ๐ซ๐ง๐ž๐ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ
(Cerastes gasperettii)
๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ

-๐”๐€๐„ ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ช

These ambush hunting snakes are masters of camouflage. The Arabian horned viper even uses loose sand as cover, avoiding detection and increasing the chase of prey moving within striking distance.

They occupy sandy desert, although they are more common in well vegetated desert, and are found in most sandy environments.They feed mainly on small vertebrates, small rodents. Horned vipers are nocturnal and are ambush predators, lying beneath the sand with only the top of the head protruding. They are very tolerant of traffic in close quarters. If threatened they will curl up into a horseshoe shap and rub their rough scales together creating a loud rasping sound. Although rare, the bite of this snake can produce life-threatening symptoms.

Arabian horned viper adults average around 45-50 cm, and exceptionally reach 100cm. The head is flat, wide and roughly triangular in shape. The horn above each eye may or may not be present. The neck is thin, the body is stocky and roundish in the section. The tail is distinct, especially in females. Scales are heavily keeled, giving the snake a rough appearance. The colours vary regionally, but mostly are tan or pale grey/brown, generally matching the sand in which they live. A single row of darker, wide transverse rectangles runs down the back. A single row of spots runs down each flank. The tail may be distinctly different in colour or just a continuation of the body colour.

This species is widely distributed in the Arabian Peninsula in suitable habitat, Absent from the mountainous regions and the central Rub al-Khali, they are numerous in Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Parts of Palestine, Jordan, Iran and Iraq.

Here are five different specimens of Cerastes gasperettii from UAE.
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PC: DhandaNot's Photography - Theo Busschau- Rajath Sasidharan - Frank Deschandol

#๐—ก๐—ผ๐˜๐—ฒ:-
Snakes play a vital role in our ecosystem by controlling pest populations and maintaining balance. By appreciating and understanding these incredible reptiles, we can reduce fear and promote coexistence.





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๐‡๐จ๐ซ๐ง๐ž๐ ๐ƒ๐ž๐ฌ๐ž๐ซ๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ - ๐’๐š๐ก๐š๐ซ๐š๐ง ๐‡๐จ๐ซ๐ง๐ž๐ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ (Cerastes cerastes)๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ -๐๐ž๐ ๐ž๐ฏ, ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ธ(๐๐š๐ฅ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ž-๐ˆ๐ฌ๐ซ๐š๐ž๐ฅ)๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ๐—š๐—ฒ๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—ฅ...
12/11/2024

๐‡๐จ๐ซ๐ง๐ž๐ ๐ƒ๐ž๐ฌ๐ž๐ซ๐ญ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ - ๐’๐š๐ก๐š๐ซ๐š๐ง ๐‡๐จ๐ซ๐ง๐ž๐ ๐•๐ข๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ
(Cerastes cerastes)
๐‡๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐•๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ

-๐๐ž๐ ๐ž๐ฏ, ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ธ(๐๐š๐ฅ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ž-๐ˆ๐ฌ๐ซ๐š๐ž๐ฅ)๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ

๐—š๐—ฒ๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—ฅ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฒ:
Sahara horned vipers are among the most abundant and easily distinguishable of the venomous snakes of the North African and Middle Eastern deserts. Cerastes cerastes is generally distributed all across North Africa, including southwestern Arabia and southwestern Palestine-Israel.
Common in the Sahara desert, it is most frequently found between Egypt and Morocco. Its range extends to southward to northern Mali, Niger, northern Chad, Sudan, and Mauritania.

Although records are rare in the southern Saharan borderlands, this snake has been reported within the Sahel, the sub-steppe region of the Sahara. Interestingly, C. cerastes is also known to inhabit the deserts of the eastern Sinai, coexisting with the Arabian horned viper, Cerastes gasperettii.

๐—›๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—ถ๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜:
Found throughout the Sahara in Northern Africa, C. cerastes inhabits a variety of habitats within the desert, including rock hills, sandy deserts, and wadis. Members of this species can sometimes be found in dunes, and are rarely found on rock pavement and gravel plains.

It has been determined that there is a strong correlation between microclimate and the general distribution of this species. Saharan horned vipers generally prefer cooler temperatures, with annual averages of 20ยฐC or lower, and are usually found in altitudes of up to 1500m. Even humidity is important when considering the locality of these snakes. Temperatures must be high enough for the snake to bask and obtain heat, and humid enough to retain a maximum amount of water present in the body, as the only source of water is from prey.

๐—ฃ๐—ต๐˜†๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐——๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฐ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป:
Sahara horned vipers are amongst the most distinct of the North African desert snakes. Compared to most snakes in the region, this species is short in length, averaging between 30 and 60 cm. Hatchlings are usually between 12 and 15 cm. Although females are larger, both sexes share the same general body structure and color patterns. The head is somewhat flat, broad, and triangular, with eyes on the side of the head, and the neck is thin.

Covered in approximately 25 to 35 rows of heavily keeled scales, C. cerastes is characterized by the presence of supraorbital โ€œhornsโ€, which consist of a single scale above each eye, from which a dark line extends towards the back of snake. This feature is what generally distinguishes Sahara horned vipers from other species of the genus Cerastes, as Cerastes gasperettii has horns that consist of multiple scales, and Cerastes vipera has its eyes on the top of the head. Prominent brow ridges typically ensue the lack or reduction of these horns.

The body is broad and appears flat, with a short tail which may have a black tip. This species is brownish-yellow and gray in color, perfectly blending into the sandy environment in which it lives. Dorsally, it also has rectangular brown patches that are darker in color than the rest of the body.

Sidewinding is the primary method of locomotion for C. cerastes and the majority of desert snakes. This type of movement allows the snake to move quickly across the desert sands by lifting a loop of the body and moving it forward, while the rest of the body follows the moving loop. This also assists in preventing the snake from overheating, as minimum contact between the belly and the ground is maintained throughout the movement.

๐—™๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ฑ ๐—›๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—ถ๐˜๐˜€:
The diet of this carnivorous species consists primarily of small rodents, geckos, birds, and a variety of lizards. In captivity, a full grown specimen was observed to feed on weaver finches (Passer domesticus niloticus), lacertids (Mesalina olivieri), and dune geckos (Stenodactylus petrii). These vipers are also known to eat jerboas (Jaculus jaculus), yellow wagtails (Motacilla flava thunbergi), and chiffchaffs (Phylloscopus collybita). Cerastes cerastes has been known to travel long distances at night in search of prey.

๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป:
Sahara horned vipers are known to have only a few natural enemies, including honey badgers, monitor lizards, and a variety of wild and feral cat species. The snakes' colors provide optimum camouflage, working in their favor as both predators and prey. In addition, although C. cerastes burrows in order to stay cool during the day, as well as to attack unsuspecting prey, this behavior may also help hide it from potential predators.

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
A venomous snake, Cerastes cerastes is capable of inflicting damage to its prey, but also bites when threatened. Common amongst all three species of Cerastes, the venom is cytotoxic, affecting the walls and contents of cells, yet is not very toxic when compared to most other snakes in the region.

Despite the widespread distribution of Sahara horned vipers, their relatively hostile habitats result in few humans bitten, and therefore little statistical data is available concerning C. cerastes bites. However, venomous bites have been known to cause swelling, nausea, hemorrhaging, vomiting, necrosis, and hematuria. Bites should be treated immediately with elevation, analgesics, and antibiotic cover. For more serious bites, supply of an appropriate antivenin is required.
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PC: Nir Avraham
SC: Animal Diversity Web

#๐—ก๐—ผ๐˜๐—ฒ:-
Snakes play a vital role in our ecosystem by controlling pest populations and maintaining balance. By appreciating and understanding these incredible reptiles, we can reduce fear and promote coexistence.





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