SNAKES OF PERU

There are 8 families of snakes in the Amazon, with 186 species being found in Peru. Snakes are one of the most feared animals in the jungle, but in reality most are harmless, with only 32 of Perus 186 species being venomous enough to be dangerous to humans. Snakes probably evolved from burrowing lizards, and are in fact closely related to modern lizards. There are all limbless, and are found in a wide variety of habitats in trees, on the ground, in burrows and even in water. All snakes are carnivorous and are efficient predators, eating prey ranging from small frogs and rodents to lizards, birds and large mammals. They usually detect their prey using vision and smell, using their tongue to taste the air and then pass scent molecules to a sensitive structure inside the mouth called Jacobsons organ, where the scent is detected. Some species also possess heat-sensitive organs that they use to detect the body heat of their victims. Interestingly, snakes have no eardrums for hearing, but they can detect vibrations on the ground through their bodies. Snakes use various methods to catch their prey. Some actively search for their victims, moving around continually, looking for a meal, while others use a sit-and-wait strategy, remaining motionless and camouflaged until the unsuspecting prey comes past, at which point the snake grabs it or darts out and chases it down. Some snakes kill their prey by striking at it then coiling their bodies round it, squeezing it until it suffocates. Others have evolved glands that produce toxic venom, which they inject into the prey using their teeth, quickly immobilising it so that it can then be swallowed whole. Most snakes, however, are non-venomous, instead relying on their strong jaws and their size to subdue prey. One big advantage that snakes have is the ability to eat prey that is larger than their own head. All food is swallowed whole, without chewing, so snakes possess highly mobile jaws which can be dislocated easily to allow them to swallow larger prey. Because they can eat large prey items, they only need to feed infrequently, so can spend most of their time hidden and safe from predators. Snakes in turn may be eaten by hawks, eagles, some mammals and even other snakes, and most species use camouflage to avoid detection. The life of a snake is regulated by temperature from the date they hatch, to how much they need to eat, to how fast they can strike at their prey. Being cold-blooded, their body temperature is determined by the external environment. They can control their temperature behaviourally for example, by lying in the sun or moving into the shade but this only works to a certain point, and they may have to site out hours or days when it is too cold or too hot for them to be active. Venomous snakes As mentioned before, most snakes are non-venomous, and those that are, are usually nocturnal and secretive and normally only bite if threatened or accidentally stepped upon. Even when they bite, they may not inject venom, since it is primarily for capturing prey, not for defence, and it is costly to produce. Also a snake that has recently caught prey will have less venom. However, even non-poisonous snakes can give a nasty bite, so every snake should be treated with respect. The most venomous snake in the world is the Inland Taipan of Australia, whose bite can kill over 100 people. However, the most toxic snakes are not necessarily the most dangerous it also depends on how aggressive they are and how likely to bite. Snake venoms are complex and contain enzymes designed to destroy blood cells and vessels,

surrounding tissue, and sometimes nerves. Once injected into the bloodstream they are rapidly transported around the body and quickly start to damage the tissues. There are two main types of venom: haemotoxins (which attack the blood system) and neurotoxins (which attack the nerves), though most venoms are a complicated mixture of both types. Within the same species, toxicity can vary with season and between individuals. Reactions to snake bites can also vary widely between different people and also depending on how much venom was injected. In general, if envenenation has occurred and the snake was poisonous, the symptoms pain, swelling and possibly difficulty breathing) will soon become apparent and medical help should be sought immediately. You should never try to suck out the venom or apply a tourniquet, but try to keep the victim calm and if possible keep the bite site lower than the heart and head. Even if the snake was non-poisonous, the wound should be cleaned thoroughly to prevent infection. Main groups of snakes in Peru Colubrids (Family Colubridae) The colubrids are the largest family of snakes, with around 130 species occurring in Peru, so most snakes you see are likely to be in this group. Around three quarters of Neotropical snakes are colubrids, including the well-known water, brown, green, rat, whip and king snakes, and they are a very diverse group, having a wide variety of shapes, colours and lifestyles. Colubrids are mostly non-venomous, or, if venomous, usually only dangerous to small prey. They do not possess hollow, venom-injecting fangs, but some species do possess toxic enzymes in their saliva and can inflict painful bites. Also, some other species have developed enlarged teeth in the rear of their upper jaw, connected to a salivary gland which has become modified into a venom gland. These snakes, known as rear-fanged snakes, may be mildly venomous, usually using their venom to paralyse their prey, but are not usually dangerous to humans. This is because this system is not very efficient the snake has to get a good grip on the prey and chew in its venom, plus the fangs are at the back of the mouth, so it is usually hard for them to bite people. In many cases the toxicity of their venom is not well known. The colubrid family includes the false coral snakes, which mimic poisonous coral snakes, and in Peru a species known as the Common Mussurana, which has a varied diet and will even eat poisonous snakes, including the deadly Fer-de-lance. Boas (Family Boidae) Boas are non-venomous and only the very largest, due to their huge strength, may potentially be dangerous to humans. Most are docile and can sometimes be kept as pets, but others can be aggressive, and with their sharp teeth can give a nasty bite. There are 63 species of boas worldwide, the family including the New World boas and the Old World pythons, and there are 6 species in Peru. They are considered to be fairly primitive snakes as they still possess the remnants of a pelvis and hind limbs. Most are nocturnal, and detect their prey by a mixture of vision, smell and heat-detection using heat-sensitive pits on the scales of their lips. Prey is caught by lunging and seizing it with their teeth, then coiling their body around it and killing it by constriction. Like all snakes, the prey is then swallowed whole. Probably the most famous member of this group is the Anaconda. This is the largest New World snake, reaching nearly 10 metres (30 feet) in length. Old World pythons can grow longer, but Anacondas are wider and so are considered the bulkiest snakes in the

world. They are mostly aquatic, though they are not particularly good swimmers and normally lie in wait along quiet riverbanks or lake edges, where their good camouflage helps them to remain hidden and so surprise prey such as agoutis, capybaras, peccaries, large birds and even caimans. They are very strong but do not eat people, usually avoiding humans by hiding underwater. Coral snakes (Family Elapidae) The colourful coral snakes belong to the same family as cobras and mambas, and all have very toxic venom. There are a total of 16 species in Peru, with none growing larger than about 1 metre. They usually feed on lizards, fish and even other snakes. Coral snake venom contains neurotoxins, which are fast-acting and can quickly produce paralysis and so death by suffocation as the lungs cease to work. However, their fangs are small and fixed and they need to bite with force in order to inject their venom, so it is difficult for them to bite humans effectively. They are also usually secretive, living on the ground and under rocks, so seldom encountered. If held, they can easily slip out of your grip and bite you, since they have small heads. Coral snakes are well-known for their bright colours stripes of yellow, black and red which serve as a form of warning colouration, warning potential predators that they are dangerous. As an additional defence, when threatened they may whip their bodies violently from side to side and bite anything their head touches. Many harmless snakes, known as false coral snakes, mimic the colouration of coral snakes in order to take advantage of the protection this provides this form of mimicry, with a harmless species mimicking a dangerous one, is known as Batesian mimicry. In North America as a general rule if a snake has yellow and red stripes touching each other, it is poisonous, but if red and black touch it is a harmless King snake. However, in South America this rule does not apply, and every coral-like snake should be regarded as potentially deadly. Vipers (Family Viperidae) There are 15 species of vipers in Peru, all of them venomous, and this group as a whole contains most of the New Worlds venomous snakes. Rattlesnakes also belong to this family. Vipers have specialised long, hollow fangs at the front of the mouth, which are used to inject venom to quickly subdue their prey. These fangs are retractable. In many cases the viper bites, retreats to safety until the prey succumbs to the venom, then catches up with it and eats it. About half of Perus venomous snakes belong to a group known as pit-vipers. This name comes from depressions or pits between their nostrils and their eyes which are sensitive to heat and used to detect their prey. Pit-vipers usually have large, triangularshaped heads and slitted, cat-like eyes. They often coil before striking and may give aggressive displays when threatened, raising their head and vibrating their tail. Two well-known and much-feared vipers in this area are the Fer-de-lance and the Bushmaster (locally known as the Jergn and Shushupe). The Fer-de-lance grows up to 2 metres and has a spear- or lance-shaped head (hence the name). It is highly venomous, with even the juveniles being potentially lethal. The venom is fast-acting and painful, destroying blood cells and vessels and killing a lot of tissue around the bite. Massive infection may follow even if death does not, and this snake is thought to be responsible for more human deaths in the New World than any other group of venomous snakes. Mortality is 7% without treatment, but falls to 1.5% with quick

treatment. [?] Female Fer-de-lance are particularly fecund, sometimes giving birth to 70 young at a time, and it is a species that is often found near human habitations. The Bushmaster, at 2.7 to 3 metres (6.5 to 11.7 feet), or even up to 4.2m (13.8 feet) long, is the largest pit-viper in the world and the largest venomous snake in the Western Hemisphere. It is the only egg-laying viper in the New World. Because of its length it is capable of striking over a long distance, often without any audible warning hence the Latin name, which means silent fate. The Bushmaster has large fangs and can inject a high dose of venom, so is rightly one of the most feared snakes in this area. Some harmless colubrid snakes mimic vipers when threatened for example, they may coil, rear up, open their mouth and strike at an aggressor, or even flatten their head to make it appear more like the triangular head of a viper. Conclusions Snakes are some of the most advanced and most successful of reptiles. As we have seen, all are efficient predators and some are potentially deadly to humans. However, most species are harmless and should be admired for the beautiful and fascinating creatures that they are.

CONSERVATION AND STATUS???