|
|
Poisonous Snakes Are Among The Most Feared Creatures In The Animal World
Poisonous snakes can certainly cause fear and some of the most negative feelings towards some this crawling part of the animal world. The toxic secretion of poisonous snakes has such a lethal impact that it can kill one in less than thirty minutes, not to mention the chances of losing eye sight if venom gets into your eyes. In spite of the risk of getting bitten in close encounters, poisonous snakes are creatures like all others but rely on their venom to survive: snakes only bite to hunt or defend themselves . The rest of the negative impression on snakes results from an obtuse perception powered by ancient myths.
The venom structure complexity is amazing: the paralysis and eventual death of the prey are caused by a smart combination of proteins and toxins. The toxin attacks the heart, the lungs and the muscles first, and starting from this way of action scientists have identified poisonous snakes into class that destroy the walls of the blood vessels and cause unstoppable hemorrhage, venomous species that have a paralyzing effect on the heart and, last but not least, others that only cause terrible muscle pain. Corals and cobras would thus involve the first positions in a top of the most poisonous snakes.
The complex structure of the snake venom still fascinates scientists, and lots of tests are still conducted on it. The only treatment for poisonous snakes bites consists of the immediate administration of antivenins. There are however some factors that influence the victim's chances of staying alive: thus, an identification of the snake is a necessity as well as the proper location of the bite. If there is too much time between the moment of the bite and the antidote injection, the victim will suffer extensive health damage or even die. Furthermore, there have been cases of patients who developed instant allergies to poisonous snake bites or to antidotes and died.
Rattlesnakes cause most of the bites in the United States, yet death from such accidents is a rarity in our times since medical assistance is not a problem anymore. Other relatives of the rattlesnake include the water moccasin, the cottonmouth or the copperhead; they are highly poisonous snakes too that would surely mark the days of anyone who gets bitten. Stressful incidents involving snake attacks are often behind snake phobia or this excessive fear can be the result of sociological ancestral traditions that are manifest even with people who have never felt threatened by a snake.
The snake is also a symbol not just an animal people feel afraid of. The graphical stylizations of snakes in our arts and cultures draw their roots from the ancient mythical beliefs. Thus, regardless of the types of snake varieties, we are talking about important elements of ecosystems, with a well-established function in the development of certain species, and secondly they remain figurative spokesmen of deep meanings. Their feeding on mice and rats limits the risk of pest and prevents rodents from over-breeding. Yet, in the ancient traditions, types of snake worshiping did exist, with the serpent symbolizing deities, or the eternal cycle of life and death or wisdom.
Many types of snake-related beliefs have been identified around the globe: for the old Greeks the snake represented the a sign of sexual potency; Mesopotamians and Semites attributed immortal features to this creature because it moulted and it rejuvenated its appearance periodically; Indians, Siamese and Burmese believe the snake to be a demon figure that is not entirely bad.
|
More Articles
Blogroll
|
