Pythons have one more bone in their head than boas do and some additional teeth. And they are considered primitive snakes with two lungs (most snakes have only one) and the remnants of hind legs and pelvic bones. These snakes are constrictors, killing their prey by wrapping around it and suffocating it. That leaves two groups: the pythons and the boas. The first thing to note is that the anaconda is a species of boa, not a separate type of snake. None of these huge snakes are venomous or evil. Reticulated pythons, boa constrictors, and anacondas are some of the biggest snakes in the world, and many people get confused about which is which. Trampling has also become a common tragedy that leads to fatal bites as many humans are unable to detect the Gaboon viper’s well-concealed presence and happen to step on it accidently.Pythons, boas, and anacondas: what's the difference? Giant snakes capture our attention as stars of monster movies. Palm oil production, a common economic practice in the Niger Delta is one of the main causes for illegal logging. This has reduced the reproduction of the Gaboon viper species. Generally taking place during the dry months from December to April, such form of land clearance destroys many breeding burrows of the West African Gaboon viper. Human activity in the Niger Delta traditionally includes land clearance, planting, post harvesting storage. Though the species hasn’t been listed on the IUCN Red List, it is facing population decline in the western parts of Africa. This results in degradation of tropical patches, swamps and woodland terrains and thus limiting the natural habitat of the Gaboon viper. Many parts of southern Nigeria, Niger Delta and the forested grounds of Togo suffer from severe deforestation. However, several human activities are responsible for habitat destruction of the species causing them to flee into open paddies and coffee plantations. Threats Being an apex predator, the Gaboon viper doesn’t face any threat that is directly associated with its well-being. Once the prey is close enough the viper strikes and injects a large dose of venom using the broadened ends of its fangs. This intricate form of symmetry on its body provides camouflage that help it to blend so well in the surrounding that even humans find it difficult to catch sight of this snake. The darkened skin tone, yellow quadrangular shaped patches on its skin and the hour-glass shaped blotches along its sides give it a stunning appearance. Gaboon vipers are nocturnal which means they hunt at night and use a simple technique of ‘ambush’ against their prey. They can also perceive heat radiations with their infrared heat-sensitive senses that are nested around the mouth. The distance of its prey can be easily located by picking up airborne particles that stimulate the Jacobson’s organ. Like all venomous vipers, the Gaboon can also sense vibrations in the ground that travels till its jawbone and into the skull helping it to determine the presence of a likely prey. Prey One of the most spectacular documentaries to come across is of a Gaboon viper searching for its prey. The Gaboon viper’s iris can be silvery-grey, yellow-white or cream colored depending upon its biome. The head can either be cream or pale white with a dark central line that descends towards the mid body. The flanks contain brown colored rhomboidal shapes while the belly possesses a light pale color layered with irregular brown/black blotches. A series of triangular patches run through its center, interspaced with yellow ridges that are dark in color and in the form of hourglass markings. The coloring pattern of the Gaboon viper makes it a lethal predator in the wild. The fangs of the Gaboon viper are the largest in size for any venomous snake, measuring about 2.2 inches. There is a presence of a single anal scale on this species. The subcaudal scales (average 17 – 33 pairs) are approximately 25 in males while female Gaboon vipers possess around 23 in total. While the mid-body contains 28 – 46 dorsal scales, the ventral scales are around 120 – 140 (predominantly more in males than females). Image credits: Ivan Kuzmin/Shutterstock A pair of horns is present between its raised nostrils – the western Gaboon viper has a more prominent pair while the eastern species showcases a tinier form.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |