Oct 27, 2008
A TORNADO
Tornado
A tornado is defined by the Glossary of Meteorology as "a violently rotating column of air, in contact with the ground, either pendant from a cumuliform cloud or underneath a cumuliform cloud, and often (but not always) visible as "a funnel cloud" In practice, for a vortex to be classified as a tornado, it must be in contact with both the ground and the cloud base. Scientists have not yet created a complete definition of the word; for example, there is disagreement as to whether separate touchdowns of the same funnel constitute separate tornadoes.
*Looking for more? Click here
A DREAM CATCHER
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVRAQ5mC08XN3TTLj1_982SsSpHMooQoVPa68SY0eBRoWKi-ZxTriZvpDJDArygz464xYdrb_5rAnGHkT2oPsG1PUAsP33pXBV6VwLwHF6Qn0Pc81Q8j73yPwwNagKfVxSZuGdmNVr2o/s400/dreamcatcher1.gif)
A spider was quietly spinning his web near the bed of grandmother. Every day she watched as the spider worked at making it's web. Several days later the grandson came in and saw that the grandmother was looking at a spider. He picked something up and went towards the spider to kill it. Grandmother stopped him and said, "No, do not kill Iktome . Do not hurt him. The boy thought his grandmother was silly but respected her wishes even though she would not tell him why he should not kill the spider.
After the boy left grandmother returned to watching Iktome. Then the spider spoke,"Thank you. For days you have watched me work hard when spinning my web and you have obviously enjoyed watching my work. In return for saving my life I wish to give you something. In the full moon light I shall spin you a web in the window. Watch how I weave the web and learn, for the web I weave will catch all bad dreams and energies, entangling them in the web. The small hole in the middle will allow good dreams and energies to pass through to you. When the full moon came grandmother sat at the open window and watched Iktome weave the magical web. Near dawn Iktome finished the web. Grandmother smiled as she looked at the weaving, she thanked the spider for giving her such a wonderful gift. As she drifted off to sleep she heard the spider say, "Learn".
The gratitude and love of grandmother and Iktome touched the hearts of the ancestors and they added something to Iktome's gift as grandmother slept. As the morning came beautiful dew drops formed on the web and the gentle breeze of sister wind blew small dove feathers to dance lightly at the bottom of the webbing. Raven placed a long feather on the sill. As grandmother opened her eyes, Father Sun shown on the web and made the dew drops sparkle in the light.![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Q1MepAIOYMG_hpJhYl7-DXglX5JI_BvyHIUC-V90r4Ci9WeKcnu8ef6ynPd1pcUaBFnaaUmn96hQBrzz9s3c1laDP4OdVWCfznzWLZEjMS_3uzPM_FU13OKxHbYR5ITBINVKesbol9c/s400/divider1.png)
The gratitude and love of grandmother and Iktome touched the hearts of the ancestors and they added something to Iktome's gift as grandmother slept. As the morning came beautiful dew drops formed on the web and the gentle breeze of sister wind blew small dove feathers to dance lightly at the bottom of the webbing. Raven placed a long feather on the sill. As grandmother opened her eyes, Father Sun shown on the web and made the dew drops sparkle in the light.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Q1MepAIOYMG_hpJhYl7-DXglX5JI_BvyHIUC-V90r4Ci9WeKcnu8ef6ynPd1pcUaBFnaaUmn96hQBrzz9s3c1laDP4OdVWCfznzWLZEjMS_3uzPM_FU13OKxHbYR5ITBINVKesbol9c/s400/divider1.png)
Oct 26, 2008
MERMAID - IS IT FOR REAL?
In 1492, when Columbus sailed the ocean blue and lookouts were aloft to search uncharted waters, creatures began to appear that could only have roots in mythology, superstition, and embellishing beliefs that stemmed from ancient mariners as they explored distant shores.
After Columbus sighted land and discovered the new world, he reported three mermaids were sighted on Jan. 4, 1493. “Mermaids rose high out of the sea,” he recorded, “But were not as beautiful as they are represented.”
On June 15, 1608, English captain and navigator Henry Hudson was searching the Arctic Circle for a new route to Asia when he wrote the following entry in his ship’s log.
“This morning, one of our companie looking overboard saw a mermaid, and calling up some of the companie to see her, one more came up, and by that time she was close to the ship’s side, looking earnestly upon the men: a little after, a Sea came and overturned her: From the Navill upward, her backe and breasts were like a woman’s... her body as big as one of us; her skin very white; and long hair hanging down behinde, of colour blacke; in her going down they saw her tayle, which was like the tayle of a Porposse, and speckled like a Macrell.”
During the 1860s Victorian biologist P.H. Grosse proclaimed that with all the experience of Henry Hudson and his veteran crews, there could be no mistaking a walrus or seal for a mermaid and therefore announced there very well might be a previously undiscovered and new zoological species.
In the new millennium, and in the present day, we of course believe that mermaids are fictitious creatures of salty and fertile imaginations... or are they?
When Juan Ponce de Leon discovered the Dry Tortugas in 1513 and later cruised northward into the Ten Thousand Islands and discovered Marco and the Calusa Indians, could he and his crew have sighted a manatee on a moonlit night and believed they saw a mermaid?
With the warm and shallow waters between Fort Myers and Key West a perfect home for manatees, can there be any wonder that the mermen and mermaids of yesteryear might have been reported in our own coastal backyard?
Even today, manatees are linked to the legend of mermaids with the official animal-order name of Sirenia. The song of the siren has been recorded throughout history and even reaches into the heartland of Germany. Near Coblenz where the Rhine river flows through vineyard-covered mountains and castles guard every bend in the watercourse, the Lorelei rock awaits where a centuries-old legend tells the tale of an enchantress who sings a song so sweet she lures river sailors into destruction at the base of the well-known cliffs.
Mentally armed with the folklore and fables of old Europe, the storm-seasoned sailors arriving in the new world were instantly ready to explain away any phenomenon that might have made an appearance. Manatees sighted in daylight hours were repeatedly regarded as mermen; they were muddy, heavy creatures with bristles and whiskers, and a face that only a mother could love. With a moonlit night however, and a lonely sailor on anchor watch, the Florida manatee might have come calling, and left an impression, a story, and a legend of a beautiful mermaid that came out only after nightfall and only during a full moon.
Webster’s dictionary defines the siren as one of three sea nymphs, said to frequent an island near the coast of Italy and to sing with such a sweetness that lured mariners to destruction.
One of the most compelling and unforgettable accounts of mermaid legacy comes from an old story originating in the Outer Hebrides on the island of Benbecula. In 1870, after a severe ocean storm, seaweed cutters on the shore were attracted to a splashing in the nearby waters and found a small mermaid playing in the surf. Several townsfolk tried to capture her but she swam too fast to be ensnared in a net. Just before she submerged for the final time, the town bully threw a rock and hit her on the back of the head. The following day her body washed up and upon close inspection, everyone agreed this was a true mermaid. She had the body of a child with well-developed breasts but below the waist she had scales and a tail like a fish. By order of the town officials she was given a Christian burial as she was considered too human not to.
As sailors have forever been attracted to anomalies in the water, and as any unusual and exotic creatures are always alluring, there can be little doubt that the shallow water habits of our own Florida manatees could tempt mariners onto treacherous sandbars and coral reefs. Whenever the old mariners ran aground and found destruction in a storm, can the mermaids of old have been held to blame?
*A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature that is half human, half aquatic creature (e.g. a fish or dolphin). Various cultures throughout the world have similar figures. The word is a compound of mere, the Old English word for "sea," and maid, which has retained its original sense.
Much like sirens, mermaids would sometimes sing to sailors and enchant them, distracting them from their work and causing them to walk off the deck or cause shipwrecks. Other stories would have them squeeze the life out of drowning men while trying to rescue them. They are also said to take them down to their underwater kingdoms. In Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid it is said that they forget that humans cannot breathe underwater, while others say they drown men out of spite.
The sirens of Greek mythology are sometimes portrayed in later folklore as mermaid-like; in fact, some languages (such as the Maltese word 'sirena') use the same word for both bird and fish creatures.
After Columbus sighted land and discovered the new world, he reported three mermaids were sighted on Jan. 4, 1493. “Mermaids rose high out of the sea,” he recorded, “But were not as beautiful as they are represented.”
On June 15, 1608, English captain and navigator Henry Hudson was searching the Arctic Circle for a new route to Asia when he wrote the following entry in his ship’s log.
“This morning, one of our companie looking overboard saw a mermaid, and calling up some of the companie to see her, one more came up, and by that time she was close to the ship’s side, looking earnestly upon the men: a little after, a Sea came and overturned her: From the Navill upward, her backe and breasts were like a woman’s... her body as big as one of us; her skin very white; and long hair hanging down behinde, of colour blacke; in her going down they saw her tayle, which was like the tayle of a Porposse, and speckled like a Macrell.”
During the 1860s Victorian biologist P.H. Grosse proclaimed that with all the experience of Henry Hudson and his veteran crews, there could be no mistaking a walrus or seal for a mermaid and therefore announced there very well might be a previously undiscovered and new zoological species.
In the new millennium, and in the present day, we of course believe that mermaids are fictitious creatures of salty and fertile imaginations... or are they?
When Juan Ponce de Leon discovered the Dry Tortugas in 1513 and later cruised northward into the Ten Thousand Islands and discovered Marco and the Calusa Indians, could he and his crew have sighted a manatee on a moonlit night and believed they saw a mermaid?
With the warm and shallow waters between Fort Myers and Key West a perfect home for manatees, can there be any wonder that the mermen and mermaids of yesteryear might have been reported in our own coastal backyard?
Even today, manatees are linked to the legend of mermaids with the official animal-order name of Sirenia. The song of the siren has been recorded throughout history and even reaches into the heartland of Germany. Near Coblenz where the Rhine river flows through vineyard-covered mountains and castles guard every bend in the watercourse, the Lorelei rock awaits where a centuries-old legend tells the tale of an enchantress who sings a song so sweet she lures river sailors into destruction at the base of the well-known cliffs.
Mentally armed with the folklore and fables of old Europe, the storm-seasoned sailors arriving in the new world were instantly ready to explain away any phenomenon that might have made an appearance. Manatees sighted in daylight hours were repeatedly regarded as mermen; they were muddy, heavy creatures with bristles and whiskers, and a face that only a mother could love. With a moonlit night however, and a lonely sailor on anchor watch, the Florida manatee might have come calling, and left an impression, a story, and a legend of a beautiful mermaid that came out only after nightfall and only during a full moon.
Webster’s dictionary defines the siren as one of three sea nymphs, said to frequent an island near the coast of Italy and to sing with such a sweetness that lured mariners to destruction.
One of the most compelling and unforgettable accounts of mermaid legacy comes from an old story originating in the Outer Hebrides on the island of Benbecula. In 1870, after a severe ocean storm, seaweed cutters on the shore were attracted to a splashing in the nearby waters and found a small mermaid playing in the surf. Several townsfolk tried to capture her but she swam too fast to be ensnared in a net. Just before she submerged for the final time, the town bully threw a rock and hit her on the back of the head. The following day her body washed up and upon close inspection, everyone agreed this was a true mermaid. She had the body of a child with well-developed breasts but below the waist she had scales and a tail like a fish. By order of the town officials she was given a Christian burial as she was considered too human not to.
As sailors have forever been attracted to anomalies in the water, and as any unusual and exotic creatures are always alluring, there can be little doubt that the shallow water habits of our own Florida manatees could tempt mariners onto treacherous sandbars and coral reefs. Whenever the old mariners ran aground and found destruction in a storm, can the mermaids of old have been held to blame?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjlB3fCEwlfY_N9d2RCqkHIngVwrU9aaEIf0t8e-ZubO7mPkXwGsD1_f7MgheqGOMm2HtEX9wcgzGc5Bs9opsvAPhVUgU8PDg7IWmQ8To7S7p0nN_XeBr6OP-6Dr4eyF_K87og98LM1U/s320/280px-Waterhouse_a_mermaid.jpg)
Much like sirens, mermaids would sometimes sing to sailors and enchant them, distracting them from their work and causing them to walk off the deck or cause shipwrecks. Other stories would have them squeeze the life out of drowning men while trying to rescue them. They are also said to take them down to their underwater kingdoms. In Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid it is said that they forget that humans cannot breathe underwater, while others say they drown men out of spite.
The sirens of Greek mythology are sometimes portrayed in later folklore as mermaid-like; in fact, some languages (such as the Maltese word 'sirena') use the same word for both bird and fish creatures.
Oct 25, 2008
WHAT IS SILK?
Silk is a fila
ment fiber formed from proteins secreted by Bombyx mori, or silkworms. Silkworms are not actually worms, but caterpillars, despite their common name. Humans have practiced silk production, which originated in China, for thousands of years. Highly prized for its softness, insulating properties, and strength, silk is a natural animal product and therefore quite expensive. Making silk requires monitoring and feeding the silkworms constantly, and a great deal of effort results in a surprisingly small amount of thread.
C
hina managed to keep the secret of silk for thousands of years, exporting the rare textile to Europe over trade routes. Eventually, silkworm eggs were smuggled out, and in the 13th century, Western production of silk began in Italy. This by no means brought the cost down, as the extensive amount of work required to make silk remained the same. Thirty thousand eggs can end up eating one ton of mulberry leaves and producing 12 pounds (5.5 kilograms) of silk.
Silk manufacture begins when female silkworms lay their eggs. A single silkworm may produce hundreds of tiny eggs, which are incubated until they hatch into larva. The larva must be kept warm and fed on mulberry leaves frequently throughout their brief lives. In four to six weeks, the larva have reached their maximum size and have mustered enough energy to pupate.
It is the pupation stage that produces silk, as the larva attach to branches and spin a shell around themselves. The shell is unique to insect pupation, formed by two spinnerets on the larva. The fluid they secrete is high in protein and forms a continuous thread, which is repeatedly wound to form a pod to mature in.
Unfortunately for the silkworm pupa, it is maturity that silk producers want to avoid. A small number of the larva are allowed to gestate into adults to carry on the lineage, while the rest are subjected to heat to kill the larva before they can begin to eat through the valuable silk thread. The pods are dipped into hot water to loosen the thread, which is then wound onto wheels. The dead larva are discarded.
Once raw silk has been wound onto wheels, it can be spun into a variety of different t
ypes of thread, depending upon the intended use. Crepe is made by twisting multiple strands of silk together in different directions, while tram is made by twisting one to two threads in the same direction. Organzine is formed by twisting multiple threads together, switching direction, and repeating the process until the end of the thread.
Most wearers are familiar with all forms of silk thread, with single threads being used for fine and sheer garments and crepe being used to create textured and wrinkly silks. Organzine is used for warp threads in weaving, and tram creates the weft, or filling. Silk can also be used in knit fabrics.
Silk can be tre
ated to remove roughness or left raw, depending on the demand. Silk takes dye well and is available in a dazzling array of colors from subtle to bright. The textile appears in scarves, sweaters, underwear, shirts, and everything in between. Despite its low yield, production of the sought after textile is rising globally. Many consumers prefer silk for its comfort, insulating qualities, look, and feel.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PrZ3g2PP-HdqOoh3eSM-qWZAa_f1vZa0CvdA479VVhPLqHuO6Qp0k0-55U_sy-sdpYfEG4Eu3MlL9NLqhNo2pk_beXmWks4VKta5Zo60Bf3zrA4NuYGc3pnzL9PrNhoHvWPQtoiDnJ8/s200/silkfuchsia.jpg)
C
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MDHqbBaMnbJsxZNABZ1bOT7l9qo25FadI3SiO3cqBfhs5hcfOZY4ialno1sVGDAr4MTkREfYO2CoBTOuogBSdmLOh3sGNx3tgQXB-8x54aa3nZinQSoIMf_kXIj_66PTL062oYeX214/s320/silk1.jpg)
Silk manufacture begins when female silkworms lay their eggs. A single silkworm may produce hundreds of tiny eggs, which are incubated until they hatch into larva. The larva must be kept warm and fed on mulberry leaves frequently throughout their brief lives. In four to six weeks, the larva have reached their maximum size and have mustered enough energy to pupate.
It is the pupation stage that produces silk, as the larva attach to branches and spin a shell around themselves. The shell is unique to insect pupation, formed by two spinnerets on the larva. The fluid they secrete is high in protein and forms a continuous thread, which is repeatedly wound to form a pod to mature in.
Unfortunately for the silkworm pupa, it is maturity that silk producers want to avoid. A small number of the larva are allowed to gestate into adults to carry on the lineage, while the rest are subjected to heat to kill the larva before they can begin to eat through the valuable silk thread. The pods are dipped into hot water to loosen the thread, which is then wound onto wheels. The dead larva are discarded.
Once raw silk has been wound onto wheels, it can be spun into a variety of different t
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBGgSQUgJjCOeiWbx2T570T3nG5gsdKotp9UIG0P4oAbbJW9jQN6rs-eBykwNaDd_OwMH_jZD9pkNvrlAsp78UEDwgZl-lm1xbv4ygnK9t7tWXOCDum6Wj4e4Uoh7D-GqvgoFFAFNluk/s200/silk10.jpg)
Most wearers are familiar with all forms of silk thread, with single threads being used for fine and sheer garments and crepe being used to create textured and wrinkly silks. Organzine is used for warp threads in weaving, and tram creates the weft, or filling. Silk can also be used in knit fabrics.
Silk can be tre
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZzQyDd8zTRCTm7DoyCU84cwjM6_tjJPpbts7pqrSnbvpswyLSSm56HqtEczS27I8_Elh3hKbRzBBKokjxtQYB1BlgAfJ1xh68v9ZppeuvsCtrwvxsTM2IJdkI6Yr9gDjNRjgXRzjvEd4/s200/tissue-silk.jpg)
THE ART OF SILK REELING
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxngdT-CgFcf9eTl8LX10jTO6alyrcDqYFs8o-7_nEe9RfHXw7WXb4fTGz-OK7VV1bmvixGrho2nvwB4LkRJgLvONr_vFwwFGWIUVXUZ5eIZMAuawZj_PIY7E_pR2c5EcYs80nT4vjS4/s320/8.jpg)
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Oct 24, 2008
HEAVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT - Oasis(Oases)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAWwqVLPGIJopUeU-Fe8l1VdYgsLAyWIRc6g2awG2zL-G98vziO7NWB03s_OrxaRIGCgsAHuAhpRKOsf5pyUlMoZzd4uTkaRQsE5FHlWKBJysBQOkJFwiGqqT9fuguVLCRNokvdStUjU/s320/a153_Huacachina.jpg)
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Oct 23, 2008
THE HISTORICAL TITANIC
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The White Star Line started production on the Olympic in December of 1908, while wor
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7b9d3meaYjEpObMsBukZ7Z1BbN2UrPFqbh1OxFM9h09vHS-47euloINjQyQ3Nc37TO3E1uG_6efLWicswohmzdUdTow-n2wYx4NA8TVIJZ4NkpEotaooWZ-jA9J3rMyHnijZ8Hz7wGY/s320/Rms_titanic.jpg)
The Titanic was officially launched from Southampton, England, on April 10, 1912. While the ship carried more than 2,200 passengers and crew, Titanic was equipped with only 16 lifeboats, with a capacity of 1,708. The White Star Line had decided to use only half the number of boats the Titanic could carry in order to alleviate what was referred to as a "cluttered" feeling on the main deck of the ship.
The Titanic sailed first to Cherbourg, France, to pick up additional passengers, and then to Queenstown, Ireland,
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF97ttkbj8TIi5zl_hBvzhtAtLOZkSYUe8qjocalcwmNI7IRmmMZRNj_ZD6fGwHMx0oM9eVuKu6Sz1qM5NR10bl8v44ysI6EG2JDu25RLz0NvKQOI7p1Yi5_yiCStfZWAnasC1pSIKR6o/s320/titaniccaptain.jpg)
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Twenty-five minutes after the crash, the ships officers ordered the lifeboats uncovered and began preparing the passengers and crew for evacuation. The first lifeboat was launched twenty minutes after the orders were given. Despite having a carrying capacity of 68, the first lifeboat launched with only 28 passengers. When the last boat launched, there were more
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At approximately 2:10 AM, the stern, or rear of the ship, rose out o
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Many attempts have been made to find the wreck of the Titanic, y
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2puY2GqMykWcEOSK7CN_B6AoTWpoKbs88AOCt2aMj634EGQr_hCBeczWrJ6UeB17NWVllKb79SlHaieQJZl8T3mGiOOrHtRZGQadIZIjh6Sm_pzdWNIW3RvMvSnVdoCQGibYEMj8gpU/s200/20051216-001.jpg)
More
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FlW3IJIYZtE8aAolp40CMjw6vDt46SBdYLYmOK7dKzkxGLoKle1T3u1pCgrmOoSxtSBJMbiRTD-ohegoFv2DBZUFwehzbHNbilShDc-WVWjvIbtMGfSeXedXjibHfuqnAOaxHN6SbsQ/s200/071206-titanic.jpg)
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THE LUXURY, ELEGANCE & GRACE
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THE BEAUTY OF REPTILES...
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SNAKES
King cobras make nests.
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King cobras eat other snakes. King Cobras eat almost all other snakes with the rat snake being it’s favourite. The King Cobra is peculiar in that it feeds almost exclusively on other snakes, which is reflected in its genus name of Ophiophagus (Snake eater). The King Cobra is known to attack larger snakes, including pythons. The king cobra's diet is mainly composed of other snakes. When food is scarce though, king cobras will also feed on other small vertebrates, such as lizards. After a large meal the snake may live for many months without another meal due to its very slow metabolic rate.
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Snakes can survive without eating food for several days. Snakes have a slow metabolic rate and thus can survive without eating for many days at a stretch, after a sumptuous meal. Snakes like King cobras can survive many months without food.
Snakes are cold blooded. Snakes are cold blooded like all reptiles, with the exception of the Leatherback Sea Turtle, a reptile that elevates its body temperature well above that of its surroundings. Though cellular metabolism produces
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Pit vipers use a thermal sensitive nasal pit to detect pray. Pit vipers are named after their specialized thermo receptors; heat-sensitive organs, located on either side of the head that look like small pits. These pits contain membranes sensitive to infrared radiation and allow the snakes to locate their prey based on temperature differences with their environment. To a pit viper, rodents and birds that are only fractionally warmer than the background stand out even in complete darkness. Like a primitive pair of eyes, these pits even give them depth perception, allowing them to strike accurately under such conditions.
Snake’s
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Young snakes break out of their egg with the help of special “teeth”. A snake does not look after its eggs or take care of the young ones but leaves the eggs to be hatched on their own. The hatchlings or the young snakes therefore have special teeth to break open the eggs and come out.
Most snakes can climb trees. Rat snakes and pythons are excellent examples.
Snakes shed skin on a regular basis and it is a par t of its growth. The process is called moulting. This is usually achieved by the snake rubbing its head again st a hard object, such as a rock or piece of wood , causing the already stretched skin to split. At this point, the snak
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All snakes are carnivorous. Snakes do not chew their food and have a very flexible lower jaw, the two halves of which are not rigidly attached, and numerous other joints in their skull, allowing them to open their mouths wide enough to swallow their prey whole, even if it is larger in diameter than the snake itself. It is a common misconception that snakes actually dislocate their lower jaw to consume large prey.
Snakes do not normally prey on people, unless startled or injured, preferring instead to avoid contact. In fact, the majority of snakes are either non-venomous or possess venom that is not harmful to humans.
Snake venom is a complex mixture of proteins and is produced by venom glands. Snake venom is highly modified saliva that is produced by special glands. Snake venom is a combination of many different proteins and enzymes. Many of these proteins are harmless to humans, but some are toxins. Snake venoms are generally harmless when ingested, and are therefore not technically poisons.
Snake venom is used to make anti venom & many other life saving drugs. An anti venom serum is actually a small quantity of the venom itself which when injected into an animal or human affects only slightly triggering an allergic reaction to it. The allergic reaction will allow anti bodies to be formed and thus immunity to the venom is developed.
There is no visible difference between a male and female snake. Snakes
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Vipers have foldable front fangs. When not in use, the fangs are folded backward against the roof of the mouth. Vipers have a very affective system of injecting venom into its prey’s body. The hinged fangs are more intricate system that allows the snake to instantaneously strike, inject and withdraw from a struggling prey. The fangs are enclosed in a membranous sheath and can be folded backwards and upwards against the roof of the mouth. During a strike the fangs can swing forward and the mouth can open to 180 degrees.
Flying snakes only glide in the air, they can’t fly. They virtually swim through the air and can glide a distance of 100m. It can only glide by extending its ribs and pulling in the underside.
THE FANTASTIC FOUR
Common Cobra (Na
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The cobra is the most common poisonous snake in the India. Two species (Naja naja and Naja kauthia) are widely present across the country. The central Asian cobra (Naja Oxina) and the Andaman cobra (Naja sagittifera ) are only found in certain parts of India. One can identify cobras very easily as they raise their head and spread their Hood in defense. The coloration varies from dark brown to jet black. Cobras are associated with Indian mythology and are worshiped across the country.
Russell's Viper (Da
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It is a thick set, ground dwelling snake, with a small conical head and large nostrils. Dorsum brown, with three rows of spots along the body, the belly is cream in colour. It lives in grasslands or scrub forests. They are aggressive once threatened or disturbed. The smaller ones are much more aggressive than adults. Once agitated, they produce a high pitched hissing sound which is audible from even a few meters away.
Saw scaled Viper (Echis carinatus)
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A small viper which is distributed across the Indian sub-continent. Even the slightest disturbance will make this snake react aggressively. The snake makes noise by rubbing its scales together. Its venom is hemo-toxic.
Common Krait (B
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The krait is largely nocturnal in nature. While it stays hidden & dormant during the day, it becomes very alert at night. Its body is glossy black with paired bands on the body. Widely spread over the Indian subcontinent . Studies indicate the venom is more toxic than that of a cobra. The snake often enters people’s houses in its quest to find a cool place. People get bitten when they step on the snake accidentally.
Myth: Rat Snakes mate with cobras.
Scientific Facts: Rat Snakes or any other snakes will not mate with any snake out of its own species. Cobras eat other snakes so a mating between a cobra and a rat snake is not possible.
Myth: Snakes drink Milk
Scientific Facts: Snakes do not drink milk, neither can they digest it properly. They are reptiles and have no association with milk, only mammals who have mammary glands can produce milk and thus, a liking for milk in non mammals is unlikely. But in a crises when severely dehydrated, a snake might drink any liquid available.
Myth: Some snakes grow a beard as they get older
Scientific Facts: Snakes are reptiles and do not have any hair on their bodies let alone a beard. It is impossible for them to have beards for their bodies do not have any ability of growing hair.
Myth: Snakes carry a diamond in their forehead
Scientific Facts: It is impossible for a snake to carry anything in its head. The mythological status attached with a snake in India is probably responsible for this myth.
Myth: Snakes remember you if you hurt it.
Scientific Facts: Snakes are not vengeful animals and do not have the necessary intelligence to remember people or places for getting revenge.
Myth: If one snake is killed its partner will trace you (no matter wherever you are)
Scientific Facts: Once again snakes are not vengeful animals and are not interested in chasing or tracing people who hurt them. They do not have the necessary memory and intellect to remember people to trace them back. Neither do snakes have a feeling of camaraderie or pair for life.
Myth: Flying snakes can pierce somebody’s forehead or put out their eyes.
Scientific Facts: A flying snake does not actually fly but only glide through the air by extending ribs and pulling in the underside. It can glide a distance of 330 Ft or 100 mt. It has an elongated head, which gives the scary feeling that it can pierce a person’s head or eyes.
Myth: Snakes can spit venom.
Scientific Facts: No snake can spit venom. Only spitting Cobras can spit venom and they are not found in India.
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