? Snake ID

[adamanteus]

Quick, simplified lesson...
There are three groups of venomous snakes;
Solenoglyphs, with 'hinged' front fangs (vipers)
Proteroglyphs, with small 'fixed' front fangs (cobras, mambas, kraits, sea-snakes etc)
Opisthoglyphs, with enlarged rear fangs (Boomslang, Twig Snake, Montpellier Snake, others)

It would be wrong (and dangerous) to exclude the Opisthoglyphs from the 'truely' venomous snakes. These snakes are not border-line venomous, like the Garters. These are true venomous species, complete with venom glands, venom ducts and enlarged, grooved rear fangs for delivering the sometimes extremely potent venoms. Both the Boomslang and the Twig Snake are known to have caused human fatalities.

[GartersRock]

I LOVE "mild" venomous rear fanged! And hope to keep and breed a collection of various boiga and ahaetulla in the near future.

[Stefan-A]

It would be wrong (and dangerous) to exclude the Opistoglyphs from the 'truely' venomous snakes. These snakes are not border-line venomous, like the Garters. These are true venomous species, complete with venom glands, venom ducts and enlarged, grooved rear fangs for delivering the sometimes extremely potent venoms. Both the Boomslang and the Twig Snake are known to have caused human fatalities.

Indeed, the boomslang has the most potent venom of any snake in Africa, if I remember correctly. Not a nice neurotoxin like the mambas' and cobras' either, but the kind of toxin that gives you internal bleeding and makes blood shoot out of every orifice.

[adamanteus]

Indeed. And the species in question Malpolon monspessulanus is known to cause neurological damage and cranial nerve disturbance. I don't know if anyone has ever been killed by this species, I doubt it, but it should never be disregarded as 'non venomous'.

[prattypus]

Wow, see what happends when a true layman tries to document and catch this stuff? Again, thanks for all the help, and I am really glad this little dud had a calm demeanor with no inclination to strike into me!!!!

[anji1971]

And just think...........
if he had bitten you, you may not have survived to be given heck to by a whole forum!
Just don't try that again, okay?

[prattypus]

Im outta there for good, so I'll just chalk that one up to luck, and try to stick to the readily identifiable ones.

[anji1971]

Good call!
When are your new garter snakes arriving? I'm looking forward to the pictures!

[Tori]

I guess I wasn't clear. I meant that it is not one of the venomous snakes that if bitten can cause death. I didn't think that it mattered if it was only mildly venomous like a hognose snake.

[prattypus]

I should be getting them on Wed. I will give them a few days to acclimate before I snapshot them all around.