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Poisonous Snakes Are Among The Most Feared Creatures In The Animal World
Poisonous snakes can absolutely cause fear and some of the most negative feelings towards some this crawling part of the animal world. The venom of poisonous snakes is so deadly that it can kill one in no more than thirty minutes, not to mention the chances of losing eye sight if venom gets into your eyes. Even though the risk of bites remains high when you accidentally come across them, 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 aura surrounding snakes results from an obtuse perception triggered by ancient myths.
The structure of the venom secreted by poisonous snakes is very complex: the paralysis and eventual death of the prey are caused by a smart blending of proteins and toxins. The toxin weakens the muscles, the lungs and the heart, and starting from this action mode scientists have identified poisonous snakes into class that destroy the walls of the blood vessels and start an unstoppable hemorrhage, venomous species that paralyze the heart and, last but not least, others that inflict excruciating muscle pain. Corals and cobras would thus occupy the first positions in a top of the most poisonous snakes.
The aggregation structure of the snake venom still fascinates scientists, and lots of tests are still conducted on it. The only remedy for poisonous snakes bites is the immediate administration of antivenins. There are however some factors that increase or decrease the victim's chances of survival: thus, an identification of the snake is essential as well as the proper location of the bite. If too much time lapses between the moment of the bite and the antidote injection, serious health damage or even death could occur. 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 help 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. Snake phobia could thus be developed because of a dangerous encounter with some poisonous snakes or this excessive fear can be the result of sociological ancestral beliefs that are present even with people who have never felt threatened by a snake.
The snake is also a mythical representation not just an animal people feel afraid of. The representations of snakes in our arts and cultures draw their roots from the ancient mythical cults. Thus, regardless of the types of snake varieties, we are talking about important elements of ecosystems, with a well-determined role in the evolution of certain species, and secondly they remain symbols of deep meanings. Their feeding on mice and rats keeps pest under control and prevents rodents from over-breeding. Yet, in the ancient traditions, types of snake worshiping were part of religious rites, with the serpent symbolizing deities, or the immutable cycle of life and death or wisdom.
All types of snake-related traditions have been identified everywhere in the world: for the old Greeks the snake was the a sign of sexual potency; Mesopotamians and Semites attributed immortal features to this creature because it shed its skin and it rejuvenated its look on a regular basis; Indians, Siamese and Burmese considered the snake the embodiment of a demon that is not entirely bad.
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