Snakes are one of the most mysterious and scaring creatures of our planet. While some people admire their beauty, others are simply afraid of them. There are also people whose fear of snakes becomes thus intense that it develops into a sheer phobia.
Snakes are also one of the most popular animals used in the mythology of various cultures. In some of the legends, we can see snakes as they are with various fantastic abilities, whereas other tales are describing completely mythical creatures which are still partially based on snakes such as, for example basilisks. Yet, our regular life is also filled about myths and misbeliefs about snakes some of which can even be dangerous. That is why it is high time to understand these amazing creatures better.
Snakes are completely deaf
One of the popular beliefs about snakes is that these animals are deaf. This belief occurred due to the anatomy of snakes which do not have eardrums. Scientists themselves were sure this was the reason why snakes cannot hear.
Yet, the latest research has revealed that snakes are capable of hearing and they are using this ability a lot. There is an internal eat hidden in the head of a snake which can percept vibrations of an entire head of a snake and, especially, its chin. This feature is used by snakes for detecting the vibrations of the ground. In such a way, they can hear a lot of things including the movements of anyone approaching them. Needless to day, this is a useful ability helping them to haunt. By the way, snakes can understand the sounds of a low frequency more easily than the sounds of a high frequency.
Snakes can hypnotise their preys
Certainly, people who are more aware of the biology, do not seriously believe in the ability of snakes to hypnotise their preys. Still, the way snakes are looking at their prey is very specific and mysterious which made people inspired to create a lot of legends about the unique abilities of these animals as well as various mythological creatures based on snakes who can even kill with their eyes.
Undeniably, the way snakes are looking at their prey before attacking it is very specific. They can look for quite a long time. In addition to it, snakes do not have eyelids so they actually are not closing them while staring at the prey. Such a prolonged time of watching a pray is a specific way of haunting used by snakes who are estimating the best moment for attacking.
Snakes love milk
There is quite popular belief existing in many cultures about snakes enjoying drinking milk. If you have never come across this opinion, it might seem rather strange to you, however, many people around the world are actually sure it is true.
Furthermore, in some cultures people believe in such a strong desire of snakes to have some milk that they are crawling inside farm buildings at night to have some milk right from cows. Moreover, if you want to become friends with such a reptile, you should leave a bowl of milk overnight.
It is still not well understood why there is such a myth about snakes in the first place. Snakes do not drink milk for sure. They prefer such source of food as small animals, insects and eggs which they can swallow entirely without cracking them first. At the same time, just like other reptiles, snakes cannot digest lactose. In fact, milk can cause serious poisoning in these animals and even death.
Snakes drink only water and do not need a large amount of it.
Young snakes are more dangerous than older ones
Another interesting myth about snakes is that young reptiles are more dangerous than their parents. The major reason for it according to those who believe in this myth is that young snakes are not thus experienced in haunting and they cannot control the amount of poison released from their bodies. Presumably, older snakes can control their biting better using the poison in a more economic and efficient way.
As you can guess, this is not true. In fact, the contrary is true. Older snakes have more developed glands producing toxins which help them to release a larger amount of poison while biting. At the same time, the quality of the poison produced by snakes of different age can differ. The reason for it is the fact the diet of these reptiles is changing with age. Many young snakes consume more reptiles and amphibians whereas their parents eat more mammals which results in a different ratio of various chemicals in their poisons.
It is also crucial to point out that people themselves have a different susceptibility to poison.
Snakes are aggressive and enjoy taking revenge
Needless to say, people tend to compare particularly unpleasant individuals to snakes. In the reality, snakes are not at all as bad as the people who are compared to them.
Snakes are aggressive only at the moment of attacking their prey which they are doing only for food or while feeling danger. They cannot remember and distinguish people’s faces and therefore will not be taking a revenge if you somehow happen to offend them.