Indian Cobra

We just learned about Emerald Tree Boa.

Another type of snake is the Indian Cobra, also known as the naja naja, spectacled cobra, asian cobra or binocellate cobra.
This type of cobra lives mostly near India.

When this snake gets upset, it has a hood on the sides of it's head that it will flare out to show it is angry.


(from: wikipedia - indian cobra)

On some of these types of cobras, there is a marking on the back of their head that looks like a pair of glasses or spectacles.

Many people in India used to do something called snake charming, where they kept a cobra in a basket and then played a flute to get the snake to stand up and dance.
The real secret was the way the flute moved around to make the snake look at it.

Because these snakes were handled so much by people, they are one of the snakes that has bit people the most of any species.

(from: wikipedia - indian cobra)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Akita Inu

Emerald Tree Boa

We just learned about the Green Tree Python.

Another type of snake is the Emerald Tree Boa.
This snake looks and acts a lot like the Green Tree Python, but they are from totally different parts of the world, and they are not the same snake.

The Emerald Tree Boa is from South America, and the Green Tree Python is from Indonesia and Australia.

They both live in trees, grow to about the same size, attack their prey by wrapping their bodies around them, and they even coil themselves up in trees the same way.

If you found one of these snakes in the wild, it would be really tough to tell which type it was!

A few differences are that the Emerald Tree Boa has large fangs and eats birds, and the boa has live snake babies, while the python lays eggs.


(from: wikipedia - emerald tree boa)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Basenji

Green Tree Python

We just learned about Corn Snake.

Another type of snake is the Green Tree Python.
These snakes live in areas like New Guinea, Indonesia or Australia.

They live in trees, and will loop their coils over the tree like a saddle, and then lay their head in the middle.
When they hunt for the rodents that they eat, they will hang down from the tree and surprise their prey.
They do not have venom, and they are constrictors.
That means they wrap their body around their prey and squish it.

Sometimes they will bite humans if they get scared, but since they do not have venom they are not very dangerous.


(from: wikipedia - green tree python)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Chow Chow

Corn Snake

We just learned about the Blue Krait snake.

Another type of snake is the Corn Snake.

Corn snakes do not have venom and do not attack humans.
They help people a lot because they eat rats and mice that eat corn and grains.
Sometimes they live by where grains are stored and eat the rodents that would come and destroy the farmer's harvest, or spread disease to humans.


(from: wikipedia - corn snake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Afghan Hound

Blue Krait

We just learned about Coral Snake.

Another type of snake is the Blue Krait also known as the Bungarus candidus, or Malayan krait.

This is a venomous snake that lives in southeast Asia.
It has blueish-black stripes on its head and all along its body, and a white belly.

It is the 3rd most venomous snake in the world, and a bite from this snake can kill a human so they are very dangerous.
This snake is shy and usually won't go out to bite a human unless someone tries to pick it up or steps on it.


(from: wikipedia - bungarus candidus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Saluki

Coral Snake

We just learned about the Blunthead Tree Snake.

Another type of snake is the Coral Snake.

This snake has stripes of red, yellow, white and black.

It is a very venomous snake, and it's venom can be deadly to humans if they are not taken to a hospital quickly.
Coral snakes are afraid of humans and will usually try to get away if they are seen, but sometimes if they are threatened they will bite.
Their fangs are not very long, so they can not bite through thick leather like gloves or shoes.

Other snakes like milk snakes have colors just like the coral snake, but not in the same order.
Some people have come up with ways to remember which ones are venomous, like:
Red and black, friend of Jack. Red and yellow, kills a fellow.
Yellow, Red, Stop!

Coral snakes mostly live on the ground underneath leaves, and they eat snakes, lizards, frogs, birds and rodents.

(from: wikipedia - coral snake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Shiba Inu

Blunthead Tree Snake

We just learned about the southern hognose snake.

Another type of snake is the blunthead tree snake.

This type of snake is very long and skinny with a big head.
It's usually about three feet long, and brown with white stripes.

These snakes have really big eyes, and their pupils are vertical, up and down.
Most snakes use their smell and feelings to find food, but these snakes can see very well with their big eyes.


(from: wikipedia - imantodes cenchoa)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Shar Pei

Southern hognose snake

We just learned about the type of snake the Green Vine Snake.

Another type of snake is the Southern Hog-Nosed Snake.

This type of snake lives in the southeastern US.
They eat mostly toads and are not dangerous to humans.

These snakes won't bite people, but when they are scared they will try to pretend like they are dangerous, puffing up their body, hissing, and even pretending to strike.
If that doesn't work they will play dead like a possum!
They roll over onto their back and hang their tongue out of their mouth.
Sometimes even if they are picked up, and rolled over, they'll roll their head back, trying to prove that they really are dead.



(from: wikipedia - southern hognose snake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Siberian Husky

Green Vine Snake

We just learned about the striped house snake.

Another type of snake is called the green vine snake, or the Ahaetulla nasuta.

It is a skinny green tree snake that lives in Asia.

This snake has venom but it's bite will only make your skin swell up for a few days, like a bee sting.
It mostly just eats frogs and lizards.


(from: wikipedia - ahaetulla nasuta)

When it gets scared it puffs up it's body and you can see a black and white skin underneath it's scales.

(from: wikipedia - ahaetulla nasuta)

There was a legend long ago that if one of these snakes looked at you, it's eyes would make you blind.


(from: wikipedia - ahaetulla nasuta)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Basset Hound

Striped House Snake

We just learned about the type of snake the Massasauga.

Another type of snake is the striped house snake, also known as boaedon lineatus.

This snake is found in Africa, and is found inside or near houses a lot where it eats up mice and rats that carry diseases and destroy food.
These snakes are not poisonous, so they are not harmful to humans and can be very helpful.
Lots of people keep these snakes as pets.

The word lineatus in the snakes name comes from the white line that goes down the snakes body.
They come in different colors too, black, red-brown or green.


(from: wikipedia - boaedon lineatus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Australian Cattle Dog

Massasauga

We just learned about the Schnauzer and a whole lot of other types of dogs!

Now let's learn about snakes!
They can be scary and look slimy, but snakes are very important in nature, just like spiders, sharks, alligators and other scary animals.
Snakes help by eating things like mice and rats that carry diseases and eat crops.
They are also food for other larger animals like hawks and eagles!

One type of snake is the Massasauga, which is a venomous rattle snake.

These snakes can grow to be about 2 feet long, and they are grey with dark brown or black spots on their body.

They are venomous, which means their teeth let out venom to kill their prey when they bite.
Even though the venom can hurt humans, it won't kill them as long as they go to the doctor after getting bitten.

These snakes are shy and try to stay away from humans.
They would only bite a human if they were stepped on or if someone tried to pick them up.

Mostly these snakes eat mice, rats, lizards, frogs, centipedes and even smaller snakes.
Since they do not have arms to hold their prey or big teeth to chew it up, they have to bite something like a lizard, wait for it to stop moving, and then swallow it whole!


(from: wikipedia - massasauga)

The rattle on the snake's tail is made up of a bunch of little hollow hard pieces of keratin that are hooked together. When the rattle snake is feeling threatened it will shake it's tail to make a rattling sound to warn people to stay away.
Every time that the rattle snake sheds it's skin, it grows another piece for it's rattle.


(from: wikipedia - rattlesnake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Sheet Webs

Schnauzer

We just learned about the type of dog the Pekingese.

Another type of dog is the Schnauzer.

This type of dog came from Germany, and comes from the word for snout, or mustache.
The schnauzer comes in three sizes, giant, standard and miniature.
They grow long hair that is sometimes shaved to make them look like they have a mustache.

They were originally used to kill rats that carried diseases, and they have also been used as guard dogs, police dogs and message carriers.


(from: wikipedia - schnauzer)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Tubular Webs

Pekingese

We just learned about the type of dog the Fox Terrier.

Another type of dog is the Pekingese, also sometimes called the Lion Dog.

This dog is from China, and is part of an old legend about a lion that fell in love with a butterfly, or a lion and a monkey.


(from: wikipedia - pekingese)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Funnel Webs

Fox Terrier

We just learned about the type of dog the Boston Terrier.

Another type of dog is the Fox Terrier.
There are two types of Fox Terrier, the Wire Fox Terrier and the Smooth Fox Terrier.

The Fox Terriers were used long ago for hunting foxes. They were very good at chasing the fox and making them run out of their fox den so the hunters could chase them.


(from: wikipedia - wire fox terrier)



(from: wikipedia - smooth fox terrier)

There is a famous dog show called the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, and the Wire Fox Terrier has won the top prize more than any other type of dog, with 14 wins.
The smooth fox terrier has won 4 times.

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Cobwebs

Boston Terrier

We just learned about the Jack Russel Terrier.

Another type of dog is the Boston Terrier.

It has a black and white coat, and because it looks like it is wearing a suit it has the nickname of the American Gentleman.

Long ago people raised these dogs to fight other dogs for fun, or to hunt rats, but now they just keep them as pets.

(from: wikipedia - boston terrier)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Spiral Orb Webs

Jack Russell Terrier

We just learned about the type of dog the Yorkshire Terrier.

Another type of dog is called the Jack Russell Terrier.

These dogs are small and energetic, and were used to hunt foxes.
They were small enough to chase a fox into it's hole, energetic enough to keep up with a fox, and also obeyed well and just chased the fox instead of biting it.


(from: wikipedia - jack russell terrier)

There is a famous painting of a Jack Russell Terrier looking into a phonograph, that has been used by some companies as their picture.


(from: wikipedia - jack russell terrier)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Exoskeleton

Yorkshire Terrier

We just learned about the type of dog the Keeshond.

Another type of dog is the Yorkshire Terrier, sometimes called a Yorkie.

Yorkies are small dogs, about 7 pounds, and they were used long ago to catch rats in cotton and woolen mills.


(from: wikipedia - yorkshire terrier)

During World War II there was a famous Yorkie named Smoky that a soldier found and adopted. The dog traveled with him in his backpack on airplanes and boats, and even helped save some soldiers because he was small enough to crawl through a tunnel carrying a telegram wire.

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider silk - cribellum

Keeshond

We just learned about the type of dog the Samoyed.

Another type of dog is the keeshond.

This type of dog is very fuzzy with black and grey fur.
It's name comes from a famous old Dutch person nicknamed Kees, and the word hond which meant dog.
Because it was a famous dog of a Dutch person, and because it always seems to be happy it has the nickname of the "Smiling Dutchman".

(from: wikipedia - keeshond)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Silk Webs

Samoyed

We just learned about the type of dog the American Eskimo Dog.

Another type of dog is the samoyed.

This dog was known as sled dogs and herdings dog for reindeer in the cold and snowy parts of Sibera in Russia.

They have a tail that curls up right over and rests on their back, and they can use it when sleeping to keep warm.
Their fur is a double coat, and some people have collected their fur to use in fur coats.

They are very happy dogs that always look like they are smiling, so they have the nickname of Sammie smiles or smiley dogs.

(from: wikipedia - samoyed (dog))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Gossamer Silk Ballooning

American Eskimo Dog

We just learned about the type of dog the Whippet.

Another type of dog is the American Eskimo dog.

There are sizes of this dog, toy, miniature and standard.

These dogs became famous because a few different circuses were using them as show dogs, and one dog was even trained to walk on a tightrope.
Because the dogs were so popular, the circus would sell American Eskimo puppies after the show.

(from: wikipedia - american eskimo dog)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Silk Glands