Serpentia

Snakes are the often long and so-called, ‘slimy’ Reptiles, that make many people frightened – even Indiana Jones. But in truth, Snakes are not slimy, but leathery, smooth and actually very beautiful. There skin has evolved streamlining into overdrive, and indeed, they are very slick animals, compared with the rough-skinned Lizards. Snakes, have fascinated as well as frightened humans, for a long time, and the ornate patterns and colours of their skins, would have many of us believe that they are as old as time itself. However, they are the most recently evolved form of Reptiles - and throughout History there have been many forms – to date, having ‘only’ evolved 80 million years ago. Lizard-like Reptiles, evolved some 350 million years ago. Dinosaurs evolved 235-240 million years ago. Deriving from Lizards, that found a new niche in the food-chain – mammal-hunters. Indeed, when our tiny shrew like ancestors were hiding from the Dinosaurs, towards the end of the Cretaceous, the mammals had to watch their backs for Snakes as well. Using highly-developed Sensory-Pits to ‘see’ their preys’ warm-blooded heat signatures, the literally cold-blooded killers, would coil up to unleash a devastating strike with their prey unawares and already near death without much struggle. Snakes have been demonised by those who see them as creatures of evil –the serpent from the Story of Adam and Eve rings a bell – and yet, some, such as the Aztecs, where worshippers of the Snakes! Similar differences of opinion can be seen in our attitudes towards Crocodiles. Snakes are true ambush perfectionists, and are often successful in a hunt. The poisonous varieties are rarely larger than 15 feet, though their potent bite makes up for the lack of force of bulk. The constrictors (the Snakes that squeeze their victims to death) are more easy to escape, as they are much slower – however, some may fall on you from the treetops, and then you are almost certainly doomed. Human interference with wildlife in general, does affect most animals, and the Snakes are no exceptions; we kill millions of them every year. By contrast, they kill only a dozen or so Humans in return. Snakes have made a living off eating examples of the mammals (the dominant family of animals in this Era, the Cenozoic) and, despite the damage we do to them, are likely to outlive us.