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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 01/10/2010 : 16:24:02
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These guys and gals are awesomely strange:
It goes without saying that most predatory animals need to open their mouths when they want to stab or bite potential prey items. But, get this, there's a group of snakes that can erect their teeth and stab prey with a closed mouth. And that's not all that's interesting about these snakes. Yes, time for more weird snakes. There are lots and lots and lots of weird snakes, and one of my favourite groups of weird snakes are the atractaspidids (or atractaspids), and in particular the atractaspidid genus Atractaspis. If you haven't heard of these snakes before it might give you some idea of what they're like to know that they've been variously referred to as mole vipers, burrowing asps, burrowing adders, stiletto snakes or side-stabbing snakes. I'm going to be referring to them as burrowing asps: be prepare to be amazed... |
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 01/10/2010 : 17:07:19 [Permalink]
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'Mooner, that's very interesting! I've heard of these animals but didn't know much about them. I do now and will know more soon.
Thanks!
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2010 : 18:44:48 [Permalink]
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| They're even weirder to me than to you, Fil, because until a few minutes ago, I'd never even known such critters existed. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 01/11/2010 : 06:02:55 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
They're even weirder to me than to you, Fil, because until a few minutes ago, I'd never even known such critters existed.
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Snakes are even weirder than you might think. There are small species of python that spend most of their lives underground and the smallest hot snake, the namaqua dwarf adder (B. schneideri), in the world is closely related the the very large and very dangerous gaboon viper.
Rhinoceros Viper (B. nasicornis)
Not to mention that blind and remarkable world-traveler, the flower pot snake.
Anyone who does not love snakes should be consigned to Gitmo!
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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For Filthy: Side-stabbing stiletto snakes
