Here in Panama we find various snakes. There are more than 125 different species, but only twenty-one are poisonous. And non-toxic varieties are much more populated than poisonous. Several visitors have had an interesting encounter.One of them, who lives in a rural town, states:

"One day we found the skin of a boa constrictor in our house. We were very upset. When we later found the owner of the skin, we became even more irritated. Because we realized that he must have spent some time at home eating the insects that inhabited our tiled roof. "

Another one said,“Several nights in a row, I realized that there was something under the spring bed. At night I felt and felt soft movements, but I saw nothing. When I slept under the mosquito net, I felt safe from a mouse or even a rat, but imagine my horror when I decided to explore and find the venomous coral snake that lived in the spring!

Yes, the usual reaction to meeting a snake is horror. Is that your reaction? Is it justified? Are snakes really dangerous enemies for humans? Or do they serve useful purposes?

snake stories

Of course, some types of snakes can be dangerous. For example, a highly toxic cobra is responsible for about 10,000 deaths a year in India. During the snake season, it can be aggressive and there are stories of its hunting people seeking life or death.

Python is another famous snake,that only it’s name causes fear in some people. It can be huge. A thirty-three meter long Asian python was measured! Python kills by pulling or silencing its prey until it suffocates. However, there are few authentic reports that these snakes attack and devour humans. However, in one case of a fourteen-year-old Caribbean, the boy caught and killed by a python. A few days later, this large snake was captured and killed and the boy's body recovered.

The largest living snake is the South American anaconda, which also destroys its victims. From the earliest times, stories of the great size and power of anaconda have come from Brazil. A few years ago, a Brazilian photographer provided a card with a picture of a giant anaconda, about 40 meters. And in 1948, a 156-foot-long snake killed by liberation from the Brazilian army appeared in a newspaper article. Have the snakes really been that long? The claims were not verified. However, there are reliable reports of thirty-seven foot anacondas! Constrictor Boa, located in Panama, can reach a length of more than five meters and can be ranked to the anaconda and the size of the python.

Degree of danger

Because these large snakes generally prefer smaller prey, the danger to humans is minimal. Toxic snakes are therefore the greatest danger to humans. But only a small percentage of the nearly 3,000 snakes known to the world are poisonous. It is estimated that only about eight out of a hundred pose a danger to humans.

One author recently noted that "the chances of a snake being caught in Panama are about equal to the probability of thunder." "

The most dangerous snakes in Panama are fer-de-lance, bushmaster and coral and, to a lesser degree the palm and hog-nosed vipers.The Pacific snake, whose venom is fifty times more poisonous than any snake, can also be dangerous to swimmers off the Pacific coast.

But if tried, could the land snake catch a man? Probably not. The maximum speed that most snakes can reach is only eight miles per hour, it is slower than a human can run and few snakes can go that fast. A notable exception is the fast king cobra. But when it moves, it moves its head off the ground, but must lower horizontally to roll over. Avoidance is possible. There are reports that humans are fleeing from the snake with such maneuvers!

The point is that snakes are usually very shy and if given the opportunity they will leave. This precautionary approach also applies to poisonous varieties, including the snake in most cases. Snakes, they do not try to attack humans. Therefore, if someone is careful in the garden or around trees or shrubs, the chance of being bitten is small. Sometimes it is good to stay awake in the garage or at home, as a poisonous snake will attack these areas.

undeserved reputation

Snakes seem to have an undeserved reputation for the most part. One herpetologist (who studies reptiles) Said, "They have a reputation they do not deserve; because many of them were dangerous, they were all smart."

In fact, snakes are used for useful purposes. They are important for the control of rats, mice and other rodents, which multiply rapidly and can seriously damage crops. For this reason, many farmers consider the snake as a friend, a partner in their farming activities.

But snakes serve humans in a completely different way. Willie K. Friar notes in the February issue of the Panama Canal Review: “Boat trips, which some call a" beautiful piece of meat, "are a regular part of Tropical Survival School Network's student service in the canal area. . "

Although some snakes are dangerous and should definitely be treated with respect, most of them are useful to humans. They are friends, not enemies.