Overview
Comprehensive Description
Description of Serpentes
A snake is an elongate reptile. Snakes are covered in scales. All snakes are carnivorous and can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids, limbs, external ears, and vestiges of forelimbs. The 2,700+ species of snakes spread across every continent except Antarctica ranging in size from the tiny, 10 cm long thread snake to pythons and anacondas at 9 m (30 ft) long. Paired organs (such as kidneys) appear one in front of the other instead of side by side. Many species of snake can be dangerous to humans if mistreated. While venomous snakes comprise a minority of the species, some possess potent venom capable of causing painful injury or death to humans. However, venom in snakes is primarily for killing and subduing prey rather than for self-defense. Snakes may have evolved from a lizard which adapted to burrowing during the Cretaceous period (c 150 Ma), though some scientists have postulated an aquatic origin. The diversity of modern snakes appeared during the Paleocene period (c 66 to 56 Ma). Description derived from one accessed from WikiPedia, 3rd August 2008.
David Patterson
Source:
BioPedia
Trusted
Ecology
Associations
Known predators
Serpentes is prey of:
Procyon
Didelphidae
Alligator mississippiensis
Falconiformes
Aves
Phasianidae
Timaliidae
Felis silvestris libyca
Canis lupus
Canis lupus familiaris
Athene cunicularia
Buteo swainsoni
Aquila chrysaetos
Based on studies in:
USA: Florida, South Florida (Swamp)
Namibia, Namib Desert (Desert or dune)
USA: California, Coachella Valley (Desert or dune)
India, Rajasthan Desert (Desert or dune)
USA: California, Cabrillo Point (Grassland)
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
Procyon
Didelphidae
Alligator mississippiensis
Falconiformes
Aves
Phasianidae
Timaliidae
Felis silvestris libyca
Canis lupus
Canis lupus familiaris
Athene cunicularia
Buteo swainsoni
Aquila chrysaetos
Based on studies in:
USA: Florida, South Florida (Swamp)
Namibia, Namib Desert (Desert or dune)
USA: California, Coachella Valley (Desert or dune)
India, Rajasthan Desert (Desert or dune)
USA: California, Cabrillo Point (Grassland)
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
- L. D. Harris and G. B. Bowman, Vertebrate predator subsystem. In: Grasslands, Systems Analysis and Man, A. I. Breymeyer and G. M. Van Dyne, Eds. (International Biological Programme Series, no. 19, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, England, 1980), pp. 591-
- E. Holm and C. H. Scholtz, Structure and pattern of the Namib Desert dune ecosystem at Gobabeb, Madoqua 12(1):3-39, from p. 21 (1980).
- L. D. Harris and L. Paur, A quantitative food web analysis of a shortgrass community, Technical Report No. 154, Grassland Biome. U.S. International Biological Program (1972), from p. 17.
- I. K. Sharma, A study of ecosystems of the Indian desert, Trans. Indian Soc. Desert Technol. and Univ. Center Desert Stud. 5(2):51-55, from p. 52 and A study of agro-ecosystems in the Indian desert, ibid. 5:77-82, from p. 79 1980).
- Polis GA (1991) Complex desert food webs: an empirical critique of food web theory. Am Nat 138:123155
© SPIRE project
Source:
SPIRE
Trusted
Known prey organisms
Serpentes preys on:
Cyprinodontidae
Gambusia
Actinopterygii
Anura
Aporosaura
Typhlosaurus
Isoptera
Coleoptera
Hymenoptera
Auchenorrhyncha
Pteroclididae
Columbidae
Alaudidae
Araneae
Cicindelidae
Camponotus pennsylvanicus
Rodentia
Phasianidae
Timaliidae
Pavo
Arthropoda
spider parasitoids
hyperparisitoids
Aves
Mammalia
Ambystoma annulatum
Sarcoramphus papa
Tyto alba
Chordeiles minor
Picoides scalaris
Mimus polyglottos
Wilsonia citrina
Carpodacus mexicanus
Amphispiza bilineata
Passerella iliaca
Catharus guttatus
Sorex dispar
Blarina carolinensis
Blarina hylophaga
Neurotrichus gibbsii
Myotis grisescens
Lasiurus seminolus
Nycticeius humeralis
Spermophilus lateralis
Ammospermophilus leucurus
Thomomys talpoides
Dipodomys californicus
Dipodomys microps
Peromyscus gossypinus
Peromyscus polionotus
Microtus californicus
Microtus ochrogaster
Reithrodontomys megalotis
Onychomys arenicola
Conepatus leuconotus
Alligator mississippiensis
Lemmiscus curtatus
Chaetodipus baileyi
Didelphis marsupialis
Ictinia mississippiensis
Leontopithecus chrysopygus
Saguinus nigricollis
Cebus olivaceus
Miopithecus talapoin
Hylobates klossii
Elephantulus myurus
Elephantulus rufescens
Hydromys chrysogaster
Notomys alexis
Conepatus chinga
Neotragus moschatus
Ratufa indica
Orthogeomys heterodus
Tatera indica
Akodon cursor
Solenodon cubanus
Plecotus rafinesquii
Nyctinomops laticaudatus
Hipposideros diadema
Eidolon helvum
Epomophorus gambianus
Megaderma lyra
Diaemus youngi
Natalus lepidus
Based on studies in:
USA: Florida, South Florida (Swamp)
Malaysia (Swamp)
Namibia, Namib Desert (Desert or dune)
India, Rajasthan Desert (Desert or dune)
USA: California, Coachella Valley (Desert or dune)
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
Cyprinodontidae
Gambusia
Actinopterygii
Anura
Aporosaura
Typhlosaurus
Isoptera
Coleoptera
Hymenoptera
Auchenorrhyncha
Pteroclididae
Columbidae
Alaudidae
Araneae
Cicindelidae
Camponotus pennsylvanicus
Rodentia
Phasianidae
Timaliidae
Pavo
Arthropoda
spider parasitoids
hyperparisitoids
Aves
Mammalia
Ambystoma annulatum
Sarcoramphus papa
Tyto alba
Chordeiles minor
Picoides scalaris
Mimus polyglottos
Wilsonia citrina
Carpodacus mexicanus
Amphispiza bilineata
Passerella iliaca
Catharus guttatus
Sorex dispar
Blarina carolinensis
Blarina hylophaga
Neurotrichus gibbsii
Myotis grisescens
Lasiurus seminolus
Nycticeius humeralis
Spermophilus lateralis
Ammospermophilus leucurus
Thomomys talpoides
Dipodomys californicus
Dipodomys microps
Peromyscus gossypinus
Peromyscus polionotus
Microtus californicus
Microtus ochrogaster
Reithrodontomys megalotis
Onychomys arenicola
Conepatus leuconotus
Alligator mississippiensis
Lemmiscus curtatus
Chaetodipus baileyi
Didelphis marsupialis
Ictinia mississippiensis
Leontopithecus chrysopygus
Saguinus nigricollis
Cebus olivaceus
Miopithecus talapoin
Hylobates klossii
Elephantulus myurus
Elephantulus rufescens
Hydromys chrysogaster
Notomys alexis
Conepatus chinga
Neotragus moschatus
Ratufa indica
Orthogeomys heterodus
Tatera indica
Akodon cursor
Solenodon cubanus
Plecotus rafinesquii
Nyctinomops laticaudatus
Hipposideros diadema
Eidolon helvum
Epomophorus gambianus
Megaderma lyra
Diaemus youngi
Natalus lepidus
Based on studies in:
USA: Florida, South Florida (Swamp)
Malaysia (Swamp)
Namibia, Namib Desert (Desert or dune)
India, Rajasthan Desert (Desert or dune)
USA: California, Coachella Valley (Desert or dune)
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
- L. D. Harris and G. B. Bowman, Vertebrate predator subsystem. In: Grasslands, Systems Analysis and Man, A. I. Breymeyer and G. M. Van Dyne, Eds. (International Biological Programme Series, no. 19, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, England, 1980), pp. 591-
- T. Mizuno and J. I. Furtado, Food chain. In: Tasek Bera, J. I. Furtado and S. Mori, Eds. (Junk, The Hague, Netherlands, 1982), pp. 357-359, from p. 358.
- E. Holm and C. H. Scholtz, Structure and pattern of the Namib Desert dune ecosystem at Gobabeb, Madoqua 12(1):3-39, from p. 21 (1980).
- I. K. Sharma, A study of ecosystems of the Indian desert, Trans. Indian Soc. Desert Technol. and Univ. Center Desert Stud. 5(2):51-55, from p. 52 and A study of agro-ecosystems in the Indian desert, ibid. 5:77-82, from p. 79 1980).
- Polis GA (1991) Complex desert food webs: an empirical critique of food web theory. Am Nat 138:123155
- Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed February 16, 2011 at http://animaldiversity.org. http://www.animaldiversity.org
© SPIRE project
Source:
SPIRE
Trusted
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