Ordinary copperfish - a description of where it lives, features

Not all people favor reptiles and snakes in particular. If a meeting suddenly arises, then it is inevitably accompanied by fear. Therefore, it is so important to be able to distinguish dangerous members of the family from cowardly and harmless people. In today's article, we will consider an ordinary copperfish, which is not poisonous, is much less common than, for example, snakes or vipers. We describe the external characteristics, distribution and other aspects associated with the reptiles discussed.

Description

1. This variety belongs to the family of snakes, it is not poisonous, and therefore potent poison does not stand out from the teeth during a bite. The maximum that can be obtained from these snakes is swelling and bruising. Copperwort does not belong to large-sized individuals; it grows up to 90 cm across the body. However, even this aspect makes a person terrified in contact with copperfish. For its relatives, it is dangerous, because it can eat like-like. Also leads the hunt for rodents.
2. From the name, we can conclude that, according to the color of the body, individuals of this species are pigmented with copper. They are gray, black with gray, light gray. However, in most cases, there are representatives of the family pigmented with reddish. It is believed that gray coppers live in the southern climatic zones. When molting begins, individuals darken and turn into dark brown snakes or even black ones instead of gray ones.
3. Of the entire length of the body, the tail occupies only 1/5 of the part. The eyes are pigmented with reddish. There are hallmarks of gender. The females are more brown, while the males are red. Young growth is much brighter than the adult generation, but with the course of life, the color fades. The picture is also more clearly visible, then smeared. A pattern is not a mandatory distinguishing characteristic; it may not be.
4. In individual representatives of the family, lines and specks of black tone are scattered throughout the body, while others do not have such characteristics. To date, there are about 5 signs that distinguish between the coppers among vipers. Firstly, their head does not separate from the cervical region too clearly, it is flat. Secondly, large scales, has a copper tint. Thirdly, there are no toxic fangs, pupils are rounded, and in vipers they are vertical.

Habitat

1. We have already mentioned that the discussed family members are less common than, for example, vipers with snakes. Therefore, it is necessary to study the distribution, which does not include dense thickets (forest). Individuals are found in Europe, the least representatives in Africa and Asia.
2. Reptiles are very rarely found on the north side, their habitat is directly related to climatic conditions and temperature. Scandinavia and Ireland are distinguished from European countries. In Asia, snakes choose the south side for living, and in Africa - the north and west.
3. Considering the distribution in the vastness of our homeland, it should be said that in this case, the copperfish lives in completely different regions. It is found even in Siberia, not to mention the suburbs and the Samara region. They do not settle in dense vegetation, but are still present in forests with cuts. Love needles, larch. Inhabits the steppes and shrubbery, glades. Some individuals climb high into the mountains.

Food

1. Due to not too large dimensional characteristics, reptiles of this species cannot make themselves a really impressive diet.Therefore, the menu is scarce, consists of small lizards, as well as self-similar, that is, snakes.
2. Rodents are included in the menu, a special addiction is observed for mice, shrews and voles. Reptiles attack the small chicks of the passerine family and the offspring of rodents. The appetite of these snakes is simply brutal, so in emergency cases they engage in cannibalism.

Virulence

1. Even in ancient times in ancient Russia, it was believed that if a person is bitten by a snake with a copper color, then he is doomed to death. In the common people it was said that death comes at sunset. However, extreme measures, supposedly, could save the victim.
2. The elders assured that it was necessary to cut out a piece of bitten flesh or to chop off a hand. It is worth dispelling such myths. Modern studies have shown that the individuals in question are not dangerous to humans. In addition, such a snake belongs to the family of snakes.
3. Therefore, do not panic if you suddenly bite such an individual. She does not pose a mortal threat in any form. By the way, such a snake does not always bite through the skin. You will only feel discomfort and burning.

Danger to people

1. Since the likelihood of contact is not minimized, especially for people living in Russia, it is necessary to have knowledge regarding what kind of danger the meeting promises.
2. This snake is not poisonous, but emits a certain proportion of weak substances, which, when ingested, do no harm. Unless you feel a slight malaise, similar to a breakdown.
3. There is nothing to fear, because the teeth are located in the back of the mouth. During a bite, a snake simply may not affect them if the attack does not occur on the arm or thin leg (for example, a child).
4. However, even in these situations, a bee sting will seem like hell in comparison with an attack of an ordinary copperfish. Of course, the sensations are unpleasant, but a person has nothing to fear. It is only necessary to treat the wounds.

Lifestyle

1. The considered individuals are very thermophilic. Therefore, often such snakes choose places for the construction of their nests in glades and clearings. As soon as sunny days come, an individual crawls out of the house to bask in the gentle sunshine.
2. It is for the same reason that copperheads lead an exclusively daily life. Only in extremely rare cases, the presented snakes go hunting at night. When it is cool and dark, the individual prefers to stay in the dwelling.
3. Discussed reptiles in most cases are attached to their nest. Therefore, they are in no hurry to change their usual habitat. Most often, they settle in crevices of rocks, in old burrows of small loads, under stones and tree bark.
4. If no one bothers the snake's dwelling, she will live in it until the end of her life. In addition, such individuals prefer to lead a solitary lifestyle, they do not need a company. In addition, the copperfish will in every way defend its territory even from relatives.
5. The snake immediately attacks the offender, biting him, and then eating. For the same reason, in a small area you will not meet two identical individuals. Only occasionally do snakes make contact with each other. This occurs during the mating season.
6. Coppers do not like water, but are excellent swimmers. Only in extreme cases do they come into contact with water and they do so with great reluctance. For the same reason, the presented individuals never build their nests in wet areas.
7. These snakes have unique hunting tactics because they are relatively slow. These individuals never pursue their prey. Copperworms simply hide in one place, after which they attack. Therefore, in an ambush, snakes can sit for a long time.
8. The snake has powerful muscles. Therefore, during the attack, the individual holds the victim with a dead grip. A copperfish wraps around prey like a python. After that, the snake swallows it completely.Moreover, such an individual has its own defensive technique when it is located on the victim’s site.
9. The copper cone curls into a ball, hiding its head in the very center. As soon as the enemy approaches a sufficient distance, the snake sharply attacks him. The same applies to people. Such a snake will not work just to hold in his hands. At the first opportunity, she will pounce.
10. An individual sometimes bites through the skin. Therefore, they were supposedly considered poisonous and dangerous. This behavior can be characterized by the fact that the snake is currently very scared. If you keep the coppers in captivity, she gets used to it. It can be picked up.
11. As for the wildlife, in such conditions, individuals survive to 15 years. Therefore, they are considered long-livers. However, due to natural enemies and constant danger, in most cases they live no more than 10 years.
12. If you provide in the terrarium all the conditions for keeping the snake, its life expectancy will increase significantly. If you suddenly want to make such reptiles, you should carefully prepare for it and study all the subtleties of the content.

How did rumors about the snake's poison appear

1. There is nothing complicated, we will consider this issue in more detail. Rumors come from people who know nothing about snakes. Copper is often confused with an adder, and therefore poisonousness is attracted to it.
2. This is logical, since poisonous reptiles are somewhat similar to the species under discussion. But the coppers have a flattened and not prominent head, while for dangerous snakes it is rounded and clearly separated from the body.
3. Partly due to the imaginary toxicity of the coppers, they are often killed. Their population is declining decently because everyone thinks that there are vipers in front of them. However, it is enough to look at the format of the head and eye (the pupil has a rounded pupil) and everything will immediately become clear.

Copperworms have poisonous glands, but the poison is produced too little to at least somehow affect the well-being of a person. Such a quantity of poison is enough to kill small rodents and other small reptiles.

Video: common copperfish (Coronella austriaca)