FOR ALL THE ANIMALS
connect with us!
  • PHOTO BLOG
    • LADYBUG PHOTOS
    • My Mother's Obituary
    • GettingInTouchWithNature BLOG
    • Vietnam on Motorcycle
    • Plant Life
    • Swan Specialist
  • BIO
  • PHOTOGRAPHY
    • Contact
    • Private Investigator
    • My Beloved Dog
  • LEARN
    • CLAY ORGAN-PIPE NEST
    • SETTING BULLS ON FIRE??!
    • MOOSE FACTS
    • THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SQUIRRELS & CHIPMUNKS
    • WISE ABOUT BEARS
    • ARE COWS SENTIENT
    • YOU BUY, ELEPHANTS DIE
    • GROW YOUNG WITH YOUR DOG - Best Selling Book
    • ALL ABOUT YAKS IN NEPAL
    • ABOUT CHICKENS
    • THE ART OF DECEPTION
  • MY BOOKS
    • MY ART FOR SALE
  • BEE INSPIRED
    • TINY LIFE
    • BEE BLOG
  • Beach Wood
  • Getting In Touch With Nature
  • TIPPI DEGRE - GROWING UP AROUND EXOTIC ANIMALS
  • FIGHTING AGAINST FUR
  • ARCHIVES
    • ABOUT
    • WRITE FOR US
    • OUR STAFF
    • BLOGS >
      • BLOG by Porter
      • BLOG BY NORA
      • BLOG BY VARUN
      • BLOG BY BENDIK
      • BLOG BY KAILYN
      • Blog by SARAH H.
      • LIERRA'S BLOG
      • BLOG BY KABIR
      • BLOG by ZACH
      • ANNA'S BLOG
      • Thoughts by Helen Hu
      • BRAYLIN'S BLOG
      • SARA'S BLOG
      • Blog by Sara Jane
      • BLOG BY JASPER
    • BLOG by ANNE
    • LIZZY'S BLOG
    • Blog by Abu
    • BLOG by Z.K.
    • NEWEST STORIES
    • PETITIONS

FACING MY FEAR: HERE'S WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT SNAKES

2/23/2016

20 Comments

 
I chose to investigate snakes because last fall when I was playing in my backyard, a garter snake slithered right in front of me. After being surprised by it, I thought that it was super cool and decided that I wanted to learn more. Here’s what I learned. ​
Picture
The snake in my backyard.
PictureBALL PYTHON BROODING
​What makes a snake a snake?
 
There are over 3,000 different types of snakes that live in many different habitats all around the world, except for Antarctica. Even though all snakes have differences, all snakes have some things in common. All snakes are cold-blooded reptiles. Cold-blooded animals can’t control their blood temperature. It changes with the temperature of their surroundings. Because snakes are reptiles, they have scales to cover their bodies. No snakes have legs, but you probably knew that already. Most snakes lay eggs. Once their eggs have been laid most mother snakes leave them before they hatch. Some scientists believe that they do this to stop themselves from eating their own babies. Gross!!!! But some types of snakes, like the king cobras and pythons, do stick around until their eggs hatch. This is called brooding. All snakes shed their skin. As snakes grow they grow too big for their own skin. To shed their skin snakes will rub against a hard rock or a tree to break open the top layer of skin and wiggle out, uncovering a new layer of skin that was there all along.

I’ve only seen one type of snake, the garter snake, but seeing it piqued my interest in learning about the other types of snakes out there. Here’s what I learned about a few other types of snakes. ​
Picture
SNAKE SHEDDING SKIN
Picture
​Pythons
 
Pythons are one of the largest and most powerful types of snakes in the world. One unique characteristic of pythons is that, unlike other snakes, pythons do not chase their prey. Instead, they wait until unexpecting prey walk by and then attack.  Pythons are also most active at night. Pythons are also constrictor snakes, which means they wrap around their prey and squeeze them to death. Surprisingly, some kinds of pythons can eat animals as large as deer and pigs. Holy buckets!!! Sometimes, but rarely, pythons have eaten humans, but they normally leave humans alone.
 
One of the python’s powerful features is camouflage. They use this ability to hide from predators such as the dingoes, crocodiles, leopards, hyenas, and eagles. They can sometimes grow up to 20 feet long, but normally they don’t get any longer than 12 feet long. There are 28 species of pythons that live across Africa, the Pacific islands, South and Southeast Asia, and Australia. 

Picture
KING COBRAS
 
King Cobras are the largest poisonous snake in the world. They have enough venom to kill an Asian elephant. King Cobras usually grow 12 to 15 feet long, but sometimes they can grow up to 18 feet long. They usually weigh 20 pounds. When they flare their hoods their neck can become 1 foot wide. Its fangs are half an inch long. The color of their scales can be black, brown, grey or green.  They normally live in China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. King Cobras usually hunt pythons, rat snakes, birds, lizards, other cobras, and kraits, a brightly colored and extremely venomous Asian snake. Unbelievably, King Cobras start hunting 10 days after birth. When I was 10 days old I couldn’t even walk!!!! 

Picture
​BLACK MAMBAS
 
Black mambas usually live in southeastern and eastern Africa. They normally grow up to 6.6 to 8.2 feet long and weigh 3.3 pounds. The black mamba is the longest venomous snake in Africa. They get their name from the inside of their mouth, which is completely black. The color of their scales can be grey, olive, or brown. It eats small rodents like voles, mice, squirrels, and rats. Sometimes they can even eat birds. One of its predators is the mongoose. Unlike most animals, the mongoose are immune to the venom of the black mamba. Other threats are foxes, jackals, and large birds like the vulture.  

HOW SNAKES HELP

Many people think snakes are scary, dangerous, and gross, but snakes actually help the environment. Like all animals, snakes are an important part of the ecosystem. For example, snakes help on farms because they eat the mice that might eat the crops. Snakes also help balance the population of rodents and birds throughout the world. 
Picture
CONCLUSION
 
At first I thought that snakes were very scary, but while writing this article I changed my opinion. I still think that they are kind of scary, but now I understand them better and think that they are also really cool.
 
SOURCES
 
Bishop, Nic. Snakes. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc., 2012.
 
Franchino, Vicky. Black Mambas. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc., 2016.
 
Marisco, Katie. King Cobras. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc., 2013.
 
Raatma, Lucia. Pythons. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc., 2013.
 

20 Comments
Betsy
2/23/2016 16:36:15

You inspire me! I love your curiosity and your desire to learn about the things that may have frightened a bit. I know what it's like to have a snake slither by unexpectedly! I've had some fear of them, but I also find them fascinating. I know will follow them with my camera to get better photos. You have so much to offer the world with your passion and obvious love for all life.

Reply
Kailyn
2/24/2016 13:31:03

Thanks Betsy!

Reply
Louise
2/23/2016 16:37:45

I don't much care for snakes, but I liked how you chose to learn about them. I admire young people like you who want to discover more about life. Good job! Look forward to your next article!

Reply
laura
2/23/2016 18:11:50

This was a wonderfully written article. Great job. I had no idea that king cobras next could get so wide a footlong? Unlike you I still think that snakes are scary but they are a big part of our ecosystem and we all work together to make this system sustainable.

Reply
Kailyn
2/24/2016 13:33:50

Thanks Laura! When I first learned that King Cobras necks could get a foot wide, I thought it was crazy!

Kailyn
2/24/2016 13:31:52

Thanks Louise!

Reply
Brigett
2/23/2016 16:39:52

I'll show this to my daughter. She loves all kinds of creatures. I want her to see how you chose to learn more about something you saw outside. Learning is a lifetime enjoyment. Thank you for sharing what you learned.

Reply
Kailyn
2/24/2016 13:34:27

Thanks Brigett!

Reply
Gunn
2/23/2016 23:15:25

I love your curiosity about an animal you didn't know. Keep that curiosity alive. It can potentially change your life. I know. My curiosity for elephants made me travel to Kenya. Over and over again. And I have met so many wonderful people I otherwise wouldn't have met. Some of them have become so important to me, I can't imagine life without them. Just as I can't imagine a life without elephants. My curiosity for something as common as house rabbits has changed my life. I hope I never outgrow the passion for learning new things. It gives me such great joy. I'm looking forward to new articles from you. This one in fact inspired me to learn more about snakes :-)
PS. I also love the mongoose who I frequently meet travelling to Kenya. It's so cool knowing they are immune to the black mamba poison. Thanks for teaching me that.

Reply
Kailyn
2/24/2016 13:36:36

Thanks Gunn! I also think it's very cool that the mongoose are immune to black mamba poison. I think it's very cool that you traveled to Kenya to learn about elephants!

Reply
Rick Garcia
2/24/2016 08:58:51

What a great article, you did your homework. I used to raise snakes while raising four daughters, knowledge is what conquers our fears. I once had a fear of spiders but I learned more about them and their benefits. Again great job and keep them coming, you're awesome!

Reply
Kailyn
2/24/2016 13:37:29

Thanks Rick! I can't believe you raised snakes. That's so cool!

Reply
Grandma norris
2/24/2016 16:02:34

Wow Kailyn, I learned a lot!! But they still freak me out and I know they are not slimy but I don't want to touch them. It's a good thing I am not a reptile vet!! You will have to ask aunt Julie about her experiences with snakes in her house!! I am proud of your research!

Reply
Kailyn
2/29/2016 13:47:40

Thanks Grandma! I did not know that Julie had snakes in her house!

Reply
Roberto
2/24/2016 16:29:34

I learned a lot reading your article, thanks for putting this together. You should convince your parents to get a snake as a pet!

Reply
Kailyn
2/29/2016 13:48:23

Thanks Roberto! I think if I had a snake as a pet, my cats wouldn't really like it!

Reply
Beverly Bravo
2/24/2016 20:24:38

Your article is amazing. I hope you are able to share it at your school, too.

I learned to love serpents after watching the Crocodile Hunter. They have cool mythological symbolism in different cultures, too. But I don't like to see the snake stores in Denver because I worry about whether they are being cared for well.

Reply
Kailyn
2/29/2016 13:49:14

Thanks Beverly!

Reply
Paula link
2/25/2016 10:32:17

Nice to research something that scared you from your own backyard! Hard to imagine any snake eating a deer!
I loved snakes as a kid but it was spiders that scared me! So, I did what you did, I learned about them and got to know them, kept some as pets, never, ever hurt them. And I felt safer walking in the world.
Nice job! Keep it up!

Reply
Kailyn
2/29/2016 13:50:10

Thanks Paula!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Blog by KAILYN 
    Picture
    My name is Kailyn. I’m 10 and in 4th grade. I live in Forest Lake, Minnesota. I love animals, reading, writing, investigating, swimming, art, and theater. I speak Spanish and I'm learning to play the ukulele. 
    Picture
    I have two cats adopted from the Humane Society and one dog adopted from a rescue service. My favorite animal is the dolphin, and I love learning about new animals. I want to keep learning about animals and share what I learn by writing.
    SPECIAL P R O J E C T S

    I'm running a fund raiser for
    a no-kill animal rescue called
    MARS. Click here to learn more or to donate. 

    Archives

    May 2016
    February 2016
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Categories

    All
    ABOUT RAPTORS
    A Trip To Mars
    FACING MY FEAR OF SNAKES
    Midwest Animal Rescue & Services
    VISITING A RAPTOR REHAB CENTER
    WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT SNAKES
    WHY I WON'T GO TO SEA WORLD

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.