Snakes are gentle towards humans, but are the enemy of poisonous snakes

In Vietnam, there is a species of snake with a very special outer layer of scales. This is a very gentle snake towards humans, but is considered an enemy of poisonous snakes.

Onion tiger - Snake with special outer scales

The snake mentioned above is the tiger snake , also known as the snake , with the scientific name Xenopeltis unicolor . This is a species of the snake family. The family of snakes includes only one genus with the scientific name Xenopeltis and 2 species of snakes, including the Hainan snake and the Hainan snake.

Under strong sunlight, the snake will radiate a beautiful multi-colored iridescent light.

The common feature of these two snake species is that their scales have the ability to change color thanks to the influence of outside light. Especially when under strong sunlight, the snake will radiate a very beautiful multi-colored iridescent light.

Snake species are found in China and Southeast Asian countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and even Vietnam. Of the two species of snakes, the cobra is more widely distributed and easier to see in Vietnam.

Adult cobras have a length of 1 to 1.2 m, the head and neck are not clearly distinguished from each other. The head of the cobra is tapered and pointed, allowing it to dig the ground easily.

Due to its characteristic iridescent skin, cobras are easy to recognize in the wild, even for those who do not have too much knowledge about animals or reptiles.

Young tiger snakes look a lot like adult snakes, except that the young have a white scale around their head, like a necklace. This "necklace" will fade during the young tiger snake's first year.

Young tiger snakes stand out with a white "necklace" on their body. (Photo: ThaiNationPark).

In addition to external color recognition, cobras can also be identified by their body scent. This snake emits an unpleasant scent, similar to the smell of raw onions. This scent is quite strong, so many people can recognize its presence even before they see it. Maybe this is the origin of the name of this snake.

In Vietnam, cobras often appear in the Southwest region. They often hide in bushes and lakeside areas, where many frogs live, providing them with an abundant food source.

Is the cobra poisonous?

Although it has the name "tiger", in fact the tiger snake does not belong to the "tiger" snake family, the snake family that possesses deadly venom, but as mentioned above, the tiger snake is a species of the snake family, not venomous.

Tiger element - The enemy of poisonous snakes

Due to the lack of venom, the cobra hunts by using the strength of its body to tightly wrap and kill its prey before eating it. The hunting method of the cobra is similar to that of pythons and some other non-venomous snakes.

The cobra uses muscle strength to constrict and kill its prey. (Photo: ResearchGate).

A special feature that helps increase the effectiveness of the cobra when hunting is that this snake's teeth are not fixed, but can flexibly fold up or down. When hunting, the cobra's teeth will stick firmly into the prey and fold backwards, this helps hold the prey tightly, making it difficult for them to escape. In addition, this tooth structure also helps tiger tigers swallow their prey more easily.

Another impressive feature of cobras is that they are resistant to the venom of some venomous snakes, including some species of the cobra family such as cobras, kraits, kraits. this allows Tigers can hunt and eat poisonous snakes they encounter.

A cobra squeezes an individual garter snake, a snake with deadly venom that belongs to the cobra family (Photo: TBH).

Of course, tiger onions can only kill and eat poisonous snakes that are smaller in size than them. In the case of tigers encountering larger poisonous snakes, such as king tigers, tigers will hardly be able to defeat the enemy to eat meat, but on the contrary, they may become prey to poisonous snakes.

Many experts believe that if people encounter tiger snakes in their garden, they should not kill or chase away these snakes, but should keep them to act as a "housekeeper", when tiger snakes can attack them. Helps reduce the number of poisonous snakes if there are any in the garden.

In addition to venomous snakes, tiger tigers have a very diverse diet, including frogs, frogs, lizards and some small mammals.

Tiger element - A snake that is gentle towards humans

Although considered the enemy of poisonous snakes, the tiger liger is a very gentle snake and hardly attacks humans. Even when humans hold this snake in their hands, it only finds a way to run away.

An individual cobra was found in Kien Giang province. (Photo: Tran Tri Dung).

Many people believe that with such a gentle nature and vibrant color, the tiger will be a snake that many people love and choose as pets.

However, as mentioned above, tiger onions give off a characteristic foul smell that makes many people uncomfortable. Besides, tiger tigers often die in captivity, so this snake is not a suitable choice as a pet.

Epilogue

The tiger snake is a gentle and beneficial snake in the ecosystem. This snake can be easily identified by its distinctive appearance, so if you encounter this snake in the wild, leave it alone and stay away from it.