Maynard's Readings Arcade

Poisonous snakes are among the most feared creatures in the animal world. The venom of poisonous snakes is so deadly that it can kill one in less than thirty minutes, not to mention the chances of losing eye sight if venom gets into your eyes. Whilst the risk of bites remains high when you accidentally come across them, poisonous snakes prove in fact harmless as they rely on their venom to survive: no snake will bite unless in defense or to hunt its meal . The rest of the negative feelings towards snakes comes from an obtuse perception triggered by ancient myths.

The venom structure complexity is amazing: there is mainly a combination of proteins and toxins that when spread in the prey's body paralyze and eventually kill it. The toxin weakens the muscles, the lungs and the heart, and depending on this way of action scientists have identified poisonous snakes into species that destroy blood vessels and cause unstoppable hemorrhage, venomous species that have a paralyzing effect on the heart and, last but not least, others that inflict terrible muscle pain. The poisonous snakes with the most frightening of reputations are corals closely followed by cobras.

The intricacies of snake venom still make the subject of comprehensive scientific studies. The only remedy for poisonous snakes bites consists of the emergency antivenin administration. There are however some factors that increase or decrease the victim's chances of survival: thus, an identification of the snake is necessary as well as the proper location of the bite. If there is too much time between the moment of the bite and the antidote injection, serious health damage or even death could occur. Furthermore, Sometimes patients showed allergic reactions to both the venom and the antidote, increasing the lethal exposure even more.

Rattlesnakes cause most of the bites in the United States, yet lethal outcomes of such incidents have become a rarity these days since medical assistance is not a problem anymore. Other relatives of the rattlesnake include the water moccasin, the cottonmouth or the copperhead; they are highly poisonous snakes too that would surely mark the days of anyone who gets bitten. Stressful incidents involving snake attacks are often behind snake phobia or this excessive fear can be the result of sociological ancestral traditions that are manifest even with people who have never felt threatened by a snake.

The snake is also a mythical representation not just an animal people feel afraid of. The representations of snakes in our arts and cultures draw their roots from the ancient mythical times. Thus, regardless of the types of snake varieties, we are talking about important elements of ecosystems, with a major function in the evolution of certain species, and secondly they are figurative spokesmen of deep meanings. Their feeding on mice and rats limits the risk of pest and prevents rodents from over-breeding. Yet, in the ancient traditions, types of snake worshiping were part of religious rites, with the serpent symbolizing deities, or the immutable cycle of life and death or wisdom.

All types of snake-related myths have been identified everywhere in the world: for the ancient Greeks the snake represented the a sign of sexual potency; Mesopotamians and Semites attributed immortal features to this creature because it shed its skin and it rejuvenated its look on a regular basis; Indians, Siamese and Burmese believe the snake to be a demon figure that is not entirely bad.