"One mile of cauliflower snakes, ten miles of non-venomous snakes" is a folk saying that praises cauliflower snakes. Where there are cauliflower snakes, there are very few venomous snakes.

Why is this? Can non-venomous cauliflower snakes really suppress venomous snakes? Is it true that the cauliflower snake is called the "King of Snakes"? Let’s take a look at these questions together.

1. The "King of Snakes" Cauliflower Snake

Cauliflower Snake is actually a common name for a type of snake. Different regions refer to different species, but they all have one The common feature is that the patterns on the snake's body are all yellow and brown. For example, in some places, the black-browed snake is also called the cauliflower snake.

However, the cauliflower snake we are going to introduce here is the king snake, because most areas believe that the cauliflower snake refers specifically to the king snake. There is an obvious "king" on the head of the king snake, and it is also called For the king snake.

The king snake is a non-venomous snake belonging to the genus Colubridae. It is distributed in most parts of my country and lives in plains, hills and mountains. The Golden Snake is also one of the most common snakes, especially in rural areas in the past. You can even encounter the Golden Snake in the house.

People generally don’t hurt the golden snake when they see it, especially the old people in the past. They said that the golden snake is a domestic snake and can prey on mice. Moreover, where the golden snake lives, poisonous snakes will not dare to come. , so everyone suggested letting Wang Jin She go.

However, humans are innately afraid of snakes. Many people are worried that if they let it go, it will come again. Therefore, when they see this large cauliflower snake, many people catch it and boil water directly. .

However, the cauliflower snake is now a protected animal. Even if it is bred, it cannot be used for food. Therefore, if you encounter a cauliflower snake, it is best to ask professionals to capture and release it.

The adult cauliflower snake is stout and cylindrical, with a length of up to 2.5 meters and a weight of between 5 and 10 kilograms. It is one of the larger snakes.

Although cauliflower snakes are non-venomous snakes, they have ferocious temperaments. Wild cauliflower snakes are also neurotic and will take the initiative to attack when threatened. The cauliflower snake crawls quickly and can climb rocks and trees. It mainly feeds on mice, frogs, birds and bird eggs. When food is scarce, it will also cannibalize its own species.

People are familiar with the cauliflower snake, not only because it is relatively common, but also because it is the most widely kept non-venomous snake. The cauliflower snake has a fast growth rate, a short feeding period, a large adult size, strong adaptability, and is relatively cold-resistant. It is very popular among professional snake farmers.

Another reason why the cauliflower snake is famous is the sentence at the beginning of the article, "There is a cauliflower snake in one mile, and there are no poisonous snakes in ten miles." The cauliflower snake is not only not afraid of venomous snakes, but also has the ability to drive away venomous snakes and even eat them. Ability.

Even the highly venomous adder, also known as the five-step snake, is not looked down upon by the cauliflower snake. Not only is the cauliflower snake not afraid of the five-step snake, it can also kill the five-step snake. The snake was eaten alive as food.

Except for larger snake members such as Anacondae and Anacondae, venomous snakes generally suppress non-venomous snakes. But the cauliflower snake is different. Not only is it not afraid of venomous snakes, it will actively hunt them. This is why the cauliflower snake is called the "King of Snakes."

2. What does the cauliflower snake have that is better than that of a snake?

The non-venomous cauliflower snake is called the "King of Snakes", and it must have some advantages that are better than that of a snake. So, What ability does the cauliflower snake use to suppress venomous snakes? Let’s take a look at the three most prominent abilities of the cauliflower snake:

1. Large size, strong aggression, and violent temperament

Among the more than 200 species of snakes existing in my country, There are about 50 kinds of venomous snakes. Except for the King Cobra and the Mangshan Iron Head, most of the venomous snakes are small in size. Mangshan soldering iron heads are mainly distributed in the Mangshan area of ​​Hunan, with more than 500 in total. They are an endangered snake unique to my country, and cauliflower snakes are less likely to encounter them.

We mentioned earlier that the average body length of the cauliflower snake is about 2.5 meters, which is already a relatively large snake. With the exception of members of the Python and Anacondae families, as well as giants like the King Cobra, most venomous and non-venomous snakes are smaller than cauliflower snakes. When a non-venomous snake captures its prey, it usually sneaks up to the prey, bites the prey's neck, and wraps its body around it, causing the prey to suffocate to death. With its large size, the cauliflower snake can not only hunt mice, frogs, birds, etc., but also other snakes including venomous snakes. Therefore, its large size is one of the indicators of the cauliflower snake's strong attack power.

In addition, cauliflower snakes have very violent temperaments, especially wild cauliflower snakes, which are even a little neurotic. Not only will cauliflower snakes not run away when encountering similar species, they will actively hunt them, even if they are venomous snakes.

2. It has fast crawling speed and has the means of self-protection

The size of the cauliflower snake alone is not enough to dominate the snake world. After all, there are larger pythons and anacondas, and King Cobra etc. When the cauliflower snake faces larger snakes, it becomes much more well-behaved and will not take the initiative to provoke trouble.

But the King Cobra is also a snake with a violent temperament. It will not let go when it encounters a cauliflower snake. Will the cauliflower snake sit still and wait for death? Of course not. The cauliflower snake also has a common name, called the Stinky King Snake. As the name suggests, the cauliflower snake is rather smelly.

The anal glands in the anus of cauliflower snakes can secrete a very smelly fluid. How smelly is it? The smell is so bad that other predators lose interest in eating, so after the cauliflower snake releases the smelly liquid, it can escape. This is the cauliflower snake's self-preservation ability.

3. Immune to snake venom is the ultimate weapon

If the cauliflower snake only has the characteristics of large size, violent temperament, and the ability to protect itself, suppressing other snakes is not enough. After all, non-venomous snakes There is no way to compete with venomous snakes. Once bitten by a venomous snake, non-venomous snakes often die.

But the cauliflower snake is different. It is immune to some snake venoms, which means that if a venomous snake bites the cauliflower snake, it will not cause a fatal blow to the cauliflower snake. The next step is for the cauliflower snake to swallow the venomous snake alive.

Immunity to snake venom is the ultimate weapon of the cauliflower snake. Some friends may have seen news reports about the cauliflower snake fighting the five-step snake. The final result is often that the five-step snake is swallowed whole by the cauliflower snake.

So, the cauliflower snake is called the "King of Snakes" due to its large size, violent temperament, certain self-protection ability, and immunity to snake venom! From these aspects, the cauliflower snake is well-deserved for its title of "King of Snakes". 3. Can the cauliflower snake restrain all venomous snakes?

Many people will express doubts when they see this, because no matter how powerful the cauliflower snake is, it is impossible to suppress all venomous snakes, even if this venomous snake is very small! Yes, the cauliflower snake's restraint against venomous snakes is targeted, because the types of snake venom it is immune to are specific.

The main component of snake venom is protein, as well as some small molecule peptides, amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, metal ions, etc. Among them, there are about 20 kinds of enzymes and toxins, and the composition of snake venom is also relatively small. Complex, different snake venoms have their own characteristics in toxicity, pharmacology and toxicological effects.

However, snake venom can be roughly divided into four categories in terms of toxicological effects: blood circulation toxins, neurotoxins, mixed toxins and cytotoxins.

The characteristic of blood circulation toxins is that the bite wound will not stop bleeding, and will quickly swell, turn black and become hard. It will spread to the whole body within four hours, and the injured will suffer from heart failure and shock. die. Typical representatives of venomous snakes that circulate toxins in the blood include five-step snakes, bamboo-leaf green snakes, belly snakes, vipers, etc.

When bitten by a neurotoxin snake, the symptoms at the wound are not obvious and the bleeding is relatively small. However, after a few hours, the nerves in the whole body will be destroyed, and eventually the patient will suffer from difficulty breathing, convulsions, and Death due to paralysis of respiratory muscles. Typical representatives of snakes include the krait and the bungara.

Mixed toxins refer to venom that contains both blood circulation toxins and neurotoxins. The injured will suffer from the above two poisoning phenomena at the same time. The most representative snakes are the king cobra and cobra.

Almost all sea snake venoms are cytotoxins. There is no pain after being bitten by a sea snake. The onset of toxicity requires a process, but after poisoning, you will feel muscle soreness and weakness, and your heart and kidneys will also be affected. damage. Let's go back to the cauliflower snake. The types of toxins that the cauliflower snake can restrain are very limited, and it is only immune to toxins circulating in the blood. In other words, the cauliflower snake can only suppress venomous snake species with toxin-like blood circulation, such as the five-step snake, the bamboo leaf green snake, the belly snake, and the viper.

Where cauliflower snakes live, the most common venomous snake species are often blood circulation venomous snakes. For example, sea snakes and cauliflower snakes have almost no intersection, so people often see the scene of cauliflower snakes defeating venomous snakes, especially It's a five-step snake swallowed alive.

If a cauliflower snake encounters a bungara snake, even if the other party is smaller, the cauliflower snake may not be able to take advantage. The bungara snake is a neurotoxin-type venomous snake. The cauliflower snake is not immune to the venom. However, the onset of neurotoxins has a process. The cauliflower snake can at least easily strangle the bungara snake after the poison is released, so the final outcome is a lose-lose situation.

So judging from the types of snake venom that the cauliflower snake is immune to, it is not omnipotent. The title of "King of Snakes" may have to be discounted. The cauliflower snake is not immune to all snake venoms because it cannot restrain all venomous snakes. .

4. Conclusion

Although cauliflower snakes are common, the number of wild cauliflower snakes is getting smaller and smaller due to the destruction of their habitats by human activities and the large-scale hunting by people.

Nowadays, wild cauliflower snakes have been listed as three protected animals, and farmed cauliflower snakes cannot be used for food. If you encounter a cauliflower snake in the future, do not kill it at will. When there is no safety threat, release it.

Has any reader ever had a cauliflower snake in their home? Feel free to share your experiences in the comment section below.