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What are some defense mechanisms of snakes? I need some interesting topics for a presentation I am doing. I have 3 things so far: camoflague, rattling tail, and playing dead. Would use of venom and/or bluffing fall into defense as well?

I need 2 things:

1) interesting snake defense mechanisms
2) snakes which display these defense mechanisms very well, for use in the visual part of the presentation.

Please e-mail me at weiside1@hotmail.com for any ideas or suggestions. This presentation is on Thursday so respond as quickly as possible! Yes I have been procrastinating.
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Jerry Wei
WeiSides Zoo

A lot of animals do this, snakes included. When the snake feels it is in danger it can and sometimes will suddenly release it's bowels. This is done for two reasons. First, an empty snake is a somewhat faster snake, and second.....but most important.........a stinky snake that just crapped all over the predator is less appetizing!!

Great topic, thanks. Would a corn snake be a good example of musking for defense? Or which snake would you say musks the most?
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Jerry Wei
WeiSides Zoo

I really don't know which type of snake is most likely to do it. I know corn snakes do, and I know ball pythons will too (Yep, speaking from expeireince, I've been crapped on by the best!) I know many mammals do this too.

Wish I could be more help, I don't know which is the most likely to do it, but I know it is most likely to happen while your wearing your best shirt!

Having done some field herping in college, I would say that the smaller snake species with lesser ability to protect themselves by biting are more likely to musk. For example, garters and ringnecks almost always musked when picked up. Don't know if anyone else has found this to be true. My Peterson field guide also mentions this as a defense for these types of snakes.
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1.0 Normal corn, "Mulder"

1.1 cockatiels "Farley" and "Snickerdoodle"
and 1.0 mutt "Logan"

What about spitting cobras? They will spit venom into eyes as a defense mechanism. They envenomate prey in the usual biting manner.
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-audri
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