Video link at URL below



KUSA (Denver, Colorado) 29 April 06 Baby water snakes at the Denver Zoo (Marissa Pasquet)

Denver: Kyle Dyer found a group of unusual water snakes at the Denver Zoo.

The tentacled water snakes are not your typical snakes. The snakes' color helps it blend in among the underwater roots and branches. Even the little spikes on their faces blend in.

The snakes are hard to detect because they don't move. When the prey comes close the snakes strike out a few inches and use their quick and very sharp teeth to capture their prey.

All snakes breathe air, even water snakes. They come to the surface to get their share of fresh air. But they remain in the water all of the time. The snakes are even born in water.

The water snakes were 2-days-old when Kyle paid them a visit.

They were born tail first and then immediately went to the surface to breathe.

From their first breath on, the snakes are ready for anything. They are born fully charged.

They have fully functional venom glands and can poison their prey or protect themselves.

The snake's tentacles help it detect prey, currents in the water and the pheromones in the water from the fish.

The water where the snakes originally came from is in south-east Asia. The water there tends to be murky and these snakes do not have good eyesight.

The snakes are doing very well at the Denver Zoo.

The other zoos around the country have contacted the Denver Zoo asking if they can have some of the baby snakes when they get a bit bigger.



http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=e76d777b-0abe-421a-01c8-6e9e37144158&TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Show Entire Thread ]