 |
| (Shutterstock/Worraket) |
NEWSLINE PAPER,- Araraca is a fertile snake commonly found in South America. It may contain a deadly mixture of toxins that cause tremendous pain, life-threatening bleeding, and kidney failure.
Another thing that makes a jaraca very scary, even among lizards, is its very aggressive nature. This snake will bite first and attack whenever it feels threatened.
Regarding the aggressive behavior of the jaraca, biologist João Miguel Alves-Nunes tries to investigate it further in an extreme way, exposing himself to the bite of the jaraca.
In the process, the researchers stumbled on the snake 40,000 times to get them to bite it. Of course, Miguel Alves-Nunes stepped on these dangerous reptiles carefully not to hurt them.
Thanks to this very courageous initiative, the researchers found that the defensive behavior of the jaur was influenced by intrinsic factors such as body size, gender, and lifestyles, as well as environmental factors, such as temperature and time.
People in the area where the jararaca originated claimed that the snake only bites when it was stomped, but that's not entirely true. Smaller snakes, especially newborn females, are more likely to bite to defend themselves.
Besides, warmer temperatures also increase their chances of biting. This means climbing in fertile snake areas on summer days should be avoided.
Thus, these findings suggest that an understanding of ecological factors and behaviors that affect snake bites can improve predictions and prevention strategies.
The study conducted by João Miguel Alves-Nunes and his team analyzed the influence of environmental and biological factors on the behavior of snake bites, which are responsible for many of the snake bite cases in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
The researchers conducted experiments with 116 snakes, including adults, adolescents, and infants, who were placed individually in controlled conditions.
During the experiment, Miguel Alves-Nunes admitted that he didn't put his entire weight on his legs, so he did not hurt the snakes.
The trial takes place in a small arena with a certain interval of time. Therefore, the researchers prevent snakes from experiencing stress or develop patterns that may affect the results of the study.
Through experimental simulations, the researchers found a significant correlation between these variables and the probability of a snake bite.
Warm temperatures increase the tendency of female snakes to bite, while male snakes tend to not bite at night at higher temperatures.
In addition, the study found that the part of the body that was touched affected the probability of a bite, with contact in the head significantly increasing the likelihood of bite compared to the middle part or tail.
The smaller the animal, the more likely it is to bite. The other thing is that females are more aggressive and easily bit, especially when they are young and in the daytime.
The findings are in line with epidemiological data showing higher rates of snake bites in the coastal area of São Paulo. Serpent bites are more common in warm months and when human activity is on the rise.
The implications of this study are enormous. By understanding the ecological and behavioral factors that affect the incidence of snake bites, health action can be more targeted. For example, distributing antivenomas in areas and at identified high-risk periods can significantly reduce the impact of snake bites.
Although this research provides valuable insights, it also highlights the need for further research. Future research should explore the relationship between the incidence of snake bites and the behavior of other fertile species of snakes in different regions.
(Newsline Paper Teams)