Breeding snakes for venom. Snake farms

Snakes are cold-blooded animals, common on all continents, with the possible exception of Antarctica. In total, there are more than 3,000 species of them on Earth. They can be harmless and very poisonous, small (only a few centimeters long) and gigantic (more than 10 meters). Their habitat is also very diverse. They live in salt or fresh water bodies, in swamps and forests, in steppes and deserts. And sometimes they are found in home terrariums. The reproduction of snakes largely depends on the species they belong to and their habitat. Most reptiles are oviparous, but viviparous specimens are also found among them.

About the mating season

Although there are hermaphrodites among snakes, in most cases they are still of different sexes. Consequently, 2 individuals participate in the reproduction process: a male and a female. Often they do not differ much in appearance, except perhaps in size, and less often - in color. Sometimes males have a flatter tail shape.

The mating season for snakes usually begins after hibernation, when the air temperature becomes comfortable enough for raising offspring. Reptiles inhabiting desert and semi-desert areas reproduce with the onset of a favorable period, which does not always depend on the time of year.

The male is not very active in courting his chosen one. Having discovered her by smell, he begins to pursue, and when meeting, he expresses his intentions by stroking or shaking his head. During this period, animals show particular aggression. Therefore, you should not try to see how snakes reproduce in natural conditions, especially if we are talking about poisonous representatives of scaly reptiles.

There are species that mate in large groups, curling up into a huge ball. The process may take several days. It is also surprising that a fertilized female is able to carry sperm within herself for a long time, maintaining her ability to fertilize. Conception itself occurs when the environment becomes as favorable as possible for this.

Hermaphrodites

Among snakes they are not common, but such cases still occur. As a rule, we are talking about the island bothrops, which inhabits mainly South America. It is surprising that among individuals of the same species there can be both heterosexual and hermaphrodites. The latter have the sexual characteristics of both male and female. Therefore, one snake is enough to reproduce.

But it's not the only one interesting fact from the life of reptiles. Some females manage to lay unfertilized eggs, from which offspring successfully hatch. This method Reproduction is quite rare and is called "parthenogenesis".

Place of masonry

For any female, eggs are the most valuable thing she has. And snakes are no exception. Therefore, the place for laying is chosen to be quiet, safe and as comfortable as possible. Steppe snakes often live in burrows and hide their clutches there. Forest ones do this under snags, and desert ones often bury them in the sand. It all depends on the environment and living conditions.

Females usually protect their offspring, warming them through active contraction of the body muscles until they are born. It is difficult to call snakes caring parents; the cubs show independence literally from the first minutes of life, obtaining food for themselves and not relying on adults. In some species, the male is responsible for the safety of the nest, and sometimes the parents take turns guarding it.

Viviparous species

Regardless of how snakes reproduce, their embryos almost always develop inside the egg, feeding on its environment. In most cases this occurs in a nest or other hiding place. But sometimes the cubs develop directly inside the female and are born while simultaneously hatching from the eggs. Moreover, they are completely independent from the first days of life.

Viviparous snakes in the classical sense are also found in nature. These mainly include inhabitants of reservoirs, as well as some boas and vipers. In this case, the embryo breathes and feeds through a single circulatory system with Mother.

Breeding snakes in captivity

Reptiles are increasingly found as pets. This is mainly due to ease of maintenance. There is no need to walk with a snake; they rarely feed and behave mostly passively. The main thing is to choose the right terrarium and follow the recommendations of a specialist in terms of climate.

It is rare to observe how snakes reproduce in captivity, since this happens only under a favorable combination of several circumstances. Firstly, there should be 2 of them, and of different sexes. Hermaphrodite species are not kept at home. People mainly buy boas or snakes. Some of them in wildlife live in trees. Therefore, for a comfortable stay in captivity, in addition to suitable temperature and humidity, it is necessary to create an imitation of the trunk, roots, and spread pieces of bark. You can see how snakes reproduce in a terrarium only if they are absolutely comfortable. Before the planned mating season, it is better to resettle the couple and keep them separate for several days, lowering the temperature slightly. In this way, hibernation in natural conditions is simulated. Then they are placed in a common terrarium, the temperature is increased and they wait for the result.

Snakes are amazing and mysterious creatures that inhabit our planet. Many myths and legends are associated with these animals. Many are afraid of them, and some keep them in their apartments as pets. Sometimes it is even possible to get offspring in terrariums. But for snakes to begin breeding in captivity, they must be truly comfortable.

Breeding of deadly species of snakes. Why and who needs it? Continuation of the “thinking out loud” theme. Or who you definitely should never have at home.

Let's first figure out who falls into these “deadly” criteria. Not everything is as simple as it might seem. For example, green mambas (Dendrospis jemsoni, D. viridis) have a very powerful poison that can kill a person in a few hours, but if kept correctly, contact with them and the risks are minimal. Snakes are always visible and do not have monstrous sizes to reach you in any plane, which cannot be said, for example, about the black and narrow-headed mamba. Major representatives genus Bitis. Their bites will almost certainly be fatal to humans (especially Gaboon vipers and rhinoceros), but with proper manipulation, direct contact can be avoided. Snakes are thick and short, which does not allow them, say, to escape from you behind a closet. This is such a puffed up evil lump of hatred on the floor that you can always move with a shovel. The main thing is to be able and know how. In the same vein we can say about large Crotalus. So not all species that have truly terrible poison should definitely rattle off your funeral march. If you approach it with knowledge, meaning and a real goal, then maintaining such types is possible, although I never recommend it to anyone, which I have already written about several times.

So, this was a preface to limit a number of common sense questions at the end. I want to write here about the “super” deadly species that a simple keeper cannot handle, not only alone, but often even with several pairs of hands. These are taipans, black mambas, black-and-white and ringed cobras. Why are we talking about them? They have a lot in common.

1. Extremely hot-tempered and capricious character. There are a lot of photographs and videos on the Internet with these species on hand, but believe me, not everything is so simple.

2. Very large sizes and strong body– all these species are capable of reaching 3 meters, which makes any manipulation with them almost impossible.

3. Speed ​​- adders are stalking predators, and therefore their sharp attacks and instant changes in the trajectory of movement can often be simply elusive. When such a snake leaves the terrarium, things get very bad. Even professionals make mistakes, let alone those whose experience is much less.

4. The desire to crawl upward. This is a very dangerous skill of these reptiles. They can easily be thrown over the hook in any direction, plus they can end up anywhere when escaping. Cabinets, cornices, shelves, storage rooms, etc. - these species can use ventilation and go outside the apartment, which, in fact, can lead to quite tragic things.

5. Almost 24/7 activity! The snake feels very calm and confident both in the light and in the dark.

6. Of course, the power of poison. A bite from any of the above groups will most likely be your last.

So here are 6 criteria that make these species super dangerous animals. By and large, keep them except in special. Laboratories or zoos are simply not allowed! They require a lot of space, good equipment and means of manipulation and, most importantly, high professionalism of the people who will work with them.

That's why many people hesitate to breed these animals - their answer is obvious. For what? What to do with a brood of 30 mambas or taipans? In zoos around the world, as a rule, there are such animals and they don’t need any more! Keep it for yourself? It doesn't make much sense either. Risk every day for 10 snakes, or 50. There is a difference! Only private owners remain. Who are they, these private traders? There are, no, in reality there are a handful of people who can afford to own a black mamba and work freely with it, without exposing others and themselves to risks (well, at a minimum). But, I repeat, there are only a few of them! Sometimes they cheat them out.

So, here, as you understand, the moral and ethical side of the issue arises more than ever. It’s one thing to sell an Indian cobra or keffiyeh (also not a great achievement, but at least there is a market in which there are quite a lot of responsible breeders). Selling a black mamba is another matter. A simple question: to whom and why? The prices for them cannot be said to be very cool, and no one will take their own death, and even at three times the price, however, of course, there are plenty of smart people everywhere. That’s why I was always amazed by the price of small-scaled taipans (from 800 to 1500 euros!), However, the most interesting are those poor fellows who take them at their own peril and risk. Kids always seem funny, cool and don’t make you panic. But asps grow quickly and become uncontrollable just as quickly. And their size and habits very soon begin to make themselves felt. Be reasonable. Don’t go to the most extremes and the tic of a very extreme hobby.

Snake eggs laid after mating usually have a parchment shell. There are oviparous and viviparous species of snakes.
In oviparity, the embryo develops in an egg laid in the external environment.

In ovoviviparity, the embryo develops inside the mother's body, but at the expense of the food reserves contained in the egg.

With this type of reproduction, the young appear enclosed in a shell, from which they are subsequently released. Viviparity is the appearance of fully formed young animals in a transparent leathery shell, which immediately ruptures.
IN natural conditions The mating season for snakes is preceded by a long winter, which takes place in rodent burrows and other shelters. Some species of snakes, such as Amur snakes, adhere to individual areas, which they retain for several years.

Formed mating pairs return from wintering to their usual place where the females lay eggs. Under natural conditions, snake reproduction is usually seasonal. Thus, the period of activity of snakes is March-April, October-November. Mating time lasts from March to May. During the mating season, several dozen snakes accumulate in a certain place, forming a ball. After mating, the males disperse, and the females remain in place, bearing eggs. A female grass snake can lay up to 50 eggs. There are cases when up to 1,200 snake eggs were found in one nest. In such places, eggs are often glued together and look like one large clutch. Unlike other species of snakes, snake eggs can tolerate significant temperature fluctuations environment without harming the development of the embryo.

Garter snakes are viviparous. After several months of pregnancy of the female, from 40 to 70 cubs are born.
The duration of pregnancy of snakes is different: in the Amur and Aesculapian snakes - 33–45 days, in the patterned snake - 60–70, in other representatives of the snake family - 48, in various types pythons – 60-110.

When pregnancy comes to an end, snakes build a nest from leaves and branches, arrange it in the hollows of low trees and under fallen trunks, in rodent burrows and anthills. A clutch of reptiles can contain from 3 to 40 oval or elongated eggs, differing in size depending on the type of animal. Coiling around the clutch, the snake warms the eggs with muscle contractions. Some snakes simply bury their eggs in the ground, a pile of plant debris. Most snakes do not show further concern for their offspring. But some species, such as the four-striped snake, king cobra and mud snake, guard the clutch until the young emerge.

Captive-bred snakes for starters mating games deep hibernation is not necessary. Separate housing, a slight decrease in temperature for a month and stopping feeding during this period are sufficient. A month after wintering, females are placed with males for mating. The union of a pair of snakes can be carried out at any time of the year, but usually the timing remains the same as for breeding in the wild - February-March.

To reproduce reptiles in captivity, it is necessary to select a pair. The sex of a reptile is determined by its coloring characteristics: females are less brightly colored. In addition, males have more a long tail and in the lower row of scales in the anal area there is a thickening. The sexual maturity of snakes depends on their age and body length. The length of the female must be at least 60 cm, the male - 50 cm.

During the breeding season and for the first time after it, keeping snakes requires increased attention. Eliminating noise and creating comfortable conditions in the terrarium are necessary to increase the sexual activity of snakes. Animals' diets include feed containing a high content of vitamins, phosphorus, and calcium. However, many females refuse food during the period of gestation and laying eggs.

If the female takes care of the offspring and incubates the clutch, then incubation can be carried out under natural conditions. At this time, the snake should not be disturbed; its behavior should be carefully observed to ensure normal conditions for the birth of offspring. It is important to systematically monitor how the snake is positioned on the clutch in order to avoid its partial opening and temporary removal from it. This contributes to the rapid cooling of the eggs and can lead to disruption of the development of the embryos.

It is interesting to observe the behavior of snakes during natural incubation. Thus, a female green python lays up to 40 eggs and guards the clutch for about 50 days. By curling up around it, the reptile is able to regulate temperature and humidity, either completely covering the clutch with the rings of its body, or partially opening it for ventilation. The maturation of green python eggs can also take place successfully in an incubator. A necessary condition for this is to maintain high level humidity. Duration incubation period depends on the type of snake. In a terrarium, it usually takes place at a temperature of 27–30 °C and air humidity of 90%. This regime is especially important for the redback snake, whose young are born in translucent egg cases.
In order to ensure the safety of the young during natural incubation, it is advisable to place shelters for newborns in the terrarium, into which adult snakes could not penetrate. Such precautions reduce the possibility of parents eating their offspring.

In cases where natural incubation is impossible for a number of reasons, the eggs should be promptly removed from the terrarium. This is especially important for masonry consisting of large quantity large eggs that tend to stick together. Subsequently, because of this, difficulties may arise when transferring them to the incubator.

To avoid damaging snake eggs, you should handle them very carefully. When moving eggs, you must not change their position or turn them over, as this may adversely affect the further development of the embryos. This factor is most important for large snakes. For species that lay small eggs, such as the common grass snake, it is not of decisive importance.

Artificial incubation is carried out in special incubators consisting of a container, heating systems and maintaining humidity in sawdust, peat, and moistened moss. The container can be a box made of glass, plexiglass, or plywood.

The thermostat and the incandescent lamp are elements of the temperature control and maintenance system. A source of humidity, which can be used as a wide pan of water, and a device that regulates its level, a psychrometer, are components of a device for maintaining and controlling air humidity, which is increased for eggs with a shell shell and decreased for eggs with a parchment shell.
The clutch is monitored more carefully from the moment the first cut appears on the egg. Often young snakes do not immediately leave the egg, but remain in it for 24 hours. It is important to remember that artificial extraction of snakes is unacceptable, as it leads to injury and death of the newborn animal.

Young snakes, about 12–20 cm long, emerge within a month. A week after birth, snakes begin to catch small insects, frogs, during the same period the first molt takes place. When feeding young animals, it should be taken into account that they need more food than adults, and it should be given 2 times more often. Then, as they grow, the volume of food and the frequency of its intake are gradually reduced, bringing it to a level sufficient for an adult snake of a particular species.
The offspring grow quickly: by 6 months the weight of snakes reaches 70 g, by a year - 100 g, length exceeds 50 cm. Signs of sexual activity appear after a year, at 18 months the reptiles reach sexual maturity and are ready to reproduce.

In 1985, in the Chinese village of Zhishikao, a local disabled person, Yang Hongchang, began breeding snakes, first for self-medication, and then for sale - for pharmaceutical companies and restaurants. Gradually, the whole village became interested in this business, and today a third of its residents are millionaires, and Zhishikao has become the world center for raising snakes with a population of 4 million reptiles.

Yang Hongchang was a typical peasant in China in the early 1980s: a small plot of land, an average monthly income of 100 yuan, $16. At the same time, he fell ill with ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic disease of the joints with a predominant localization of the process in the sacrum and spine. China is not the First World - even today there is almost no free healthcare and pensions, and 30 years ago - even more so.

62-year-old Honchang realized that he would either die of hunger, since he would not be able to cultivate the land, or of illness. From a local doctor, he learned that an extract from a certain type of snake could save him; in fact, it was a special type of legless lizard. But it cost 3 months of Hongchang's salary. Then the old man went to the mountains, caught several reptiles and made an extract from them himself, an alcohol tincture.

A two-month course of taking snake extract made Honchang functional. Then he thought, why not start breeding snakes, since they are so expensive and there is a steady demand for them. In 1985, on the security of his land plot took a loan from a bank, 10 thousand yuan.

With this money, he purchased equipment - incubators in which the process of maturation of snake eggs could take place. Serpent different types(from vipers to those same legless lizards) he caught himself for breeding. The first incubation experiments were unsuccessful. Only in 1987 did he manage to debug the process, and the first 30 thousand snakes were born. After a little growing, he sold them in bulk for 80 thousand yuan.

News of this success spread throughout the village of Khonchang, and within 5 years, of its 162 households, 108 contained snakes.

Small factories for their processing also appeared here: snakes are dried, vodka is made from them, ointments based on snake venom, etc., a significant share is made up of “food” reptiles that go to Chinese catering. 80% of products are consumed within China, the rest in the USA, Japan and Germany. Feed factories have also appeared where mice and frogs, which constitute the main diet of snakes, are bred.

In the village of Zhishikao, 4 million snakes are raised (up to 30 species: cobras, vipers, pythons, etc.), at least 20 families earn from 1 million yuan a year or more (150 thousand dollars), the rest - in on average 50-60 thousand yuan.

In general, the village has an annual income of 60 million yuan (about 9 million dollars) from raising snakes.

Over the past 5 years, both the reptile population and the village's income have grown by 50% annually.

Honchang himself earned his first million in 1990, and he turned his business into the Moganshan Snake Co. brand.

In 2008, his company expanded beyond China, establishing a snake farm with an area of ​​10 thousand square meters. m in South Korea.

But in France, snake farms are going through hard times.

For example, in the town of Velance, a company that keeps snakes for their poison saw sales decline by 20% in 2011, to 1.6 million euros per year.