The poisonous snake efa is rightfully considered one of the most dangerous inhabitants of our planet. Her bite is fatal in every fifth case. In addition, she is not at all afraid to use her teeth even against the largest opponents. Therefore, people better know what this deadly predator looks like. What regions does he live in? And what should be done when meeting with him?
Snake efa: description
Efa (lat. Echis carinatus) is a sand snake of the order Scaly, Viper family. This species prefers to live in an arid climate. In particular, a large number of these snakes live in the vastness of African wastelands and deserts. Also, some of its subspecies can be found in the southern regions of Asia and Indonesia.
As for the neighboring territories, the efa snake can be found on the territory of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. And although their population here is not as large as in Indonesia, they nevertheless pose a significant threat to people who dare to enter the desert lands of these parts.
Appearance
Over the years, the efa snake has adapted well to life in the desert. This can be seen not only in her habits, but also in appearance. So, light colors predominate on the body of the reptile, most often a golden hue. From the tail to the head there is a dark zigzag pattern, which stands out strongly against the background of multi-colored spots located randomly on the back of the snake.
In addition, efa is a snake with many ribbed scales. They help reptiles to regulate body temperature, which is extremely important for life in arid climates. The flakes themselves are ribbed and are best seen on the back and sides of the predator.
But nature has deprived the snake of its size. So, even the largest individuals rarely exceed the threshold of 80 cm, and the average representative of this species even grows to only 50 cm. But such proportions are quite justified, given the fact that efa has to exist in conditions with limited resources.
Habitat
To begin with, efa is a very active snake. It rarely lingers in one place, and therefore it can be met both on the open planes of the desert, and among the dense thickets of the steppe. In addition, some representatives of this species feel quite comfortable on rocky terrain. The benefit of their small size allows them to easily slip even into the narrowest holes and crevices.
However, the snakes themselves prefer to live among dense thickets and shrubs. Firstly, it allows the efa to hide its presence from prying eyes. And secondly, in such areas there is much more food, which is very tempting. The rest of the predator quickly adapts to any living conditions.
Potential victims
Like most of its relatives, the efa snake is a born hunter. The basis of her diet is insects, as they are easy to catch. In addition, larger prey can be a real problem for the reptile, because it simply does not fit into her mouth. But this does not mean that the snake will not be able to kill her - the venom of efa is enough to knock down an adult horse.
In addition, the predator loves to hunt small rodents. For them, they are an important source of energy, because, unlike insects, they are warm-blooded. If it becomes quite tight with food, the efa begins to pounce on everything that it can subsequently swallow.
Behavior features
The efa snake is active both day and night. This is extremely unusual for reptiles who prefer to divide the day into periods of hunting and rest. However, our predator does not stop its cycle of travel even after eating densely. The maximum that she will do is slow down her "step", and that is not much.
Also, this type of reptile does not hibernate. True, in the regions where they live, the coolness rarely drops to the point that it can affect the metabolism of the snake. Nevertheless, with a strong drop in temperature, the efa still calms down a bit: it stops traveling and settles in the hole found or crevice.
Breeding
The efa snake is noteworthy in that it brings to light living offspring. Recall that most reptiles are used to laying eggs, and similar metamorphoses are very rare for them. But this species of predators decided to stand out from the rest of its brethren.
Mating games at the snake begin in late January - early March. The gestation period is a little over a month, and therefore already in early spring the female brings into light young offspring. At the same time, at one time she is able to give life to 16 kites that are immediately ready to eat on their own.
