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Snakes That Bend Their Neck
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by Chuck on August 7, 2001
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Is anyone aware of a snake, other than the cobra, that bends it's neck like a cobra?
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RE: Snakes That Bend Their Neck
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by copperhead8814 on August 7, 2001
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Their are many snakes who will flatten their neck into a "hood" when threatened. However, these snakes usually do not have as prominent a hood as the cobras do. The most notable U.S. snakes to display this behavior are the Hognose snakes (Heterodon ssp.). When threatened, these snakes will flatten their necks and open their mouths in a gaping fashion. If this is not successful in alleviating the threat, Hognose snakes have been known to "roll over and play dead". Some ratsnakes, most notably the asian species, will flatten their necks along the length of their bodies in a threat posture. Also, many Elapids will flatten their necks into a cobra-like hood to frighten potential predators. Most notable of these are the infamous Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) of Southern Africa and the Tiger Snakes (Notechis ssp.) of Australia and Tasmania. I hope this has been of some help in answering your question.
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RE: Snakes That Bend Their Neck And what is a Cob
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by Naja_oxiana on August 8, 2001
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In addition, Causus (Night Adders) are known to occasionally flatten out their necks and raise the anterior 1/3 of their body. This, along with the more primitive fang structure, led some Causus to be classified as Aspidelaps and I believe Cobra, some time ago. (Yes, "Cobra" used to be a valid genus.) It may appear that a Bitis arietans flattens its neck, depending on your perspective, or so I've been told.
There is Hydrodynastes gigas, the False Water Cobra, in South America and a False Cobra in the Middle East--both opistoglyphs, iirc.
Think about it though, what is a cobra? A Cobra is an old-world elapid that raises the anterior part of its body and flattens out some of it's neck when agitated. That included Naja, Hemachatus, Pseudohaje, Paranaja, Aspidelaps, Walternisae (sp?) and Ophiophagus. I want to say that there is another on this liest but I cannot thinkof it offhand. I assume that snakes that showed these characteristics were at one point all grouped on the genus "Cobra", which is why that common name is so widespread. (This is really more Wolfgang's territory than mine, but I'm learning.)
Cheers
Roger
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My sources and a bit of an expansion
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by Naja_oxiana on August 10, 2001
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On Night Adders I got a great deal of information from Spawls/Branch, "Dangerous Snakes of Africa" page 140; and McDiarmid/Campbell/Toure', "Snake Species of the World, Vol. 1" pages 230-34. Causus lichtensteinii was listed under Aspidelaps (1863-1882) and Causus rhombeatus was listed under Naja (1837) and Aspidelaps (1859). They were confused for several un-viper-like characteristics. First and foremost, there is no hinge action where the pre-frontal bone mets the frontal bone. (Yet there is quite a bitof rotation in the maxilla to allow the fangs to erect. Causus have weakkly keeped or unkeeled scales, round pupils and large scales on the head--more closelt resembling Colubrids and Elapids.
Also from "Snake Species of the World": As late as 1937, Bitis arietans was being classified as "Cobra lachesis". Several other Bitis were likewise classified under the genus of "Cobra"
My refference to the False CObra (Malpolon moilensis) comes from Leviton/Anderson/Adler/Minton, "Handbook to Middle East Amphibians and Reptiles" page 212.
Cheers
Roger
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RE: One more..
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by GREGLONGHURST on August 10, 2001
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Another North(& Central) American colubrid that will flatten the neck vertically is Drymarchon, the indigo from here, & the cribo from down south.
~~Greg~~
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