Universidad Latina de Panamá Translation with the computer assitence Final project THE SNAKES OF PANAMA By: Yarisha Allen

Introduction This project is based in the translation of a document about the snakes that we can find in our country. Today I’m going to present some information about the snakes and some pictures so you can see how are them order than the description of each one.

THE SNAKES OF PANAMA The snakes are the man’s most rejected animals, perhaps due to the wrong belief that all are poisonous and, therefore, dangerous. Traditionally the reputation of this reptile has been associated with evil, the ugly thing, repulsive, dangerous and despicable. This fame reaches, even, to some stories of religious kind that influence in the conduct of some people toward these animals; so we see that the Bible blames to the snake the fact that the man was expelled of the Garden of Eden. Nevertheless, for good or for bad, the snakes have always called the attention, fascinated the naturalists and they has been object of many scientific investigations.

They exist more than two thousand six hundred species of snakes in our planet, of which less than the 10% are potentially poisonous for the human being. They inhabit almost all the climates of the planet but the poles and altitudes that are higher than 4,600 meters and they are abundant especially in the tropical zones. The knowledge that we have in present about the snakes of Panama is the result of a large number of contributions that were initiated in the middle of the eighteenth-century with the works of the great swedish naturalist Linnaeus (1707-1778). Nowadays we know for Panama a hundred and twenty-six species of snakes, grouped in fifty-eight kinds and eight families; twelve species are endemic.

Non poisonous snakes The hundred six species of not poisonous snakes of Panama are grouped in six families: Anomalepididae Boidae Colubridae Leptotyphlopidae Tropidophiidae Ungaliophiidae

Liotyphlops albirostris Anomalepididae with three species, which gather the small snakes known as “blind snakes”, which practically live under ground. Liotyphlops albirostris very common in the gardens of Panama City visible after a hard rain

Boidae with four species, we find the known and most popular snake in our country: "The common boa", Boa constrictor that lives on the ground and on the trees of our forests and can measure up to 3 meters.

Colubridae Ninety-five nocturnal, diurnal, large, and small species, water snakes, and snakes, tree snakes and some that live under the ground (ditches). Some snakes of this family have rings of bright colors, so they are confuses by the man with the poisonous snakes known as "corals"; due to this they are called "false corals“ the most common the Oxyrophus petolarius

The Clelia clelia, which is characterized because it eats other snakes, including in their diet to the poisonous snakes The youthful of this species have black head and the rest of the body is red The adults are completely black and they can measure more than two meters.

false X (Xenodon rabdocephalus) coloring pattern: similar to the poisonous snake known as "X“ it imitates even in its aggressive behavior.

Sipholophis cervinus, Specie that inhabits in the forests like the Metropolitan natural reserve, in Panama City . The rest of the not poisonous snakes of the country are grouped in the families: Leptotyphlopidae (with two species)

Tropidophiidae (with a specie) Ungaliophiidae (with a specie). The species of these three families are not very common in our nation; even they are almost strangers for the snake’s scholars.

Poisonous snakes In Panama we have twenty species of poisonous snakes, grouped in two families: Elapidae (the true corals) Viperidae (vipers).

Elapidae have a pair of small eyeteeth in the previous part of the upper jaw, so when they bite they inject the poison highly neurotoxic that affects mainly the nervous system. commonly known as "coral" belong to the kind named Micrurus that counts with eight species in Panama.

The "coral" are characterized for having contrasting colors (black, red, or orange and yellow or white) set like rings that surround all their body; the head does not differentiate from the rest of the body and its eyes are tiny. Besides they are snakes of discreet customs and generally nocturnal, that lives under the leafage, inside fallen trunks or in pastures of the forest ground. When they are bothered they rolled up and then show the tip of the tail moving it in such a way that seems to be the head; in this way they are able to distract the assailant while the true head is hidden and ready to bite.

The most common "coral" in Panama is the Micrurus nigrucinctus, with rings of three arranged colors in the sequence red-yellow-black-yellow-red. Another common "coral" is the Micrurus multifasciatus, with rings of two colors, black and red. The water snake, Pelamis platurus that is find in the Pacific waters, also belong to the family of the "corals".

Viperidae They are vipers gathered in eleven species. Snakes with triangular and large head that possesses a cavity between the eye and the nasal orifice, which serves them to detect the heat that emits the body of its prey (loreal foset). The vipers are the most dangerous poisonous snakes of our forests.

When they bite they inject their poison as a hypodermic needle, since they have a pair of large hollow and mobile eyeteeth, located in the subsequent part of the upper jaw. The poison of the vipers produces damage or degradation of the weavings affected (necrosis) and intense pains in the area of the bite.

Bothrops asper, generally known as X" or "velvet“. The most common, aggressive and dangerous of the Panamanian vipers and can reach a size of two meters. This is the viper that causes the largest number of bites in Central America.

The largest viper of America, also belongs the viperidae family. It measure more than two and a half meters. it is known as the "verrugosa", "mute bell", or "bushmaster".

In Panama we find the verrugosa Lachesis Stenophrus It inhabits the humid forest of the low lands of the Atlantic side, although it is also found in the pacific side of the isthmus, to Darien.

Also we have poisonous snakes that live on the trees and the most common one in our forests is the Botriechis schlegelii. Known as "viper of eyelashes" because it has on its eyes some scales extended that give the impression to be eyelashes Very dangerous because it generally bites in the upper part of the body, face, arms and hands causing serious accidents.

Ecological and economic importance of the snakes large snakes like the boas are occasionally consume by settlers of the country. It’s meat is considered as a delicious special dish Its skin can be use to make straps or belts, purses, shoes or souvenirs for tourist.

Main importance and benefits of the Snakes. All the species are predators and therefore all of them eat other animals, performing a very important role inside the eating chain. regulate the populations of rodents that in another way would become plagues for the crops or in bearers of diseases as the hanta.

The poison of the potentially poisonous snakes as corals and vipers, have great importance in the toxicological, biological, and medical point of view. The poisons are a rich source of bioactive substances used to study various physiological mechanisms in the human being. From them they obtained antidotes and serum for counteract the bite of snakes and also anticoagulants agents are obtained.

Vocabulary Endemic Endemico Predator Depredador Inhabits Habitad Neurotoxic Neurotóxico Humid Forest Bosque humedo

Conclusion As we could see snakes not only contribute to maintain the ecological balance, but the scientific study of its poisons has given place to the discovery of substances with pharmacological and medical utilities that can save lives.

Thank You