Gloydius shedaoensis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gloydius shedaoensis |
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The Shedao Island pitviper (scientific name: Gloydius shedaoensis) is a special kind of venomous snake. It's a type of pitviper, which means it has special heat-sensing pits on its face to help it find prey. This snake is found only on a tiny place called Shedao Island in China. Even though the island is very small, it's home to a huge number of these snakes! People also call it the Shedao pit-viper.
About the Shedao Island Pitviper
Adult Shedao Island pitvipers usually grow to be about 65–70 cm (25.6-27.6 inches) long. Their bodies are covered in scales, with about 23 rows of scales around the middle. They also have special scales on their belly and under their tail.
The snake's color is usually grayish-brown. It has dark brown markings that look like X-shapes all along its back. There's also a very thin, dark stripe behind its eyes. These snakes have a special heat-sensing pit on their face. This pit helps them "see" warm-blooded prey, even in the dark.
Where the Shedao Island Pitviper Lives
This unique snake lives only on Shedao Island. This island is located off the coast of Liaotung in northeastern China. Shedao Island is quite small, covering an area of about 0.63 to 0.73 square kilometers (156 to 180 acres). It's about 13 km (8.1 miles) from the nearest mainland.
Despite its small size, Shedao Island is famous for having a huge number of these snakes. In 1938, one expert thought there was about one snake for every square meter on parts of the island. Later, in 1984, another study estimated there were between 9,100 and 11,500 snakes on the island during spring and fall. This shows how crowded the island is with these pitvipers!
What the Shedao Island Pitviper Eats
The Shedao Island pitviper mainly eats small passerine birds. These birds are migratory, meaning they travel long distances. They fly to and from their breeding grounds in Siberia. The birds often stop on Shedao Island in May and September during their journeys.
The snakes are very active during these months. They wait to ambush the birds. They might hide on the ground or in tree branches. They often coil the front part of their body like an accordion, ready to strike. Researchers have even found snakes that had already eaten two or three birds! Larger snakes on the ground might also eat birds that other smaller snakes have struck but couldn't eat. For the rest of the year, these snakes are mostly inactive.
