Transcript Universidad Latina de Panamá

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
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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.
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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
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The hundred six species of not poisonous snakes
of Panama are grouped in six families:
Anomalepididae
Boidae
Colubridae
Leptotyphlopidae
Tropidophiidae
Ungaliophiidae
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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false X (Xenodon rabdocephalus)
coloring pattern: similar to the poisonous snake known
as "X“
it imitates even in its aggressive behavior.
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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)
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Tropidophiidae (with a specie)
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Ungaliophiidae (with a specie).
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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
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In Panama we have twenty species of
poisonous snakes, grouped in two
families:
Elapidae (the true corals)
Viperidae (vipers).
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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.
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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.
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The most common "coral" in Panama is
the Micrurus nigrucinctus, with rings of
three arranged colors in the sequence redyellow-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".
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Viperidae
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They are vipers gathered in eleven species.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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".
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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Endemic
Endemico
Predator
Depredador
Inhabits
Habitad
Neurotoxic Neurotóxico
Humid ForestBosque 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