Biting Mechanism in Snakes Opening and Closing of Mouth (Process of gnawing)

There are a total of more than 2,600 species of snakes worldwide, including marine species, and only 300 of these species are venomous. The number of species through the polar regions is slowly declining. There are only 300 species in pakistan and only 40 of them are poisonous. According to WHO records, 30,000 to 40,000 people die each year from snake bites in the world.

Biting Mechanism

The biting tools involved in the cutting process are - 

There is one sets of toxin organs every one is arranged on one or the other side of the upper jaw. The toxin organs are really the parotid organs. Each toxin organ is sac like in appearance. They are stood firm on in foothold by certain tendons. With the assistance of front tendon, the organ is appended with the maxilla. The back tendon is available between the organ and the quadrate. Likewise, fan-formed tendons are additionally arranged between the side dividers and squamosa-quadrate intersection. 

Each toxic substance organ is furnished with a limited channel at its foremost segment which passes at the edge of the upper jaw, circles over itself lastly opens at the base of the tooth. 

There is one sets of teeth in the upper jaw. They are developed maxillary teeth which are sharp and pointed. There is extraordinary force of recovery (when lost for reasons unknown). Based on design and position, the teeth are of the accompanying kinds : 

1) Proteroglyphous type: The teeth are relatively little and they are available before the maxillae. The tooth has a notch up and down its front face. Models : Cobra, Krait, Sea snakes and Coral snakes. 

2) Stenoglyphous type: The teeth are versatile and turned inside. Toxic substance channel goes through the tooth and opens at the tip. Models: Vipers and Rattle snakes. 

3) Opisthoglyphous type. The teeth are little and lie at the back part of maxillae. The tooth has a depression along its back face. Models : Some colubrid snake (African tree snakes) 

4) Aglyphous type: Aglyphous dentition is available in the non-noxious snakes. 

Related bones and muscles 

There are some significant bones and muscles which are straightforwardly or in a roundabout way connected with the instrument of gnawing. In the skull, maxillae, quadrate, pterygoid, squamosal's, ectopterygoids and palatines are versatilely expressed. Premaxillae are a lot of diminished. Squamosal's are approximately appended tocranium. The joint of quadrate and lower jaws goes about as support. Quadrates are too inexactly expressed with the head, pterygoid and lower jaw. Ectopterygoid is a cross over bone. 

The significant muscles are Digastric muscle, Anterior and Posterior temporalis muscles and Protractor-Pterygoid or Sphenopterygoid muscle. Furthermore, there are two additional muscles related with the toxin organs. These are masseter muscle and Mandibular constrictor muscle. 

The gastric muscle is joined with the squamosal bone anteriorly and with the base of the lower jaw (articular) posteriorly. 

The Sphenopterygoid muscle is joined to the Sphenoidal area anteriorly and dorsal surface of the Pterygoid posteriorly. Front and Posterior temporalis muscles are joined to the side dividers of the noggin and the lower jaw. 

Opening and Closing of Mouth (Process of gnawing) 

(i) When the digastric muscle gets, the mandible is brought down and the skull alongwith the upper jaws goes up. Thus, the mouth opens. 

(ii) The distal finish of the quadrate is pushed forward which pushes the pterygoid, palatine and cross over bar. 

(iii) Contraction of the Sphenopterygoid muscle likewise adds to the above cycle and Pterygoid is pulled forward and ectopterygoid is pushed upward. 

(iv) The upward development of ectopterygoid achieves a turn of maxilla on its own pivot and therefore teeth are raised. 

(v) The mouth closes by the withdrawal of front temporalis and pterygoid muscles. Teeth puncture into the skin of the person in question. 

(vi) Muscles related with the toxin organ (masseter and mandibular) contract and the toxic substance is pressed into the body of the casualty through the toxic substance channels and teeth. 

Snake Poison (Venom) 

Snake toxin is muddled combination of numerous natural mixtures, for instance — Protcolysins, Cardiotoxins, Haemorrhagin, Neurotoxins and Antibactericidum and so forth 

Different indications are appeared by the casualty of snake chomp by various snakes. In the cobra nibble the casualty feels agony, shortcoming and troublesome relaxing. There is plentiful salivation and successive regurgitating. The casualty additionally turns out to be a lot of dormant. There is mental meltdown too. In Krait toxin the casualty feels torment in midsection, rest indications resemble cobra. On account of snake poison, expanding at the spot of gnawing is extremely normal, additionally burst of endothelium, drain and blood coagulating are regular signs. Low circulatory strain and cardiovascular breakdown are additionally normal. 

Some Common Poisonous Snakes

 1. Naja tripudians 2. Naja bungarus (naja) 

3. Bungarus fasciatus 4. Bungarus niger 

Some Common Non Poisonous Snakes : 

Notwithstanding, numerous innocuous to-people snakes, as Hognose snakes, Garter snakes and Rat winds for instance, do deliver poisons that are experimentally or in fact venomous. 

Boas, pythons, bull snakes and ruler snakes are instances of genuinely non-venomous snake species.