On Dec 28, 2005, at 1:50 PM, Gary Sibio wrote:
On Dec 28, 2005, at 1:51 AM, Gary Sibio wrote:
Snakes don't see more than a few feet in front of them anyway. (The
Spitting Cobra may be an exception to this.)
Oy, and how would you know how far a snake can see?
A penchant for reading and a 45 year fascination with snakes.
I think it is a matter of terminology. If the sun is in a snake's
field of view, I'm sure the snake can see it. That's 93 million
miles away. I think what you were trying to say is that snakes can
only see clearly a few feet in front of them, or in other words that
they are near-sighted. AFAIK, snakes have good eyes and can see color.
From:
http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/Snakes
Snakes have no eyelids and cannot close their eyes. Their eyes are
protected by a clear scale which is part of their skin and
functions like a spectacle. Many snakes have excellent eyesight,
particularly some of the daytime predators (such as whip snakes),
and most have good eyesight at least over short distances.
I, too, have a long-term fascination with snakes, lizards, and all
things scaly. I've never been frightened of snakes at all, although
I am cautious when handling poisonous ones. If I see a snake in the
road when I am driving, I always stop and make sure it gets out of
the road, even if I have to pick it up and carry it. One of the few
things that will make me lose my temper is someone harassing an
innocent snake.
It's really sad that the superstitious associate snakes with evil.
Bob
