The word ophidium comes from the Greek, specifically from ophidium, which means snake. It is a term typical of zoology and it refers to an order of the animal kingdom, the snakes, more popularly known as snakes.
Snakes are part of reptiles
It should be noted that the noun reptile corresponds to the verb crawl, since most of these animals move by crawling on the ground or other surfaces
Reptiles are vertebrate animals. Its body is covered with hard scales that provide armor to its body and serve as protection. They have lung respiration and therefore breathe like human beings. At the same time, they are cold-blooded, that is, they do not maintain body temperature with internal mechanisms but rather from ambient temperature.
Almost all reptiles are oviparous, so their embryonic development takes place in an egg. From the point of view of zoological classification, it is estimated that there are more than 8000 species of reptiles. They inhabit every continent on Earth, except Antarctica.
With regard to their defense mechanisms, they employ all kinds of strategies: camouflage, flight or attack through a bite.
They are divided into three major orders: chelonians, crocodilians, and squamous. An example of chelonians are turtles. Crocodiles are part of the second category.
Finally, the squamosos are divided into two suborders: saurians or lizards and snakes or snakes.
Some facts about snakes
There are more than 3000 different species. Among the larger ones, the Burmese python, the African rock python or the reticulated python stand out. Some of them are harmless, but others are extremely poisonous, such as the rattlesnake or the death viper (in medicine, ophidism is the discipline that studies clinical pictures derived from snake bites).
As a general criterion, the most poisonous snakes are those with intense colors.
From the perspective of the evolutionary theory of species, the first snakes appeared in the Cretaceous period.
Regarding their habitat, they can live on land, in fresh water or salt water. With regard to locomotion, most of these animals have scales on the belly that allow them to crawl by moving their muscles and ribs. As a curious fact, it should be noted that in some Pacific islands there are no snakes but lizards.
Snakes and their relationship with humans
From a historical point of view, the serpent has been associated with the idea of evil. In the Bible it symbolizes the concept of sin. In mythological stories these animals also appear as threatening creatures. It could be said that they are a universal symbol in all human civilizations.
If someone has a disproportionate fear of snakes, this phenomenon is known as ophidiophobia. The ancestral fear of snakes is not exclusive to humans, since other primates also have a reaction of dread in their presence.
Photo: Fotolia - Thomas
