Shrenches' shawl (Amur shoe)

Amursky skid, or otherwise Shrenka is the serpent of the familyIt is widespread in the Far East. This reptile perfectly adapts to the habitat in a number of natural areas: from steppes to coniferous forests. In the territory

The Russian Federation Amur Passes most oftenoccurs in Primorye and Khabarovsk Territory. And the places of his residence can vary considerably: a dry forest zone, wetlands near water bodies, flood meadows, an attic of a dwelling house or a farmer's garden. This species is found even in the mountains at an altitude of 1 km above sea level.

Adult amur skid can grow a littlemore than 2 meters. The male, as a rule, is much larger than the female. The back of a snake can have all shades - from dark brown to black. Figure of the transverse bands may be absent from such a snake as the Amur strip. The photo shows that the abdomen of the reptile is always bright - of different shades. Shrenka has two subspecies. Russian skid and Chinese skid. Subspecies differ mainly in size - the second, as the inhabitant of warmer climatic zones - is larger. Amurskogo skid leads a daily life. At night, sleeping, climbing into a shelter, which can serve as a hollow tree, haystacks, burrows

animals, crevices in the stones. In the cold season shrenka hibernates in October, and wakes up in April. At this time, individuals gather in groups, sometimes up to 35 pieces.

Amurskogo skate beautifully climbs the trees. He can climb to a height of 10 meters. Sexual maturity reptiles of this species reach in the third year of life. In spring, after wintering, adults gather in a certain place, which remains unchanged from year to year. Males pick up a pair and achieve its location by stroking the head of the torso of the female. When the marriage period is over, the snakes creep through their territories, and the females carry eggs. Pregnancy lasts a little over a month. In mid-July, females lay small eggs, they can be up to 30 pieces. Nest can serve as a sheltered place with a loose and damp litter. There are also collective nests. In one of these nests scientists have found more than a hundred eggs.

Young cocks appear on the light prettylarge. Many of them die during the first wintering, because there are not so many suitable shelters. The Amur shoe feeds on small mammalian animals and their young, birds and chicks, frogs and eggs. Smaller victims of the snake swallow immediately, more large - initially suffocating, squeezing rings around the trunk or pressing down to the surface of the earth. If the skid falls into a dangerous situation, it first tries to retire. But if flight is impossible - hisses and attacks. A large individual can cope with a small hare or rat. The Chinese keep snakes of this species as pets instead of cats, as they perfectly cope with the destruction of rats and mice.

The idle talk about the poisonous Amur shoe is far from being harmless, as people, without hesitation, exterminate these reptiles. The number of the stance is steadily decreasing.