Habu

Habu (Agkistrodon halys), refers to snakes in the subfamily Crotalinae, a diverse group of snakes in the family Viperidae. It includes the mysterious and unpredictable Trimeresurus genus, the eerie and venomous Crotalus genus, the ferocious and dangerous Tapanuli genus, the elegant and graceful Trimeresurus genus, the enchanting and beautiful Palm viper genus, the magnificent and splendid Armored viper genus, the unique and distinctive Sharp-nosed viper genus, the small and delicate Asian viper genus, and so on. They all belong to the class Reptilia, the family Viperidae, and the subfamily Crotalinae. In various regions of China, the Asian viper genus is most common, and the term "Habu" in China often refers to the short-tailed Habu (a common type of Habu). The scientific name "Agkistrodon" is derived from Greek, where "Ancistro" means "hook" and "odon" represents "tooth," referring to the well-known hook-shaped fangs of Habu. In addition to being used as food, it has significant medicinal value. It is easy to obtain the breeding source and the breeding methods are not difficult, making it a new type of aquaculture industry for the people to become wealthy. They are distributed throughout the country except for Guangdong, Hainan, and Guangxi. They have a slightly triangular head, a thick and short body, a short tail, and a dark brown color on the back with a row of dark brown circular patterns on the sides. They have strong cold resistance and mostly inhabit plains, hills, bushes, fields, and roadsides near water sources.

Chinese name: 蝮蛇

Latin name: Agkistrodon halys

Aliases: Earthball, Tuyu snake, Earth bag, Dog snake, Grass flying, Seven-inch, Ground snake

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Family: Viperidae

Genus: Agkistrodon

Species: Halys

Distribution: Most parts of China

Food: Rodents, frogs, birds, insects, rabbits

Reproductive mode: Ovoviviparity

Medicinal value: Dispel wind, calm, relieve pain, strengthen

Representative species: Sharp-nosed viper, Intermediate viper, Bamboo-leaf green

In the Bohai Sea, located in the northwestern part of Lushunkou District, Dalian City, Liaodong Peninsula, there is a Snake Island (Nature Reserve) with a total area of less than 1 square kilometer. The snake island is the only island in the world where the black-browed pit viper species survives, with nearly 20,000 venomous snakes living on the small island with an area of only 0.73 square kilometers. On Snake Island, there is still a miracle of the world: the unique pit viper that hibernates both in winter and summer. This snake can survive by feeding only a few times a year, and all other animals on the island have become extinct. Their strong vitality has allowed them to survive and reproduce on the island for millions of years.

It is not recommended to keep as pets. Habu (Agkistrodon halys) is a highly venomous snake and can be deadly if not treated promptly after being bitten.

(1) The classification of nematodes parasitic in the snake's body belongs to the phylum Nematoda. There are many species, mainly including stick nematodes, roundworms, papular nematodes, and small-headed snake-like tail nematodes.

① Stick nematode: The body is linear, 5-8 mm long, mostly parasitic in the lung alveoli of snakes such as Agkistrodon, generally heavy infection, most parasitic reproduction, and finally can cause the lungs to rot. Treatment: can be fed with levamisole, 2 tablets each time, or fed with four thymol (QuChongJing) 0.1-0.2 mg per 1000 grams of snake weight.

② Snake-gang nematode: 3-5 centimeters long, mostly parasitic in the serous tissue of the digestive organs of snakes like Agkistrodon, especially in the liver, forming nodules about the size of a soybean, with one to several in each nodule. When there are many nodules, severe lesions can cause the host to die. Treatment methods are the same as those for stick nematodes.

③ Papular nematodes and small-headed snake-like tail nematodes: These two parasites respectively parasitize the intestines of snakes such as Agkistrodon and small-headed snakes. The former is about 3 centimeters long, and the latter is less than 6 millimeters long, both with large females and small males. Treatment: feed four thymol (QuChongJing) 0.1-0.2 mg per 1000 grams of snake weight, or feed or inject levamisole.

(2) Spirochetes, also known as teat worms. They belong to arthropods and have female and male individuals. The female worm is about 5 centimeters long, and the male worm is smaller, about 2 centimeters long. They are found more in the bodies of large Agkistrodon. After snakes eat frogs, birds, and mice infected with the larvae, the larvae migrate to the lungs and trachea of the snakes and grow into adult worms.

① Symptoms: Infected snakes often stretch their bodies outside the nest, the snakes become abnormally thin, and the skin is wrinkled. Some worms can crawl through the throat to the oral cavity, blocking the snake's internal nostrils. Snakes often have gasping breathing. When infected severely, it can cause difficulty breathing and even suffocation. Some infections can cause death due to other diseases.

② Prevention and treatment: Pour refined dibucaine solution into the stomach. The dosage should be adjusted according to the snake's weight, and the dosage should be 0.01 grams per kilogram of snake weight, and it should be continuously poured for 3 days. Alternatively, pour Miechuning, 1-2 grams each time, once a day.

Refined dibucaine solution ingredients: Crush the solid dibucaine and put it into a heat-resistant glass container. Add an appropriate amount of water and heat it gently in a water bath, stirring constantly with a glass rod. After it is completely dissolved, add enough water and stir well.

(3) Snake ascaris belongs to the phylum Nematoda, the class Nematoda, and the family Ascarididae. It mostly parasitizes the digestive tract of larger non-toxic snakes such as pythons, rat snakes, and gray rat snakes, and can block the parasitic parts after a long period of parasitism.

① Symptoms: Infected snakes show loss of appetite, gradually becomes weak, often shakes their heads before death, and even hits the wall with their heads. Sometimes they may spit out mucus.

② Prevention and treatment: Use refined dibucaine, pour it into the stomach at a ratio of 1/1000 of the snake's weight, or use Quhuling, half a tablet each time, and take it with water for 3 consecutive days.

(4) Snake tapeworms belong to the phylum Platyhelminthes, the class Cestoda. The tapeworm larvae parasitic in the snake's body are called plerocercoid, with a head segment, a body with transverse wrinkles, and varying lengths, ranging from 20 centimeters to less than 1 centimeter. They parasitize under the skin, abdominal cavity, muscles, and other parts of the snake's body. When snake meat infected with tapeworms that have not been cooked is eaten by humans, the tapeworms can infect the human body and develop into adult worms. The adult worms are belt-like, composed of many segments, and have grooves, suckers, and hooks on their heads. They parasitize on the small intestine wall of cats, dogs, foxes, leopards, tigers, and other animals.

① Symptoms: The larvae parasitize in the snake's body, and parasitic nodules can be seen. Generally, they do not pose a major threat to the health of snakes, and the symptoms are not obvious. When they parasitize under the snake's skin, the body surface becomes rough, and the scales become raised with small nodules.

② Prevention and treatment: Can be cut open with a knife to remove the scolex, then apply 1%-2% iodine tincture (iodine) to the wound. When tapeworm infestation is severe, thymol dichlorvos, 2 grams per 12 grams of body weight, or chloronitroguanidine, 0.05 grams per kilogram of body weight, can be used for treatment.

Habu mainly feeds on mice, frogs, lizards, birds, and insects. It is advisable not to feed Habu with overly single food in artificial breeding to avoid nutritional imbalance. Due to the high medicinal value of Habu, there are now people who specialize in breeding Habu to get rich.

The reproduction, feeding, and activities of Habu are all constrained by temperature. Habu hardly feeds when the temperature is below 10℃; it hibernates when the temperature is below 5℃; the feeding peak is at 20℃ to 25℃; it enters snake holes for habitat at temperatures above 30℃ and generally does not feed. It is active at night and gradually comes out to search for food after the spring warms up.