thesurazification

The shade provided by the thick rainforest canopy protects numerous animals including snakes from the blistering tropical sun. Snakes are cold-blooded animals, and like all cold-blooded animals their body temperature depends on the temperature of their environment. Cold-blooded animals prefer warm weather and are sluggish in cold weather; therefore the constant warmth of the tropical rainforest is ideal for them. Although most tropical rainforest snakes live on the floor (ground) of the rainforest there are many that live and hunt in the trees. They have developed long thin bodies and scales that help them grip onto branches. Rainforest snakes are usually green or brown; this along with patterns that match the vegetation in their environment make for excellent camouflage. This camouflage helps protect them from predators and disguise them when hunting. Rainforest snakes are all carnivores and are either venomous or nonvenomous; most are non-venomous. Venomous snakes bite their prey and eject their venom which paralyzes the animal. Nonvenomous snakes often kill their prey by grabbing it and then swallowing it or as in the case of constrictors grabbing prey and squeezing it to death before swallowing it. Unfortunately, as is the case with many tropical rainforest animals, numerous species of rainforest snakes are threatened with extinction. This threat is caused mainly by destruction of their habitat by humans.