Watch this if you're scared of snakes - Andrew Whitworth

翻译人员: Zhi Ji 校对人员: Yuwei Wu

We get it, not everyone loves snakes.

我们都知道，不是所有人都喜欢蛇。

You may not want to encounter one in the wild.

你不会希望在野外遇到一条蛇。

To each their own!

任何一条！

That’s why we’re here, to take you on a world tour

作为你私人勇敢的向导，

of some of nature’s most incredible snakes from the safety of your home—

我们将带你离开安全的家，

and with your very own intrepid guide.

去探索世界上最不可思议的蛇。

All the snakes we’ll be visiting belong to a group called the vipers.

我们将拜访的都是毒蛇。

As of 2021, there are 368 species of viper worldwide.

截至 2021 年， 全世界有 368 种毒蛇。

The name comes from the term viviparity, which means giving birth to live young.

viper（毒蛇）一词来源于 viviparity（卵胎生），

意思是卵在母体内 发育成新的个体后才产出。

Unlike most snakes, which lay eggs,

不像其他蛇产卵繁殖，

most vipers have eggs that hatch inside the mother,

多数毒蛇在母蛇体内孵卵，

who then gives birth to up to dozens of tiny snakes.

然后直接产下数十条幼蛇。

Not glad you’re safe at home yet?

迫不及待离开安全的家了吗？

Vipers are also often highly venomous,

毒蛇上颚两颗中空的尖牙中

with two hollow fangs that fold flat to the roofs of their mouths.

含有致命的毒液。

This allows the fangs to be extra long,

当毒蛇准备攻击的时候，

unfolding into imposing weapons when the viper prepares to strike.

这些特别长的毒牙 就成为了可怕的武器。

So how about we pay them a surprise visit?

那么我们给它们一个惊喜拜访如何？

First stop: the southeastern United States,

第一站：美国东南部，

where we can hear the viper before we can see it.

未见其“蛇”先闻其声。

The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the largest of 36 species of rattlesnake.

东部菱形背纹响尾蛇是 36 种 响尾蛇中体型最大的。

Rattlesnakes can shake their rattles up to 90 times per second

响尾蛇的尾巴 可以每秒摇动 90 次，

to warn off predators for hours if needed.

必要时可以持续数小时警告入侵者。

The rattle consists of hollow, interlocked segments made of keratin,

它的尾巴由中空、 互锁的角蛋白小段组成，

the same substance that makes our nails and hair.

与我们指甲、毛发的构成物质相同。

When the snake shakes its tail, these segments hit each other,

当响尾蛇摇动尾巴时， 这些结构互相碰撞，

creating a shockingly loud noise.

就会发出令人厌恶的响亮声音。

Now onto the mountains of western Iran, where a spider crawls across a rock,

接着来到伊朗西部的山上， 一只蜘蛛爬过岩石，

making easy prey for a passing bird— or not.

成为了路过鸟儿的猎物—或者相反。

The spider-tailed horned viper is perfectly camouflaged, almost invisible,

蛛尾拟角蝰是个 完美的伪装者，几乎如同隐身

except for its unique bulbous tail-tip with long drooping scales

除了它带有下垂长鳞片的 圆鼓形特殊尾尖

that look like a leggy spider.

看上去就像一只长腿蜘蛛

Spider-tailed vipers are only about 50 centimeters long,

蛛尾毒蛇只有大约 50 厘米长，

so they can lure small birds within striking range

因此它们可以将小鸟 吸引到攻击距离内进行诱捕，

without compromising their ability to squeeze into narrow rock crevices.

同时不会妨碍他们躲在 狭窄的岩石缝隙中的能力。

In the rainforests of Latin America lives a viper

在拉丁美洲的雨林中 生活着一种毒蛇，

that couldn’t be more different from the spider-tailed viper—

与蛛尾毒蛇有着世界上 最大的区别—

if you can find it.

如果你还能找到其他的。

It’s one of the most elusive snakes in the world:

那是世界上最难捕捉的一种蛇：

the bushmaster.

美洲大毒蛇。

The bushmaster is a pit viper.

大毒蛇是一种颊窝毒蛇。

Between each eye and nostril, it has a heat-sensing pit

在它每侧的眼睛和鼻孔之间 有个热感应窝

with a membrane covered in highly sensitive receptors

外面覆盖着保护膜， 里面有高度敏感的受体

that respond to temperature changes

可以精确感受到

as small as one one-thousandth of a degree Celsius.

千分之一摄氏度的温度变化。

These pits gather infrared information that is integrated with visual information

这些窝可以收集热红外信息

in the optic tectum.

并与视觉信息进行融合。

This allows the bushmaster to “see” the heat signature

使得美洲大毒蛇可以“看到”

of approaching prey or predators,

潜在猎物或捕食者的热信号，

helping it decide whether or not to strike and strike more accurately.

帮助它决定是否攻击 以及更准确的攻击。

This comes in handy for guarding a nest—

这也有助于守卫巢穴— —

unlike most other vipers, the bushmaster lays eggs

不像大多数其他毒蛇，

in hollowed out tree buttresses or burrows made by other animals.

大毒蛇把蛋产在空树洞里 或其他动物挖的洞里。

It must be large enough to defend its nest—

洞必须足够大以便于它保护巢穴— —

in fact, the bushmaster is the largest viper in the world,

实际上大毒蛇是世界上最大的毒蛇，

reaching lengths of over 11 feet, with huge fangs and deadly venom.

长度超过 11 英尺， 拥有巨大的毒牙和致命的毒液。

Meanwhile, in the forests of sub-Saharan Africa,

另外，在撒哈拉以南非洲的丛林里，

there’s a shorter, chunkier viper that’s even more venomous than the bushmaster.

有一种稍短、稍笨重的毒蛇 比大毒蛇毒性更强。

The African Gaboon viper has the longest fangs of any snake—

非洲加蓬蝰蛇拥有蛇类最长的尖牙，

yes, all 3,879 snake species, not just vipers—

是的， 3,879 种蛇类都有， 而不仅仅是毒蛇—

and can deliver 1,000 milligrams of venom in a single bite—

它一次喷射可以射出 1,000 毫克毒液—

enough to kill ten adult humans.

足以杀死10个成人。

Although deadly, Gaboon vipers have a reputation

尽管致命，加蓬蝰蛇却有个

for being slow-moving and placid creatures.

移动缓慢、性情平和的名声。

When they do strike, they hold onto their rodent prey while the venom takes effect,

当它们攻击时，会咬住啮齿类猎物 慢慢等待毒性发作，

then quickly swallow it down.

然后快速把猎物吞下。

At this point, you may be worrying about our guide— but never fear,

说到这儿，你可能 会担心我们的向导—

rodents like our little desert kangaroo rat have their own skills

不用担心，小沙漠袋鼠 这种啮齿类动物

to evade the serpent’s tooth.

有自己逃脱蛇口的绝招。

They stomp their feet at rattlesnakes, kick sand towards them,

它们的脚重重的将沙子踢向毒蛇，

and evade their strikes with acrobatic leaps and powerful kicks—

用灵巧的跳跃 和有力的蹬踢躲避进攻—

helping them live to guide another snake tour.

这样就可以活着开始下一次 蛇类之旅的向导旅程。