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Article: Crossing paths with a snake.
- Article from:
- FDA Consumer
- Article date:
- July 1, 1987
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1987 U.S. Government Printing Office. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Crossing Paths with a Snake
In all the history of man, no creature has evoked more attractionand repulsion, more fear or fascination, than the snake. From drawings etched in stone caves to masterful marble carvings, the serpent has always been accorded special spiritual and mystical meaning.
The reasons for this obsession are many. Graceful and ableto move effortlessly, the snake appears to defy nature. Impeccably clean and clad in stunning or subtle colors, it mysteriously sheds its skin regularly. But most of all, the fascination with the snake can be traced to its venom and poisonous bite.
Not all snakes are venomous, of course. Of an ...