Did you know of an animal in the countryside called the "Dog Woman Snake"?
The animal is very similar in appearance to a snake, but with 4 extra legs, so much so that some people often confuse it with geckos. In the summer, it is often found in the grass and near the small river, lying there leisurely basking in the sun.
When someone approaches, it will immediately run away, and its courage is particularly small. However, although many people have seen it, few people can understand its habits.
So, is this little animal a pest or a beneficial insect? If you accidentally catch it, will it be harmful to people?
It is said to be a "dog snake", which is actually mainly called it in parts of Hunan. However, there are still some areas where people will call it "snake aunt".
In the legends of these places, the "dog snake" and the snake are related, and the "dog snake" is the brother-in-law of the snake, and it also loves the snake very much. Whenever the snake is injured or interrupted by someone else, the "dog snake" will sprinkle a wave of urine on the snake's wound, so that the snake's wound will recover.
Of course, the "dog snake" is not a snake at all, this is just a story made up by people in ancient times based on their image.
In addition, in more places, people will figuratively call it the "four-legged snake".
However, the scientific name of this small animal is actually called "Stone Dragon Zi", or also known as "Chinese Stone Dragon Zi". Stone dragon is a reptile belonging to the genus Stone Dragon, so it has little to do with geckos, snakes, etc. Adult stone dragons are larger, often growing to about 20 to 30 centimeters.
Stone dragon is a daytime animal that often likes to stay in the field or on the stone, and the reason for this is actually to find opportunities to hunt prey.
Stone dragons mainly feed on some small insects, such as rat women, ants, earthworms, etc., or small frogs, tadpoles, etc., and in the absence of food, they will also choose to eat the stems and leaves of some plants. If there is no meat, they choose to eat vegetarian, so it can be seen that the survivability of the stone dragon is still relatively strong.
I believe that many friends who spent time in the countryside when they were young should have caught shi longzi, although the appearance is more like a snake, but they will still be grabbed and played with by bold children with their bare hands.
He would also tie his stomach with a rope, and then drag the long rope and carry it around like a dog. Even children can bully it, so it can be seen that the stone dragon cannot cause harm to people, which is really sorry for its appearance.
So, is the stone dragon a pest or a beneficial insect?
From the perspective of the feeding habits of the stone dragon, its main food is some agricultural pests, according to scientists, 46% of the insects eaten by the stone dragon are pests.
Moreover, because the summer weather is relatively warm, it is suitable for pests to breed, and it is also this time that the stone dragon likes to come out to forage, which will also inhibit the number of pests.
Therefore, in general, Shilongzi still played a big role in helping agriculture. Although occasionally it steals vegetable stems and leaves, it has little effect on the benefits they bring. And people have been eating meat, vegetarian supplements under other nutrients is not also the right thing to do.
However, although the stone dragon did not bring any harm to humans, many people saw its edible value and hunted it wildly. And from a medical point of view, shilongzi is indeed a medicinal herb.
In the ancient famous medical book "Shennong Materia Medica", it was recorded that after the stone dragon was peeled and dried, it could be used in medicine, and it was conducive to water and detoxification. It is for these reasons that the people who hunt it become more unscrupulous.
Many years ago, the number of stone dragons was still relatively large, but it was difficult to see in the city. But at that time, people preferred wild game.
At that time, a large stone dragon could be sold for more than a dozen pieces. Most of these captured stone dragons were sent to restaurants or barbecues. The large number of people's hunting has also directly led to a sharp decline in the population of stone dragons.
In addition, many of today's rural areas have built wide cement roads, no longer the mud roads of the past, so the stone dragons are no longer willing to play on the road.
Moreover, under the influence of many modern pesticides and herbicides, not only the number of insects has decreased, but the number of stone dragons has also decreased sharply.
As a result, many of the current species of stone dragons are listed as national protected animals, and if they are not protected, they may face endangerment in the future. So if we see them, don't hurt them anymore.