<p>Snakes can be dangerous even after they are dead as they retain reflexes hours after death.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"A snake's post-mortem movements are fueled by the ions, or electrically charged particles, which remain in the nerve cells of a snake for several hours after it dies," Steven Beaupre, professor at the University of Arkansas in the US, was quoted as saying in media reports.<br /><br />When the nerve of a newly dead snake is stimulated, the channels in the nerve will open up, allowing ions to pass through.<br /><br />This creates an electrical impulse that enables the muscle to carry out a reflexive action, like a bite.<br /><br />"For poisonous snakes like cobras and rattlesnakes, biting is one of the reflexes that can be activated in the brain even hours after the animal dies," Beaupre added.<br /><br />"Snakes in general are well known for retaining reflexes after death," Beaupre was quoted as saying by Live Science.<br /><br />"Many ectothermic, or cold-blooded, vertebrate including species of reptiles and amphibians, share this quality," he explained.</p>
<p>Snakes can be dangerous even after they are dead as they retain reflexes hours after death.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"A snake's post-mortem movements are fueled by the ions, or electrically charged particles, which remain in the nerve cells of a snake for several hours after it dies," Steven Beaupre, professor at the University of Arkansas in the US, was quoted as saying in media reports.<br /><br />When the nerve of a newly dead snake is stimulated, the channels in the nerve will open up, allowing ions to pass through.<br /><br />This creates an electrical impulse that enables the muscle to carry out a reflexive action, like a bite.<br /><br />"For poisonous snakes like cobras and rattlesnakes, biting is one of the reflexes that can be activated in the brain even hours after the animal dies," Beaupre added.<br /><br />"Snakes in general are well known for retaining reflexes after death," Beaupre was quoted as saying by Live Science.<br /><br />"Many ectothermic, or cold-blooded, vertebrate including species of reptiles and amphibians, share this quality," he explained.</p>