Snakes are unfortunately still very misunderstood by many people. So we're bringing you 7 reasons why we think snakes are amazing animals that deserve our protection.
1. They have a very big family
According to the latest count, there are 3,789 snake species, making them the second largest group of reptiles after lizards. They are divided into30 different families and numerous subfamilies. Australia is home to approximately 140 of them.
2. They are “solar-powered” and rely fully on external heat or light sources
Reptiles sometimes get labelled ‘cold-blooded’ but this is incorrect as their blood isn’t actually cold. The accurate term is ectothermic, meaning their body temperature is variable and regulated by external sources.Unlike mammals and birds thatare able to internally regulate their body temperature, reptiles need to use sources of heat, like the sun, to warm up.
Photo by Alfonso Castro on Unsplash
3. Not all snakes lay eggs
You might have learned in school that reptiles are different from mammals because they lay eggs. While we like to classify and categorize everything around us, nature has its own rules. While approximately 70% of snakes lay eggs, others don’t. Snakes living in especially colder climateshavelive births because the eggs wouldn’t survive outside.
4. Snakes don't have eyelids
Ever wondered why snakes might give you an eerie feeling? They don’t have eyelids!This means they don’t blink and have to sleep with their eyes wide open. Instead of eyelids they have a thinmembrane attached to each eye to protect them. The membrane is called the ‘brille,’which in German means glasses.
5. They smell with their tongues
Snakes do have nostrils, but they don’t use them to smell. Instead they have evolved to smell with their tongue and by using their Jacobson’sorgan in the roof of their mouth. Their smell is quite excellent and has also been described as “smelling in stereo”. They have a forked tongue and multiplereceptorsable to pick up different amounts of chemical cues.
6. Their table manners are different than ours
When snakes are eating, they can’t helpbut to swallow their food wholebecause they can’t chew. Instead, snakes have very flexible lower jaws which allows them to eat animals who are 75% - 100% larger than their own head. The chemicals in their digestive track will do all the work and break down the food onceingested.
7. Snakes have 5 forms of locomotion
Imagine a snake moving through the grass.What do you picture? The well-known s-movement? This wouldn’t be surprising, because this is the most common form of locomotion in snakes, also known as lateral undulation. But snakes have four other types of movement. Arboreal snakes, for example, use aform of locomotion which uses seven times more energy, called concertina. There is even a special locomotion used for when a snake tries to escape on a smooth surface, known as slide pushing.
Photo byMarius MasalaronUnsplash
FAQs
Rather than using their nostrils to take in smells, snakes flick out their tongues. They have a unique structure called the Jacobson's organ on the roof of their mouth, which enables them to pick up scent molecules through their tongues.
Why are snakes so special? ›
These long, legless reptiles play an important role in the natural environment and food webs. Effective hunters and ambush predators, snakes use their highly-developed senses of sight, taste, hearing and touch to locate, recognise and track their prey.
What is the biggest snake facts? ›
The green anaconda is the largest snake in the world, when both weight and length are considered. It can reach a length of 30 feet (9 meters) and weigh up to 550 pounds (227 kilograms). To picture how big that is, if about five ten-year-olds lie down head to foot, they'd be about the length of this huge snake.
Can a snake swim? ›
Though all snakes swim on top of the water, poisonous water snakes can float when they stop. On the contrary, non-venomous snakes sink below the surface when stationary. Their head is the only part of their body that can be seen above the water.
How many years do snakes live? ›
It depends on the species, but most snakes tend to live long lives. For example, corn snakes have a lifespan of 5-10 years, ball pythons can live for 20-30 years, and kingsnakes often live for 12-15 years.
How long does a snake sleep? ›
Snakes spend much of their time sleeping. On average, snakes tend to sleep about 16 hours per day, though some species can sleep up to 22 hours a day! In fact, some species of snake brumate (or go dormant) during the winter for as long as eight months.
How long would a snake live? ›
How Long Do Snakes Live? Snakes reach sexual maturity within two to four years, depending on the species and living conditions. In perfect conditions, adult snakes live anywhere from 20 to 30 years, with natural predators and the encroachment of humans severely limiting the number of years most snakes live.
What is a lazy snake? ›
Because of this body shape, Puffies are not best suited for zipping around tree branches or slithering around quickly as you would associate with other snakes, they are much better suited for lying in wait, curled up in a coil-like shape which gives them the reputation for being a lazy snake.
What is the scariest snake alive? ›
Many snake experts have cited the black mamba and the coastal taipan as the world's most dangerous, albeit not the most venomous snakes. Both species are elapids, and in several aspects of morphology, ecology and behavior, the coastal taipan is strongly convergent with the black mamba.
How fast are snakes? ›
Crotalus cerastes, known as the sidewinder, horned rattlesnake or sidewinder rattlesnake, is a pit viper species belonging to the genus Crotalus, and is found in the desert regions of the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Like all other pit vipers, it is venomous.
WikipediaThe world mourns the tragic death of Ana Julia, the largest snake ever discovered. Found in the Amazon rainforest, her demise raises awareness of threats to biodiversity. Dutch researcher Professor Freek Vonk condemns the hunters responsible, emphasizing the importance of protecting these apex predators.
What do snakes do all day? ›
Snakes in the wild usually spend their time looking for food, looking for mates, seeking shelter, and looking for a warm sunny place to bask.
What is a cool fact about a snake? ›
THEY CAN SMELL WITH THEIR TONGUES.
A snake uses its tongue to help it smell. It flicks its long, forked tongue to pick up chemical molecules from the air, ground, or water. The tongue carries the smelly molecules back to two small openings in the roof of the snake's mouth where they're analyzed. Mmmm, lunch!
