All about Snakes

There is a great number of snake species in the world – over 3000. They can be huge (Green anaconda) or small (The Pigmy rattlesnake). They can be venomous or non-venomous. Out of this number about 375 of them are venomous. The snakes can also be found in many different habitats. Some snakes live in trees, other snakes live under the ground, and some snakes prefer living in water. In the next few lines we are going to read some very interesting facts about snakes.
• The body of the snakes is very flexible and without limbs. Depending on their habitat the shape of the snakes can be different. Snakes that live under the ground are generally compact, snakes living in water are flatter than others, while those that spend most of their times in trees are long and slim.

• The colour of the snakes also varies from type to type. Brightly colored snakes are generally poisonous and the reason they have bright colours is because they have to frighten their natural predators. It has been noted that certain types of non-venomous snakes have bright colours for the same reason.Snakes with dull colours need it in order camouflage and catch their prey more easily.

• The difference in size between the longest snake in the world, the green anaconda (38 feet) and the smallest snake, the Brahminy blind snake (2 inches) is unbelievable.

• Snakes can’t generate body heat and keep their temperature constant which puts them in the group of are cold-blooded animals. They depend on the heat of the surrounding area and the sun.

• Snakes need to shed their skin at certain stages of their life. This process is popular as molting. When time comes, snakes rub their head against rocks or trees and their skin peels down from the head and at the end the old skin is completely removed and inside out.

• Snakes do not have eyelids and they can’t hear airborne sounds. They pick up the vibrations from the ground using their jawbones. They use their tongue to smell.

• Snakes have an extremely slow metabolism. They can live without food for a very long time after they have eaten a big meal. Snakes can swallow prey 3 times larger than their mouth.




As you can see snakes are quite interesting. Too bad some of them are endangered today for many different reasons.