Slithery Snakes

Slithery Snakes

Introduction Snakes are reptiles, a class of animals that also includes lizards and turtles. Snakes have no limbs. They come in many lengths, patterns, and colors. There are several thousand types of snakes. They live in oceans, in trees, and on land, and they have adapted to survive in unusual ways.

Snakes live almost everywhere except Antarctica. Some places don't have any snakes. Snakes do not live in the wild on islands such as Ireland, New Zealand, and Iceland. Some snakes in the wild may live up to twenty-five years.

Snake Traits Like all reptiles, snakes are cold-blooded. Their body temperature changes as the temperature around them changes. If a snake needs to warm up, it lies in the sun. If it needs to cool down, it rests in the shade. Snakes become much less active in winter. Some snakes that live through cold winters find a place underground or beneath a rock pile to stay warm. Another way snakes stay warm is by looping around each other to share body heat.

Snakes have a long backbone with ribs. Their backbone is made up of many separate bones. Because of this, they can move in many different ways. A snake's body is covered in scales. The scales protect it. They also help keep the snake dry. The scales grow from the snake's skin. Some snakes' scales are colorful. Other scales help them blend in with their surroundings. Since snakes have no arms or legs, they use their scales and muscles to move. The scales on their belly tightly grip the surface beneath them. Their muscles help them move from side to side, or slither, along the ground. Some snakes even use their muscles and scales to climb trees.

Snake scales look like a single sheet of skin. Snakes don't really shed skin. Instead, they shed the outer layers of their scales. Snakes may shed up to four times per year. This is called molting. During molting, a snake rubs against a hard object such as a rock or log. Rubbing helps its skin stretch and split. Then the snake crawls out and leaves it behind. Snakes shed for several reasons. Young snakes shed more often than older snakes because they outgrow the skin faster. Unlike other animals, snakes' skin does not stretch as they grow. Another reason snakes shed is to get rid of parasites that may grab on to their old skin.