Snake Facts

Snake Facts

·         Snakes are carnivores (meat eaters).

·         Snakes don’t have eyelids.

·         Snakes can’t bite food so have to swallow it whole.

·         Snakes have flexible jaws which allow them to eat prey bigger than their head!

·         Snakes are found on every continent of the world except Antarctica.

·         Snakes have internal ears but not external ones.

·         Snakes used in snake charming performances respond to movement, not sound.

·         There are around 3000 different species of snake.

·         Snakes have a unique anatomy which allows them to swallow and digest large prey.

·         Snakes are covered in scales.

·         Snakeskin is smooth and dry.

·         Snakes shed their skin a number of times a year in a process that usually lasts a few days.

·         Some species of snake, such as cobras and black mambas, use venom to hunt and kill their prey.

·         Snakes smell with their tongue.

·         Pythons kill their prey by tightly wrapping around it and suffocating it in a process called constriction.

·         Some sea snakes can breathe partially through their skin, allowing for longer dives underwater.

·         Anacondas are large, non-venomous snakes found in South America that can reach over 5 m (16 ft) in length.

·         Python reticulates can grow over 8.7 m (28 ft) in length and are considered the longest snakes in the world.