Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Snake facts


Did you know that snake, like all reptiles are incapable of learning?
This is because they lack the enlarged Cerebral Hemispheres found in birds and mammals, this part of the brain controls learning and thought.

Did you know that snakes have no eyelids?
Instead of eyelids, snakes have a transparent scale protecting their eye.

Did you know that snakes are completely deaf?
All snakes are deaf to air born sounds but they do pick up vibrations in their jawbones and on their scent molecules on their tongue. These molecules are connected to the Jacobson's Organ.


Did you know that snakes move by using special muscles attached to their ribs?
If you put a snake on a smooth piece of glass, the snake will not be able to move because there is nothing to grab onto. The scales on their bellies also act as anchors.


Did you know that snakes can swallow big prey, three times bigger than their own mouth?
They are able to do this because they have special tendons in their mouth which can stretch very wide. On a couple of occasions, some snakes have swallowed whole Tigers. This would be equal to use swallowing a basketball!


Did you know that most snakes have over 200 teeth?
They use these teeth to hold their prey in place while eating. They cannot chew with these teeth because they are pointing backwards but they certainly can bite!


Do you know what snakes that climb trees are called?
Snakes that live or spend most of their time in trees are called Arboreal.


Did you know that snakes can't stop growing in their enclosures?
Most people think that if you put a snake in a small enclosure that it will stop growing or that it will grow so that it fits inside of the tank. This is not true.


The scientific study of reptiles and amphibians is called Herpetology!

People that study, keep and breed reptiles and amphibians are called Herpetologists!

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