Animal's Body: size, color, type of covering and special body parts.

Snakes can be as short as two inches, and up to 38 feet long.

Snakes are found in a range of colors, from bright to dull. Brightly colored snakes are usually poisonous. Dull colored snakes use their color for camouflage.

Snakes are covered with scales. Scales are hard pieces of skin. The scales cover the snake's skin and protect the body of the snake. Snakes shed their skin three to six times a year.

Snakes can separate their lower jaw from the upper jaw to eat their prey whole. To keep prey from escaping, their teeth face backwards.

Snakes that live in water usually have a flattened body. They also have flattened tails that work like paddles in the water. Those living in trees are long and slender. Burrowing snakes tend to be compact.

Snakes have a forked tongue they use to smell with.

Animal's Habitat: location in the world they live, type of habitat, and type of home.

Snakes are found all across the world except Antarctica, and the islands of Iceland, Ireland, Greenland and New Zealand.

Most snakes are found in tropical regions.

Snakes are found in many habitats including in the water, forests, deserts and prairies. Some snakes live mostly on the ground, others in trees. Some snakes live in underground tunnels. Sea snakes live in the water.

Animals Living Habits: eating, sleeping and moving.

All snakes are meat eaters. They eat insects, rodents, birds, frogs, small mammals and other reptiles. Snakes hunt mostly at night. Poisonous snakes inject their prey with venom, while constrictors squeeze their prey.

Snakes sleep during the day. Even though they are sleeping, snakes do not close their eyes. Snakes also hibernate. Dens sometimes have hundreds of hibernating snakes in them.

Snakes must do special things to move because they don't have arms and legs. They can crawl, climb and swim. Here are several ways a snake can move:

1. Most snakes move by using the scales on the underside of their body to push against the ground. These snakes move in an S-shaped motion.
   
2. Slide-pushing is where snakes contract their body's muscles. They move forward at a very slow pace.
   
3. Snakes can also curl their tails around the trunk of a tree and then push its body up.
   
4. Side winding is also used by a few species found in deserts.
   
5. Boas, pythons, and some vipers use uses their stomach scales as anchor points to move.
   
6. Some vipers move by jumping.

Snakes are very agile. But the speed of even the fastest snakes is less than 10 miles per hour.

Snakes can also swim.

Fun Facts

• There are about 2,700 species of snakes.
• 375 species are venomous.
• Snakes regulate their body temperature by sunning themselves or retreating to cool, shaded areas.
• Rattlesnake's rattles are made of scales.

For information, contact John Dyer, Media Specialist, Aquila Primary Center.