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Previous Issues > April 2007 > Wildville! > Snakes
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 Wildville!
Snakes
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Suropsida
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
 There are over 2,900 species of snakes! Out of that number, only 300 are poisonous. Snakes have a bad reputation among people, but most only bite when they are bothered or afraid. They live all over the world, except for the North and South Poles.
Snakes have long narrow bodies without legs or arms. Because their bodies are narrow, they have little room in their bodies for organs, and some do not have a left lung. Snakes are covered in scales and have no eyelids or external ears. Snakes have poor hearing and vision, but have other ways to know whats going on around them. Because they slither on the ground, snakes can sense vibrations of other animals walking nearby. Snakes cannot smell well, but they can taste the air. They stick out their forked tongues, and particles from the surroundings stick to the tongue. The snake then touches its tongue to the roof of its mouth, where the Jacobsons organ is located. This organ sorts out the particles from the tongue to tell the snake about its surroundings.
Snakes eat small animals, like mice, rodents, birds, lizards and sometimes other snakes. Some snakes eat other things, like eggs, frogs or fish. They do not chew their food, but swallow it whole. This is sometimes hard because a snakes prey may be larger than its mouth. Snakes have a special kind of lower jawbone that unattaches from the upper jawbone so snakes can open their mouths wide. Often, snakes will eat something bigger than their own heads! Digestion takes a long time for snakes, and they will not move much while they are digesting. They can go for weeks or months without eating.
Snakes from the Chrysopelea genus have a special ability: flying! Actually, these snakes flatten out their bodies to glide from heights, similar to a flying squirrel. These kinds of snakes live in South Asia.
Ashley Genova is a contributing writer from Fayetteville, NC. Sources: Britannica Encyclopedia Online; Britannica Student Encyclopedia; Wikipedia, Snakes.
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