Snakes
There are over 3,000 different kinds of snakes. Some snakes can be as long as a car.
A python
Photo by Graham J. Alexander is in the Public Domain
The shortest snake is the thread snake. It is just 10cm long.
A thread snake
By Blair Hedges, Penn State via Wikimedia Commons
Snakes are reptiles. Reptile skin is dry and has scales.
All snakes eat animals and some snakes eat other snakes! Just a few kinds of snakes can kill us.
This snake is eating a duck's egg.
How they kill
Snakes catch food with their sharp teeth. Some snakes have large teeth. They are called fangs.
Snakes catch food with their sharp teeth. Some snakes have large teeth. They are called fangs.
Poison flows through holes in the snake's fangs. Some poisons stop animals from moving and some poisons can kill an animal.
Photo by Jayendra Padmakar Chiplunkar is via Wikimedia Commons and licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Some snakes squeeze their strong body around an animal to stop it breathing.
All snakes gulp down their food whole without chewing.
All snakes gulp down their food whole without chewing.
This snake has eaten an egg!
Where they live
Snakes live in forests, mountains, deserts, grassy plains and seas. Some snakes live in trees. These snakes can climb well. Many snakes that live in trees are green.
Snakes live in forests, mountains, deserts, grassy plains and seas. Some snakes live in trees. These snakes can climb well. Many snakes that live in trees are green.
All snakes can swim. As snakes have lungs, they need to come to the surface to breathe air.
Photo from Pixabay is in the public domain.
Snake skin
Snakes shed their skin as they grow. The snake rubs its head on a rock or log to split open the top layer of its skin. Then the snake wiggles out leaving the old skin behind in one piece.
Snakes shed their skin as they grow. The snake rubs its head on a rock or log to split open the top layer of its skin. Then the snake wiggles out leaving the old skin behind in one piece.
Photo from Pixabay is in the public domain.
Baby snakes
Most snakes lay eggs. The eggs have soft shells. Their babies grow inside the eggs.
A snake with her eggs
By Tigerpython (own work) via Wikimedia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
When a baby snake is ready to hatch, it bites a hole in the egg's shell. Next it pokes its head out through the hole. It then wiggles its body out of the shell.
A baby snake is hatching from its soft shell.
Photo from Pixabay is in the public domain.