Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

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470

Milk snake

The nonvenomous milk

snake shown left is found all

over north america, down to

the north of south america.

The milk snake mimics the

coral snake to fool its

predators into leaving it

alone. The milk snake

itself hunts small

mammals, birds, and

other reptiles,

including rattlesnakes.

it coils around its prey

and chokes it to death.

lOnG, leGless, sCalY, and slithering, snakes are

a very successful group of reptiles. They are found

everywhere except the coldest regions, highest

mountain peaks, and a few islands. Most

snakes can swim and climb well. all

snakes are hunters. some, such as

pythons and boa constrictors,

squeeze and suffocate

their prey to death;

others, such as cobras,

paralyze their victims

with a venomous bite.

Fast-moving snakes, such

as sand snakes, hunt

down insects, small

birds, and mammals.

Blind snakes are burrowers that eat ants

and termites. More than 1,300 kinds of

snakes are venomous (poisonous), but

only some can give a fatal bite to

humans. Deadly venomous snakes

include cobras, boomslangs, and mambas.

YOunG snakes

some snakes are described as

viviparous, because they

give birth to fully

formed young.

Others lay eggs

in a burrow or

under a log,

leaving the

young to hatch

and fend for

themselves.

Certain kinds

of pythons coil

around the eggs

and protect them

until they hatch.

COnsTriCTOr

Boas and pythons are called

constrictors because they

constrict, or coil, around their prey

and suffocate it. There are 255

kinds of boas and pythons; they

include some of the largest snakes

on earth. anacondas are boas of

the amazon region in south

america. These massive snakes

reach more than 25 ft (8 m) in

length, and weigh 500 lbs (225 kg).

sea snake

There are more than 60 kinds of sea snakes—the yellow-bellied sea

snake, shown left, is the most common. it measures up to 32 in (80 cm)

in length, preys on fish, and gives birth to about 4-6 young inside tidal

pools. sea snakes spend their lives swimming in the warm waters of the indian

Ocean, around southeast asia, and australia, and in the western Pacific.

Snake’s long belly has large

scales called ventral scutes,

which overlap like tiles on a roof.

raTTlesnake

up to 7.8 ft (2.4 m) long, the

eastern diamondback is the largest

rattlesnake, and the most venomous snake in north

america. The rattlesnake feeds mainly on rats, rabbits, and

birds. unlike many other snakes, which lay eggs, the

rattlesnake gives birth to about 14 live young in late summer.

Emerald tree boa

constricts or

squeezes its prey.

Rattle at tip

of tail

The sea snake’s flattened body

follows S-shaped curves, pushing

sideways and backward.

Young grass snake hatches

from its egg headfirst and

flicks its tongue to sense

its surroundings.

Snakes

Find out more

animals

Desert wildlife

Forest wildlife

reptiles

spiders and scorpions

FanGs

The pair of hollow teeth at the front

of the upper jaw are called fangs. The

fangs lie flat along the jaw and swing forward

when the snake strikes. Muscles pump venom

from glands down the fangs into the victim.

raTTle

rattlesnakes are so named because they shake the

tip of the tail (the rattle) to scare off

predators. The rattle consists of

a row of hollow tail segments

that make a noise when the

snake shakes them.

snake CharMinG

This is an ancient

entertainment in africa

and asia. snake charmers

fascinate snakes with

movements that make the

snakes sway to the music.

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