NATURAL HISTORY LECTURE SERVICE

SOME SNAKE FACTS
1.SOME SNAKES LAY EGGS (OVIPAROUS) PYTHONS. KING SNAKES. GRASS SNAKES. COBRAS.
OTHERS HAVE LIVE BABY'S (VIVIPAROUS) ADDERS. BOA CONSTRICTORS. RATTLESNAKES.
2.ALL SNAKES GROW A EGG TOOTH ON THE END OF ITS HEAD TO CUT THE SOFT EGGSHELL OPEN.
3.UNLIKE OTHER ANIMALS SNAKES DO NOT HAVE ANY HELP FROM THERE MOTHER WHEN THEY ARE BORN, ALL YOUNG ARE ABLE TO LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES FROM DAY ONE.
4.  THEY START TO SHED THERE SKIN AFTER THERE FIRST FEW MEALS. AND WILL DO THIS AT LEAST SIX TIMES IN THERE FIRST YEAR, AND GETTING LESS AS THEY GET BIGGER AND OLDER.
5.  ALL SNAKES ARE COVERED WITH SCALES ATTACHED TO SKIN. THEY HAVE NO EARS NO EYELIDS AND ALL HAVE TEETH. THERE FORKED TONGUE IS JUST FOR PICKING UP SCENTS AND NOTHING ELSE, THE TONGUE HAS NO POISON IT CANT STING OR BITE WITH IT. THEY HAVE A LONG TUBULAR BODY WITH A HEAD LONG STOMACH AND TAIL.
6.  ALL SNAKES HAVE SIX ROWS OF TEETH, FOUR ROWS IN THE TOP JAW AND TWO ROWS IN THE BOTTOM JAW. THE TEETH CONTINUALLY GROW PUSHING OUT THE OLD WITH THE NEW.
7.  THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF SNAKES POISONOUS AND NON POISONOUS. THE POISONOUS SNAKES INJECT THERE POISON THROUGH HOLLOW TEETH CALLED FANGS, THESE CAN BE AT THE FRONT MIDDLE OR TO THE BACK OF THE TOP JAW. THE NON POISONOUS SNAKES CONSTRICT THERE PREY BY HOLDING WITH THERE TEETH AND THEN THROWING THERE BODY AROUND THE ANIMAL.
8.BECAUSE SNAKES CANT CHEW THERE FOOD BEFORE THEY EAT IT LIKE US THEY HAVE TO SWALLOW THEIR PREY WHOLE. TO HELP ALL SNAKES CAN DISLOCATE THEY JAWS WHICH ARE HELD TOGETHER BY A ELASTICISED LIGAMENT. WITH THIS METHOD THEY CAN EAT MUCH LARGER PREY THAN THERE HEADS.
9.THE LOWER JAW IS ALSO LOOSELY HELD TOGETHER CREATING TWO MOVABLE HALVES.
10. ALL SNAKES BREATH AIR (INCLUDING SEA SNAKES,) THEY MUST COME TO THE SURFACE TO BREATH AND LAY THERE EGGS ON LAND.