SNAKES LIVED WITH SOME SNAKES DINOSAURS Snakes slithered onto the scene CAN DISAPPEAR more than 100 million years ago, when Snakes are great hunters, but they dinosaurs still roamed the Earth. More often become prey themselves. Birds, primitive snakes, such as boas and pythons, raccoons, foxes and other animals have have traces of hind leg bones in their a taste for snakes. And one way to hide is skeletons. This shows that they evolved from camouflage. Many snakes sport colours and lizard-like animals with legs. Snakes lost patterns that allow them to blend in with their limbs over time, but because their their surroundings. For instance, a green bodies are on the ground, they can tree python looks like a vine when it sense vibrations that tell them coils itself around a branch. A yellow when food – or danger – is eyelash viper blends in with nearby. flowers. And a rainbow boa disappears in leaves or tree stumps! SNAKES CAN’T HEAR Snakes don’t have external ears to hear sound waves in the air. Instead, bones in their lower jaw pick up vibrations in the ground or water. The vibes trigger signals in the snakes’ brains, which are received as Open wide messages. Sss-super! for the sedge SNAKES viper! DID YOU DON’T CHEW KNOW...? Ever feel so hungry you could swallow a meal in one gulp? Well, a snake can! Its Ireland has NO native Is this lower jawbone is hinged very loosely, so it snake species. The only can open its mouth really wide. Backward- other places without a vine snakes are New Zealand, snake curved teeth are designed to grab prey and Iceland, Greenland or an move it down its throat, while elastic skin This Brazilian rainbow alien?! and loosely attached ribs expand as the and Antarctica! boa is a master of disguise! food moves towards its stomach. Boas and other huge snakes can even eat goats and deer – after a big meal, snakes can go weeks without food! Brazilian rainbow boa, sedge viper © Michael D. Kern. Vine Snake © Mattias Klum / National Geographic Stock. Copperhead © Jack Milchanowski / Age Fotostock Getty Images. Rattlesnake © Dave King / Dorling Kindersly Getty Images. Gaboon viper E.R. Degginger / Photo Researchers Getty Images. Brazilian pit viper © Mark Moffett / Minden Pictures Getty Images. Indian cobra © Michael & Patricia Fogden / Minden Pictures. King © Dave Stamboulis / Alamy. African saw-scaled viper Hitendra Sinkar Photography / Alamy. Can be good for you! COPPERHEAD WESTERN Snake bites can sometimes BRAZILIAN KING COBRA SNAKE SECRET: RATTLESNAKE be deadly. But scientists PIT VIPER SNAKE SECRET: These poisonous snakes SNAKE SECRET: SNAKE SECRET: have discovered that from North America climb At 5.5 metres, the King Found in North America and This three-metre reptile is cobra is the longest of these very same poisons trees to hunt for large Mexico, these snakes’ rattles GABOON VIPER one of the most feared snakes insects called cicadas. all venomous snakes. can also be used to make are made of keratin – the SNAKE SECRET: in Brazil, South America! INDIAN COBRA Its hiss sounds like a same protein that’s in your AFRICAN medicines! Check out these VENOM USED TO TREAT: This super serpent, from VENOM USED TO TREAT: SNAKE SECRET: growling dog! Breast cancer hair and fingernails! SAW-SCALED VIPER seven healing serpents... Western or Central Africa, High blood pressure Protected by law, Indian VENOM USED TO TREAT: VENOM USED TO TREAT: has the longest fangs of cobras make their ‘hoods’ Extreme pain SNAKE SECRET: Heart attacks any venomous snake – by expanding the ribs One of the most poisonous snakes in Africa, five centimetres! in their necks! this biter has eye-shaped spots on its body. VENOM USED TO TREAT: VENOM USED TO TREAT: VENOM USED TO TREAT: Strokes Arthritis Heart attacks

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