Snakes are among the most deadly and dreaded animals. Word ‘Snake’ which comes from Indo- European base meaning “to Creep” or “to crawl” quite fits the category, giving an eerie feeling when we talk about these reptiles. Found in almost 3000 different kinds, most of the snakes are venomous and honestly not very friendly. Here are some of the interesting facts about snakes worth knowing:
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1. Snakes don’t have eyelids or ears. Weird!
Snakes don’t have eyelids. Also, they do not possess external ears which make them deaf. They hear from the vibrations on the ground.
Source: vnsatakopan.hubpages.com, image: honesttopaws.com
2. Snakes can go on Hunger Strike
It is interesting to note that some snakes can survive without food for up to 2 years.
Source: factslides.com, image: Flickr
3. Snake Island!
In an island in Brazil, there are 5 snakes per square meter, and hence it is declared a no human zone. So, if you are visiting Brazil, you better not visit this snake island.
Source: factslides.com, image: wikimedia.org
4. The Killer Snakes!
Snakes kill almost 40,000 people annually. Out of all the venomous species of snakes present, only 30 of them can actually kill humans. Frightening little creatures!
Source: abcofanimalworld.blogspot.In, image: Flickr
5. Not so intelligent!
Snakes have underdeveloped brains which make their ability to learn, a big zero. Well, there goes your future…you crawly little thing.
Source: vnsatakopan.hubpages.com, image: Flickr
6. They don’t prefer cold regions!
Snakes are found all throughout the world leaving some countries like Antarctica, Iceland, Ireland, Greenland and New Zealand. So if you don’t like snakes, you know where to start your life.
Source: defenders.org
7. They don’t bite; they swallow their food
Some snakes have lots of teeth, around 200, but interestingly they don’t use their teeth for eating. They just capture their prey through their teeth. And as for their food, they swallow the whole thing since they cannot bite.
Source: vnsatakopan.hubpages.com, image: i.dailymail.co.uk
8. They can yawn way too much with their flexible jaws
Snakes have the most flexible jaws and can open their mouth to 150 degrees, all thanks to the elastic jaw ligament. They can expand their jaws capacity to fit their prey
Source: factslides.com, image: i.ytimg.com
9. Humans share the same body substance as snakes…eerriiiee!
Did you know that snakes scales are made of the same substance as that of our fingernails- “Keratin.” Now, that is just creepy!
Source: kidzone.ws
10. Quite an Actor!
The Grass snake and the Spitting Cobra are great actors too. They fake their death, flipping onto their back, open their mouth and flop out their tongue when they feel threatened.
Source: kidzone.ws, image: Flickr
11. Two-headed snakes
They say two heads are better than one but obviously not in this case. When a normal snake with one head can give creeps; imagine what a two-headed snake will be like. But this is no myth, they do exist in real life and are more like conjoined twins.
Source: factslides.com, image: Flickr
12. The deadliest snakes!
The most deadly species of snakes are found in Southeast Asia and Australia, which includes Brown Snakes, Copperheads, Death Adders, Tiger snakes and Taipan snakes.
Source: australianexplorer.com, Image: Wikimedia
13. Snakes smell from their tongues
Snake use their sense of smell to prey and what is interesting is that they use forked tongues to smell. They collect airborne particles and pass it into their special organs of mouth to examine it.
Source: Wikipedia
14. Move and Crawl
Snakes use its vertebrates and ribs for movement since they don’t have limbs.
Source: snaketype.com
15. Cold blooded creatures, literally
Snakes are known to be cold blooded animals, and that is why they prefer to live in humid or dry weather such as deserts.
Source: snaketype.com, image: Flickr
16. Some lay eggs, some reproduce
Some kinds of snakes lay eggs while some give birth to tiny living creatures which crawl off from the beginning and take care of themselves.
Source: teachervision.com, image: wikimedia.org
17. King Cobra can kill an Elephant
The venom of King Cobra, World largest poisonous snake, has the ability to kill an elephant.
Source: antiguanracer.org
18. They can get new skin!
Snakes, unlike humans, shed their skin nearly 3 times a year. This process is called Molting.
Source: livescience.com, image: empagroup.net
19. Flying Snake
The paradise tree snake of Southeast Asia can fly. They use their body to glide through the air by flattening themselves into a C- shape. Now, these creepy animals occupy the air and land both. Huh!
Source: livescience.com
