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Snake

✨ The living ribbon

Snakes are reptiles with long, flexible bodies and no legs. They belong to the group Squamata, which also includes lizards. More than 3,000 snake species are known around the world, living in many environments such as forests, deserts, grasslands, wetlands, and oceans.

Their bodies are covered with scales that protect them and help them move across different surfaces. Instead of eyelids and external ears, snakes have transparent scales covering their eyes and detect vibrations through their bodies. Their unique body shape allows them to move in several ways, including by pushing against the ground, swimming, and climbing.

Snakes are predators that feed on a wide range of animals, including insects, fish, birds, eggs, and mammals, depending on the species. Some snakes kill their prey using venom, while others rely on their strength to constrict and suffocate it.

Most species are not dangerous to humans, and many play an important role in ecosystems by controlling populations of rodents and other small animals. Snakes periodically shed their skin as they grow, a process called molting. They face threats from habitat destruction, illegal trade, and human persecution, although they remain important parts of many natural environments.

💡 Did you know?

Did you know that a snake 'changes its pajamas' several times a year? Since its skin doesn't grow at the same time as the snake, it must get rid of it to have a larger one underneath. This is called 'molting'. It rubs against a rock or a branch to remove it entirely, like you would take off a sock by turning it inside out. It's magic!

The snake is an incredible animal that has no eyelids! Its eyes are always open, even when it sleeps. To protect them, it has a single transparent scale covering each eye, like a small porthole or built-in glasses. When it molts, this protection also goes with the rest of its skin.

Do you know how a snake hears? It has no visible ears! It picks up vibrations from the ground directly with its jaw and its belly. If you walk near it, it will feel your steps vibrating in the earth long before seeing or hearing you. It's its way of listening to the world around it.