Snakes are carnivorous, eating small animals including lizards and other snakes, rodents and other small mammals, birds, eggs or insects. The skin of snake is covered with scales and is smooth, dry textured. Some snakes have a venomous bite, which they use to kill their prey before eating it. Other snakes kill their prey by striking at its prey and holds on, pulling the prey into its coils or, in the case of very large prey, pulling itself onto the prey. Still others swallow their prey whole and alive. Snakes shed their skin periodically, for growing purpose and for removing external parasites. If there is not enough humidity in the air while snakes are shedding their skin, it can be very dangerous for the snake, because the dry skin does not shed. Skin that remains attached to the snake can harbour diseases and parasites. A tail tip that is not removed can constrict as the snake grows, cutting off the blood supply to the end of the tail causing it to drop off.

Facts: 

1. Snakes eat small animals including lizards and other snakes, rodents and other small mammals, birds, eggs or insects. They use specialized belly scales to travel, gripping surfaces.
2. Their eyelids are transparent "spectacle" scales which remain permanently closed, called brille.
3. Snakes shed their skin periodically, for growing purpose and for removing external parasites.
4. Snakes do not chew their food and have a very flexible lower jawallowing them to open their mouths wide enough to swallow their prey whole, even if it is larger in diameter than the snake itself.
5. Snakes have unremarkable vision, it is able to detect movement. Their sense of hearing is most sensitive to frequencies around 200–300 Hz.
6. The venom of the king cobra, the world's largest poisonous snake, is strong enough to kill an elephant.
7. It is thought that snakes evolved from lizards.

   Snakes have a slow metabolic rate and thus can survive without eating for many days at a stretch, after a sumptuous meal. Snakes like King cobras can survive many months without food.
8. They virtually swim through the air and can glide a distance of 100m. It can only glide by extending its ribs and pulling in the underside.
9. Snakes are both predators and prey
10. Snakes vary greatly in size and weight, although they have the same basic body structure
11. The King Cobra is the largest of all venomous snakes, and actually eats other snakes
12. A snake smells by using its forked tongue to collect airborne particles then passing them to the Jacobson's organ, a special organ in the mouth for examination. The fork in the tongue gives the snake a sort of directional sense of smell.
13. A snake does not look after its eggs or take care of the young ones but leaves the eggs to be hatched on their own. The young snakes therefore have special teeth to break open the eggs and come out.
    
    
    
    
    

    Other Carnivores

    
    

    • •  Dog
    • •  Coyote
    • •  Cat
    • •  Crow
    • •  Squirrel
    • •  Tiger
    • •  Cheetah
    • •  Lion
    • •  Gorilla
    • •  Orangutan
    • •  Monkey
    • •  Brown Bears
    • •  Polar Bear
    • •  Panda
    • •  Elephant
    • •  Hippopotamus
    • •  Rhinocerose
    • •  Giraffe
    • •  Peafowl
    • •  Camel
    • •  Kangaroo
    • •  Insects
    • •  Reptiles
    • •  Fishes
    • •  Crocodile
    • •  Dolphin
    • •  Penguin
    • •  Sharks
    • •  Frog
    • •  Vampire Bats
    • •  Birds
    • •  Chimpanzee
    • •  Pig
    • •  Horse
    • •  Duck
    • •  Owl
    • •  Pigeon
    • •  Flamingo
    • •  Woodpecker
    • •  Ostrich
    • •  Chameleon
    • •  Sparrow
    • •  Tortoise
    • •  Spider

    
    
    
    
    Other animals

    
    
    

    • •  Dog
    • •  Coyote
    • •  Crow
    • •  Squirrel
    • •  Gorilla
    • •  Orangutan
    • •  Monkey
    • •  Polar Bear
    • •  Panda
    • •  Elephant
    • •  Hippopotamus
    • •  Rhinocerose
    • •  Giraffe
    • •  Peafowl
    • •  Camel
    • •  Kangaroo
    • •  Insects
    • •  Reptiles
    • •  Fishes
    • •  Crocodile
    • •  Dolphin
    • •  Frog
    • •  Vampire Bats
    • •  Birds
    • •  Chimpanzee
    • •  Pig
    • •  Horse
    • •  Duck
    • •  Owl
    • •  Pigeon
    • •  Flamingo
    • •  Woodpecker
    • •  Ostrich
    • •  Chameleon
    • •  Sparrow
    • •  Tortoise
    • •  Spider