Snakes: Diversity, Adaptations, and Life Cycle

Snakes are diverse reptiles found globally, except Antarctica, inhabiting various environments. They evolved from lizards over 100 million years ago. Snakes have unique physical traits, such as dry scales and no limbs, relying on muscle contractions for movement. They are carnivorous, using smell and infrared senses to hunt. Snakes can be venomous or constricting, with varied sensory abilities. Reproduction involves internal fertilization, with some species laying eggs and others giving live birth. Snakes' lifespans and maturity vary by species, with many young not surviving their first year.

Which continent is the only one where snakes are not found?

• Europe

• Asia

• Antarctica

• Africa

How do snakes primarily hunt their prey?

• By touch

• By sight

• By sound

• By smell

What is the primary function of a snake's forked tongue?

• To taste food

• To sense heat

• To collect airborne particles

• To produce sound

What method do constricting snakes use to subdue their prey?

• Injecting venom

• Using sharp teeth

• Crushing bones and cutting off oxygen

• Drowning in water

How do snakes regulate their body temperature?

• By eating warm-blooded prey

• By drinking warm water

• By shivering

• By basking in the sun

What is a common courtship behavior among snakes?

• Building nests

• Dancing

• Singing

• Entwining and rubbing against each other

How do most young snakes emerge from their eggs?

• By being helped by the mother

• By using a temporary egg tooth

• By being hatched by the sun

• By being shaken out of the egg