Snake facts

Some facts about snakes are:

1. Snakes are carnivores (meat-eaters).
2. Snakes don’t have eyelids.
3. Snakes can’t bite food so have to swallow it whole.
4. Snakes have flexible jaws which allow them to eat prey bigger than their head!
5. Snakes are found on every continent of the world except Antarctica.
6. Snakes have internal ears but not external ones.
7. Snakes used in snake charming performances respond to movement, not sound.
8. There are around 3789 different species of snake.
9. Snakes have unique anatomy which allows them to swallow and digest large prey. Snakes are covered in scales.
10. Snakeskin is smooth and dry.
11. Snakes shed their skin a number of times a year in a process that usually lasts a few days.
12. Some species of snake, such as cobras and black mambas, use venom to hunt and kill their prey. Read more venomous snake facts.
13. Snakes smell with their tongue.
14. Pythons kill their prey by tightly wrapping around it and suffocating it in a process called constriction.
15. Some sea snakes can breathe partially through their skin, allowing for longer dives underwater.