| General Snake Facts Snakes are classified as vertebrates since their flexible bodies have far more vertebrates (up to 400) than humans (just 32). This allows snakes to have far greater elasticity, which they use to devour large animals many times their width. Snake’s eyes are protected by clear scales, which are needed since their eyes always remain open. Additional features of a snake are it’s forked tongue, and lack of external ears. Although snakes are referred to as cold-blooded, since they do not get heat from eating food as most animals do. Typically when a snake is cold, it will often wrap itself in a coil to save body heat. Since they do not rely on food for energy, they can go for long periods of time without eating. In fact, some snakes have been known to go for up to a year with only one meal.
A snake's skin is smooth and typically camouflaged to enhance in their hunting efforts. However, some poisonous snakes are brightly colored to warn away potential predators. As a snake grows, it sheds its skin's outer layer. The frequency with which a snake sheds its skin varies by the species and can be anywhere from about every three weeks to once a year. Snakes have pits on the top of their heads which they use to locate their prey and sense changes in temperature which enabling the snake to detect the warmer body temperature of a nearby animal. Perhaps the most feared part of the snake's body is its fangs and the venom which is secreted through the bite of the fangs. The fangs vary in size and flexibility by snake species. Some of the more rare snakes lack fangs, but are still able to spit venom from up to 8 feet away! Snake Reproduction
Snakes mate in the spring as the weather warms; however, snakes in warmer climates can reproduce year-round.
Depending on the species, female snakes will either have live young, keeping the eggs inside of her body until they hatch, or she will deposit the eggs in a nest she has constructed and sit on top of them, protecting them until they hatch. Some female snakes can have 100 or more babies, although most snakes have less than that. Snakes can live to up to 30 years of age. Snake Habitat
There are about 250 species of snakes in the United States and Canada. Only two groups are venomous - the coral snake and the pit vipers.
The pit vipers include the cottonmouth/water moccasin, copperhead, and rattlesnake. There are three ways to distinguish between a pit viper and a nonpoisonous snake in the United States: - Pit Vipers have a deep pit on each side of the
head, midway between the eye and nostril. This does not exist on nonpoisonous snakes. - Poisonous snakes have a scale pattern on the under side that goes all the way across the width of the tail in a row. Nonpoisonous snakes have a more broken pattern.
- The pupil of the viper is egg shaped. A nonpoisonous snake has an eye shape that is round.
Snakes are solitary reptiles that only come together when seeking shelter in colder weather. As temperatures drop, snakes may gather in large groups but will leave when the weather begins to grow warmer.
Snakes find shelter in many places near humans, including wood piles, stone piles, brush pile debris and stone walls, particularly deteriorating stone walls that contain openings large enough for snakes to enter and rest. A building’s foundation that has gaps is an especially welcome site to a snake. Shrubbery and thick foliage can harbor snakes as well. Forests and woodlands with dense vegetation and plentiful food sources are another prime habitat for a variety of snakes. Snakes can also be found in farm fields where rodent populations are high.
Snake Diet | 
