Pet Snake Features
Snakes, though feared in many quarters, have a fascination which has compelled man since time immemorial, since the Garden of Eden, in fact. They have been associated with everything from black magic and witch doctors to fertility; they have been the accessories of stage artistes and floor -playing charmers and have featured in Greek mythology.
The snake is a reptile differing in many respects from lizard: it is without moveable eyelids or external ears and varies in size from as little as 12 cm (5 in) to as long as 9 m (30 ft). Because its eyes are perpetually open, the snake always appears to be staring at its observer while, despite its lack of external ears, it can hear, or rather sense, vibrations through its skull bones.
It has a forked tongue which functions as both scent and taste organ and darts in and out enabling the snake to sample the air. In fact, it is a unique smelling-tasting tool which enables the snake to follow its prey, sample food, locate a mate, or simply warn away its enemies.
Snakes have a single row of scaled underneath that help them to move much like the tread of a tractor. They do not shed their tails and grow new ones as lizards do, but they do shed their skins all in one piece from head to foot, leaving behind a cellophane-like wrapper when they emerge. If pieces of skin stick to your captive snake, you should fold it in a amp cloth for some hours after which you should be able to pull off the offending bits with tweezers.