Snakes Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is the definition of a snake?

Any of numerous limbless, scaly, elongated reptiles of the suborder Serpentes, comprising venomous and nonvenomous species.

Match the classification of a snake:

Kingdom = Animalia Phylum = Chordata Class = Reptilia Order = Squamata Suborder = Serpentes

What does the order Squamata include?

Lizards and 95% of all reptiles.

It is believed that snakes evolve from ______.

Lizards Signup and view all the answers

What is a male snake called?

Male Signup and view all the answers

What is a female snake called?

Female Signup and view all the answers

What are newly born (live birth) snakes called?

Neolates Signup and view all the answers

What are newly hatched snakes called?

Hatchling Signup and view all the answers

What are young snakes called?

Snakelets Signup and view all the answers

What are some names for a group of snakes?

Den, bed, pit, nest Signup and view all the answers

What are some differences between snakes and legless lizards?

Snakes have full belly scales; legless lizards have divided belly scales. Snakes have forked tongues; legless lizards have no forked tongues. Snakes have ears inside; legless lizards have exterior ears. Signup and view all the answers

What is the heaviest snake?

The Green Anaconda, can grow to be longer than 29 feet, weigh over 550 lbs, and have a diameter of 12 inches. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Titanoboa?

An ancient crocodile-eating snake that could be 40-43 ft long and lived after dinosaurs went extinct. Signup and view all the answers

Where are sea snakes found?

Indian and Pacific Oceans, also around the waters in Florida. Signup and view all the answers

Where are terrestrial snakes NOT found?

Antarctica, Iceland, Ireland, Greenland, and New Zealand. Signup and view all the answers

How many species of snakes are there?

3,600 Signup and view all the answers

How many snake species are venomous?

600 Signup and view all the answers

How many venomous snakes can kill or seriously wound a human?

200 Signup and view all the answers

What is the only snake that can live in cold environments?

Vipera Berus - found in the Arctic Circle. Signup and view all the answers

How many snake species in the US are venomous?

20 Signup and view all the answers

What is the only state that doesn't have at least 1 species of a venomous snake?

Alaska Signup and view all the answers

How many snake species do we have in CT?

14 Signup and view all the answers

How many snake species in CT are venomous and what are they?

2; Timber rattlesnake and Copperhead Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of ectotherm?

An animal that is controlled by the environment around them; dependent on external sources of heat or 'cold-blooded.' Signup and view all the answers

What are some things that can control an ectotherm's body temperature?

Sun, water, air, heat lamp. Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of endotherm?

An animal that can generate its own body heat. Signup and view all the answers

How much more will ectotherms eat than an endotherm of the same size?

5x the amount that an endotherm will eat. Signup and view all the answers

What behavioral adaptations do ectotherms have?

Moving to other areas (underground/shelter); basking to lie in or be exposed to pleasant warmth. Signup and view all the answers

What is hypothermia?

When your body temperature is too low; ectotherms can't stay warm because they don't generate their own body heat. Signup and view all the answers

What is vasoconstriction?

The constriction of blood vessels to reduce blood flow to extremities to retain heat in the body. Signup and view all the answers

What is a metabolic process?

Respiration, digestion, heart rate; autonomic and involuntary. Signup and view all the answers

What is a hibernaculum?

A rare occurrence where a large number of snakes will 'den up' together. Signup and view all the answers

What is hyperthermia?

Overheating; ectotherms can overheat if their environment is too hot. Signup and view all the answers

What is aestivation?

Prolonged dormancy of an animal during a hot or dry period. Signup and view all the answers

What is vasodilation?

Dilation or widening of blood vessels; allows more blood (heat) to be carried to the skin where it can be released to cool the body. Signup and view all the answers

Why do ectotherms require more food when it is warm?

Their metabolic rates increase and burn more calories. Signup and view all the answers

Overall, ectotherms have (lower/higher) metabolic rates when compared to endotherms.

Lower, because they don't need to use energy to generate body heat. Signup and view all the answers

Why do ectotherms have lower metabolic rates?

If they are in a good environment, they don't need to regulate their body temperature and they need less food. Signup and view all the answers

How long does a snake usually go without eating?

1-2 weeks; can go up to 6 months. Signup and view all the answers

What internal clocks do snakes follow?

Nocturnal or crepuscular. Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean to be nocturnal?

Awake and active at night. Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean to be crepuscular?

Appearing or active at dawn/dusk. Signup and view all the answers

How do nonvenomous snakes kill prey?

By swallowing prey alive or constricting. Signup and view all the answers

Do constrictors have teeth?

True Signup and view all the answers

What two adaptations allow snakes to open their mouths abnormally wide?

<ol> <li>Mobile quadrate bone; 2. Split lower jaw.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What is the mobile quadrate bone?

A small piece of bone at the rear skull that serves as a mobile hinge between the small and lower jaw, giving it a larger degree of motion. Signup and view all the answers

What is the split lower jaw?

The bones of the lower jaw are not fused in front; they are connected by an elastic ligament, allowing each side to stretch outward and move independently. Signup and view all the answers

How should you measure how big of food to give your snake?

It should be the same size as the snake's widest part, ideally 1-1.5x the middle of your snake. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the process of a snake eating its prey.

Drench the prey in saliva; thrust windpipe into throat to breathe; use muscles to simultaneously crush food; stomach acid breaks down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Likes to be fed in a dark, safe spot away from predators. Signup and view all the answers

How long does it take for a snake to digest food?

~4 days. Signup and view all the answers

What is scale spreading?

When skin becomes noticeable between scales (think stretch marks). Signup and view all the answers

What does obesity look like in snakes?

Large around the middle. Signup and view all the answers

How should snakes feel?

Firm. Signup and view all the answers

Do snakes have good hearing?

False Signup and view all the answers

What are snake ears like?

Internal, small holes on the side of their head that are covered by skin and scales. Signup and view all the answers

What is the snake's inner ear filled with, and what does this allow the snake to do?

Filled with air; allows it to detect motion, position, and sound waves (vibration). Signup and view all the answers

What allows snakes to 'see' in the dark?

Pit organs - holes on their faces that can detect heat from warm bodies up to one meter away. Signup and view all the answers

What is the scale that covers a snake's eye called?

The spectacle. Signup and view all the answers

What are some adaptations of snakes?

Snake's eyesight improves when it feels threatened; forked tongues allow snakes to gather scents from different directions all at once; snake musk is a nasty smell that is released when a snake needs to defend itself. Signup and view all the answers

What do snakes use to smell?

The tongue. Signup and view all the answers

What is a snake's most relied-on sense?

Smell. Signup and view all the answers

What allows snakes to collect odor particles?

Moisture on the tongue. Signup and view all the answers

What is Jacobson's organ?

Decodes molecules to identify smell and make an exact image of what they're smelling; located above the mouth. Signup and view all the answers

What is integumentary?

Skin. Signup and view all the answers

What are scales?

Surface cells filled with keratin that prevent the loss of body water in dry environments; snakes are born with all the scales that they will ever have. Signup and view all the answers

What is ecdysis?

Shedding of skin in reptiles. Signup and view all the answers

Why do snakes shed their skin?

Their scales grow larger when the reptile grows larger. Signup and view all the answers

What allows snakes to shed their skin?

Oils. Signup and view all the answers

What does the new skin oil attract?

Males. Signup and view all the answers

What makes up the rattle on a rattlesnake?

Hollow, interlocked segments that are added every time a snake sheds its skin. Signup and view all the answers

What is the oldest part of the rattle called?

The birth button. Signup and view all the answers

You can determine a snake's age based on the size/length of the rattle.

False Signup and view all the answers

What are some disadvantages of ectotherms?

Hypothermia, hyperthermia, vasodilation, vasoconstriction, brumation, aestivation. Signup and view all the answers

What are some advantages of ectotherms?

Lower metabolic rates; they don't need to use energy to regulate body temperature. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Snake Definition and Classification

Snakes are limbless, scaly reptiles from the suborder Serpentes, which includes venomous and nonvenomous species.
Classification hierarchy: Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Reptilia, Order Squamata, Suborder Serpentes.
The order Squamata includes lizards and 95% of all reptiles.

Reproductive Terms and Young Snakes

Male snakes are referred to simply as "male" while females are "female."
Newly born snakes are called "neolates," while newly hatched snakes are known as "hatchlings."
Young snakes are termed "snakelets."

Group Terminology

A group of snakes can be called a den, bed, pit, or nest.

Snake Adaptations and Characteristics

Snakes differ from legless lizards: snakes have complete belly scales, forked tongues, and ears inside the body; legless lizards have divided belly scales, no forked tongues, and external ears.
The Green Anaconda is the heaviest snake, growing over 29 feet, weighing over 550 lbs, and measuring 12 inches in diameter.
Titanoboa, an extinct species, could reach lengths of 40-43 feet.

Habitat and Distribution

Sea snakes inhabit the Indian and Pacific Oceans and waters around Florida.
Terrestrial snakes are absent from Antarctica, Iceland, Ireland, Greenland, and New Zealand.
There are approximately 3,600 snake species worldwide, with 600 being venomous.

Venomous Snakes

200 venomous species can kill or seriously injure humans.
20 venomous snake species are found in the United States, with Alaska being the only state without a venomous species.
Connecticut has 14 snake species, including two venomous: Timber rattlesnake and Copperhead.

Ectothermic Characteristics

Ectotherms rely on external environmental conditions for body temperature regulation, making them "cold-blooded."
They utilize sunlight, water, air, and heat lamps for temperature control.
Ectotherms require five times more food than endotherms of the same size due to their lower metabolic rate.

Behavioral and Physiological Adaptations

Ectothermic adaptations include movement to shelters, basking, and hibernaculum—a rare gathering of snakes.
Hypothermia occurs when body temperature drops too low, while hyperthermia results from overheating.
Vasoconstriction occurs to retain body heat, while vasodilation helps cool the body by increasing blood flow to the skin.

Feeding and Digestion

Snakes can go 1-2 weeks without food, with some surviving up to six months.
Snakes primarily follow nocturnal (active at night) or crepuscular (active at dawn/dusk) patterns.
Nonvenomous snakes kill prey by swallowing them alive or constricting them.

Sensory Adaptations

Snakes have poor hearing, relying on internal ear structures to detect motion and vibrations.
Pit organs enable snakes to sense heat from warm bodies, enhancing their hunting ability in the dark.
Jacobson's organ decodes odor particles, allowing snakes to smell using their moist tongues.

Skin and Shedding

Snakes have keratin-filled scales that prevent water loss, with all scales present at birth.
Ecdysis refers to the shedding of skin, which occurs as snakes grow, facilitated by oil production.
The rattle of a rattlesnake is made of hollow, interlocked segments, with the oldest part called the birth button.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Ectothermy

Ectotherms benefit from having lower metabolic rates and conserving energy as they do not need to regulate body temperature actively.
Disadvantages include risks of hypothermia, hyperthermia, and dependence on the environment for temperature control.

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Test your knowledge about snakes with these flashcards. Explore definitions, classifications, and their relation to other reptiles. Perfect for anyone interested in herpetology or general biology.