Snakes are reptiles.
Serpent is a term that comes from the Latin serpens . This word, in turn, derives from serpĕre , an action that can be translated as “to crawl.” A snake, therefore, is an animal that moves by crawling on the surface .
Snakes are reptiles that are characterized by their elongated body and lack of limbs . This causes them to move through the undulations they make with their body. The undulations are usually lateral, although some snakes use muscle contractions that allow them to advance with their body extended.
Characteristics of snakes
There are almost 3,500 species of snakes. This variety means that snakes can be very different from each other. Among the common characteristics, in addition to the lack of limbs, are the presence of scales that cover the skin , its periodic renewal and the existence of a large number of vertebrae in the skeleton.
The diet of snakes is carnivorous : they feed, depending on the species, on insects, birds, fish or mammals of different sizes. Some snakes dominate their prey through constriction , while others poison them through a bite. It should be noted that snakes can eat their prey alive.
Cobras are poisonous snakes.
Some species
The python and the anaconda are among the largest snakes in the world , measuring up to ten meters. Both are constrictors and, thanks to their size, they also feed on very large species. Among the venomous snakes, we can name the cobra , the mamba and the coral snake .
One of the most fascinating types of snake in the world is the flying snake . Although this animal is not capable of gaining altitude once they are suspended in the air in the way that birds do, it can glide and generate impulses by contorting its body to rise momentarily.
It all begins when it is located at the end of a branch and hangs from it, adopting a shape similar to that of a hook; then he jumps forcefully upwards, his body bends in the shape of an "s" and in a fraction of time it flattens out until its width doubles, going from having a rounded appearance to a concave one, thanks to which he can perform a large number of acrobatics.
The snake and evil
It should be noted that many cultures and religions have associated snakes with evil , something that led to a negative symbolic use of the term. If a person accuses another of being a “snake” , they will be telling them that they are harmful or harmful. This is usually used to describe a woman, since the term snake is feminine, although it can also be used to describe the behavior of a man, depending on the context.
This perception that human beings usually have about the snake is also reflected in the fact that we place it within the group of species for which we apparently do not feel affinity ; Unlike what happens with dogs and cats, for example, it is very rare for a person to show compassion to a snake, no matter what happens to it.
What is different about a snake and a dog? Many things. But they also have something in common: they are living beings . And that unites them and makes us elements of the same whole . However, despite being able to establish this obvious relationship between the species on the planet, for some reason we tend to ignore it as it suits us: there are very few who refuse to support animal exploitation , those who firmly reject a hamburger of meat, a fried egg, a glass of milk or some crocodile boots. Most people only get to the photograph by hugging their pet, but they do not hesitate to indulge in the pleasures that can only exist from the suffering of others.