Snake mannerisms and characteristics, All those little quirky things!

Just a topic for all the random snakey behaviour to be posted. Also to post about their features and habits, and anatomy and hunting techniques.

Come on, Bat-Snake! Educate us!

Let's talk about how different species detect food. Tell me ways in which snakes detect movement. It's always fascinated me

And generally, things like, how do they move? Many muscular contractions...I just thought it would be nice to have a topic with the general characteristics of snakes in general! And what are their general habitats?

Focus on whatever species or breeds you wish!

Just a topic where we can ask about and discuss the general habits of snakes

I love how they taste the air, and apparently the split tip on their tongue is how they decipher where prey is! If the "taste" is strong on the left prong, the snake moves to the left, conversely if they taste a stronger scent on the right prong, they move more towards the left. Isn't that fascinating?

Sorry I found that fascinating!

Name all the venomous snakes and all the constrictor species!

It's amazing the size of animals that snakes can eat, wow! The way they can dislocate their jaws to swallow something as large as an antelope (or even young hippopotamus, as I once saw an article... ) Which snakes are capable of that? It's more the large constrictors, ne? Like anacondas and massive pythons!

Anyway, I'll stop waffling on with my n00b info, it's nothing compared to what the likes of bat-snake knows!

Tell us more!

Oh my...hope the old compy doesn't freeze on me

Yes it is facisnating. They have Jacobsons organs, which is the part that detects scent. The tips just pick up scent molecules and they shove it up the openings to the Jacobson's Orgon (I'm always worrried I'd spell it Oregon ). Ugh...prongs...I've already started calling their...masculine bits "prongs" *shot*

I find it funny how some snakes are all "duhhh...hi..." and others are all "GARH! GET OUT OF MY TRASH CAN" (I always thought Oscar the Grouch would be a nice name for a King Cobra).

What snakes have detachable jaws?...............uhhh....the ones that arn't 4 inches at adult size.

Run that by me again... so scent molecules go up the snake's Jacobson's Organ, then the tips of something start shoving them up even further... until the prongs start shooting things. I don't get it.

Okay...the tongue is part of smelling. The tips pick up scent molecules and once the tongue goes in the mouth, it goes it two slits in the roof of the mouth, which leads to the Jacobson's organ. Why don't they use their nostrils? I have NO IDEA! I think they're just for breathing...

I call a snake's hemipenes ( ) "prongs" because a book I read described them as "prong-like". I say *shot* because I was making a...scientifically adult...reference.

Ah, I think I understand now. Which types of snakes use this method of detection then? I seem to remember that Pythons use heat-pits, so it can't be them.

All snakes have Jacobsons Organs. Pythons, pit vipers, and...some I either don't know or can't remember...have heat pits.

Snakes do not use their nostrils for scent because at some point in Snake History, a trait was made so that they don't sniff like dogs. This eventually weakened their scent thingys so they started using other methods.

EXACTLY!

I just gotta ask in continuation of my topic how long is the average lifespan for a corn snake?

Hmm...usually 15 to 20 years if the snake is healthy. The oldest ball python was around 50 when it died. You have my symphathy, GVG. I can't tell you how many pets I have lost

I wonder which species have those pit organs that detect heat, I forgot which ones do. I think most snakes do not.

Pythons, some boas, pit vipers . I'm sure there are more, I just can't think of them at the moment...

So what are the differences between vipers and adders?

Adders ARE vipers. "Viper" is the family of snakes, more professionally 'viperidae'. There is NO snake that is just 'viper'. It is just a family of snakes.

So it's a classic, "All adders are vipers, but not all vipers are adders"?

Uh...kinda