{Snakes}

I know some of you may not want to read this post and while I really don't like snakes, I still had to study them in science this year. Saying that, I do have to admit they are pretty cool creatures that God created. Here are some facts and pictures:

• Snakes can swallow prey much larger than themselves because of a connective tissue called ligament (lig' uh munt).
  
• While the connective tissue ligament allows them to swallow big animals, digesting large creatures makes work for them. Their digestion process is slow and their prey can even rot because it takes so long to digest.


• We  have 3 poisonous snakes in PA: the rattle snake, copper head, and the eastern massasauga.

  

  Rattlesnake

• Snakes, of course, molt. The new skin begins to grow under the old skin and then eventually loosens and is slowly forced back over the body, neck, and head. Its new skin is then bright and shiny again...it must feel wonderful!
  
• Most snakes (adult) molt 2-5x a year. Juvenile snakes molt more often because they grow faster.
• The first time they molt, their egg tooth disappears.
• Snakes do not blink. They have a thin transparent layer of skin over their eyes which sheds when they molt. 
• The earth really does need snakes. If we wouldn't have snakes, the rat population would quickly take over the world. They also help keep the insect and rodent population under control.

Most of my information comes from Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals of the Sixth Day