The movement forward is so small, it’s hard to spot. Leading with its head, the green tree python’s body coils around a thick tree branch. The tough bark is no match for its hardened scales. Silently, the snake’s head slips down from the branch and dangles in the air. It soon sees its prey. On a nearby branch, a lizard sits, sunning itself. The lizard doesn’t see the snake until it’s too late. With open jaws, the snake’s head snaps forward. It snatches the lizard from the branch and gobbles it up.
Move On the
LIKE AN ‘S’ Some snakes move forward by using their scales to push off objects on the ground, like small rocks.
LIKE AN ACCORDION Some snakes climb by bunching the middle of their bodies up and gripping with their scales.
SIDEWAYS Some snakes lift up part of their bodies. They push into the sand with the rest of their bodies. They move sideways.
4
Slithering Snakes T e lizard stood little chance against the green tree python. T ese snakes are skilled at ambushing prey. T ey are stealthy, and they move quickly when they need to. When a snake is on the move, it’s oſt en
looking for prey. All snakes are carnivores. T at means they eat meat. But first, they have to catch and kill their prey. How a snake moves is one of the keys to its survival. Yet how does an animal without arms and
legs move? T e secret is in their scales. All snakes have scales covering their skin. Scales are a form of thickened skin that contains keratin. T at’s the same stuff found in your fingernails and hair. Scales overlap, like the tiles on a roof. Scales form a protective shield around a
snake’s soſt body. T ey also trap moisture inside so its skin doesn’t dry out. When a snake moves, its scales create friction between its body and the ground. Friction is the force that slows objects down when they rub against each other. Snakes use muscles to move their bodies in a
wave-like motion. As the wave travels from the head back toward the tail, the snake’s scales catch the ground. T is pushes the snake forward.
Snakes don’t need arms or legs to get around. They use a combination of powerful muscles and gripping scales to get them moving.
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