Introduction

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Snakes are elongated, legless animals with dry, scale-covered

skin.  Their skin is unusually elastic, which allows it to

stretch when large prey items are swallowed.  Snakes are rather

unique because of these features and because they lack moveable

eyelids and external ear openings.  Snakes may be only a few

inches to several yards long.



Snakes inhabit a wide variety of ecologic habitats:  land,

trees, underground, fresh water, and salt water.  They are

found on every continent except Antarctica.  No native snakes are

found on the islands of Hawaii, Iceland, New Zealand and

Ireland.