Snakes Background Information

Revised 5/2011 LESSON PLAN VOCABULARY Adaptation Brille Endotherm Infrared Vision Poisonous Reptile Venomous

Constrictor Jacobsons Organ Scales

Ectotherm Low Frequency Hearing Shedding

CA SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARDS (updated by CDE 10/98): Students know producers and consumers (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers) are related in food chains and food webs and may compete with each other for resources in an ecosystem. (4.2b) Students know many multicellular organisms have specialized structures to support the transport of materials. (5.2a) Students know populations of organisms can be categorized by the functions they serve in an ecosystem. (6.5a)

Snakes
OVERVIEW There has always been something of a mystery about snakes. How can they move so quickly without legs? How can they kill their prey with only a single bite? How they can swallow an animal many times larger than them whole? It is little wonder that there are so many myths and legends about these fascinating creatures. The first known snake, Lapparentophis defrennei, first appeared about 100-150 million years ago during the Cretaceous period in the region that is now known as North Africa. To the best of our knowledge it is believed that they originated from a group of lizards that lost their legs over time in response to a burrowing lifestyle that made legs redundant. Today there are nearly 3,000 distinct species of snakes in almost every country of the world as they have evolved and adapted to a diverse range of habitats and climates. What is a snake? On a basic level snakes are reptiles, they have a backbone, but to take it to the next level lets discuss classification. This is the scientific method of establishing the relationship between different organisms and arranging them in a way that reflects these relationships. Moving from general to specific, the classification system puts animals in different classes, then orders, suborders, superfamilies, and families. Snakes belong to the class Reptilia, and the order Squamata. Within the Squamata are three suborders: Serpentes (snakes), Sauria (lizards), and Amphisbaenia (amphisbaenians). The suborder of serpents is further broken into two superfamiles, the Scolecophidia and the Alethinophidia. It has been noted however that snake classification is in constant flux as new discoveries are found and as technology advances allowing scientist to gain greater depth on the relationship between families and species. In general, snakes are discussed in terms of being either constrictors or venomous. Constrictors asphyxiate their prey by first ambushing their prey and then looping themselves around the victim and squeezing it until it stops breathing. Venomous snakes bite their prey, injecting a toxin into the victim. CHARACTERISTICS AND ADAPTATIONS
Content Standards 4.2b, 5.2a

Because snakes are unable to migrate like other birds or mammals they are at the mercy of the conditions of their surroundings and because every environment is different, each species of snakes has, over time, evolved in a variety of ways in order to survive. The following information will discuss in detail the external and internal make up of snakes and varying behaviors among species. Most snakes prefer a temperature range of between 70 and 95 (21 and 35 F F C C, respectively), but snakes cannot internally reproduce or regulate their body temperature sufficiently because they are ectotherms, meaning that their body temperature is dependent upon outside sources such as the heat or the sun, and consequently, can only be regulated by basking or seeking shade. Snakes maintain their temperature through a combination of behavioral and external methods. One example of an external method is if a snake is too cold they would move to some place hotter (pretty simple!), and vice-versa. A behavioral method would be like flattening themselves out so more of the sun hits them, or that many snakes group together to conserve energy. A high body temperature is an essential component in the digestion of food as well as behavior. At low body temperatures snakes become slow and sluggish and body functions decrease. In very cool places snakes may have to bask in the sun more frequently and change positions continuous. This is partly why snakes species are more numerous in warmer tropical areas and why species diversity falls off toward the poles. The few species that can withstand freezing temperature of regions closer to the poles are invariably small and dark in color so they can warm up quickly. They hibernate in the winter and some species such as the garter snake, produce a substance to prevent damage if ice crystals form inside their cells. These cold dwelling snakes typically give live birth because by basking they are able to provide a more conducive environment for developing embryos then if they were to lay eggs. On the flip side, snakes that live in the desert or extremely warm regions tend to be active only part of the year or in the evening hours and will live near rocky outcrops or in canyons near water sources where they can find water and protection.

Ectotherms have an advantage over mammals when it comes to food sources. Since they do not need to use their metabolic energy for food production like mammals, which are endothermic they are able to exploit scarce seasonal food sources. It has been noted that snakes can live off of a meagerly 10 percent of the food need by other birds or mammals of the same size. Furthermore, these amazing creatures can actually shut down their systems for months if food is scarce. Size and Shape Look, Ma, No hands or feet Fundamentally all snakes look the same, meaning they are all long and thin without any limbs. But between species shape and size can vary considerably. For example, within the group classified as boas, species can range in length from as large as the Anaconda, who averages 33ft, to as tiny as the rubber boa, who rarely exceeds 2 feet! Staying on the subject of length, the six largest snakes belong one of two families: the boas or the pythons. The Big Six includes the green anaconda, reticulated python, Python molurus (from India), python sebae (from Burma), the Morelia amethistina (form Australia), and last but not least, the common boa, which grows to an average of 10ft. Large snakes such as these are rare simply due to the fact that they need to eat a lot and their size forces them to forge food by ambushing their prey making food a limited resource. Second, snakes of this size take a long time to heat up so being the endotherms that they are, these particular large snakes have to live at or near the tropics. The three most primitive families: leptotyphlopids, anomalepids, and typhlopids total about 300 species or about 10% of all snakes. Snakes within these families rarely grow larger than 12inches. Because snakes of such tiny dimensions require less to eat and can heat up more quickly they have some advantage when it come to surviving, however their size makes them a delicacy to prey, including other snakes. Snakes are not all round! Depending on how each species lives and hunts determines the shape of their body. For example, burrowing and aquatic snakes benefit from having a rounded underside simply because that shape is most conducive to surviving and maneuvering in their environment. Snakes that are long and thin tend to be arboreal or tree-dwelling snakes. This thinness helps them to

be quick to hunt down their prey. These tree huggers must also be light in weight in to ensure the branches can hold them and their long tails allow them to hang down at varying lengths to pluck their prey if need be. These snakes also tend to have bodies that are flattened on either side as well as on the bottom which makes them rigid in order for them to cantilever their bodies outward, supporting their own weight as they cross from branch to branch. Country snakes, such as the sand snake, whipsnake, and racers, are also long and thin which helps them move quickly in through vegetation to capture their prey. These snakes have a flattened underside that allows them to grasp irregular surfaces. Short snakes such as the viper and some species of pythons do not go around chasing prey, instead they ambush. Their bodies are heavier, acting like an anchor when lunging forward to strike its prey. Scales The scaly skin of snakes provides both protection from outside elements and the much needed flexibility to maneuver without limbs. Just as the shape of snakes varies from one species to another so do scales. Depending on the habitat and lifestyle of snakes each type of scale serves a specific purpose. However, before diving into the different types of scales, lets look at the function of scales. A snakes skin is made up of two parts: scales, made up of keratin (the same thing as fingernails) which are the thicker areas and the thinner areas between the scales called interstitial skin or interscalar skin. The scales lie similarly to that of roof shingles. This means that if you were to run your finger from head to toe it would be really smooth, but if you were to run your fingers in the opposite direction the scales would get caught, making it not only uncomfortable to you but to the snakes as well. The thinner skin is stretchable and makes the skin elasticity and very flexible. Scales serve three main purposes. First, protection from the environment, some defense against parasites, small predators, or biting insects, and from the snakes won prey which often fights back. Second, scales help with locomotion. Because scales tend to be irregularly, particularly on the underside, it helps the snake to grip the ground, pulling itself forward or vertically. Third,

scales help to minimize water loss through evaporation, which for desert dwelling snakes is quite an important attribute. There are four main types of scales: Dorsal scales, ventral scales, head scales, and subcaudal scales. Dorsal scales are found on the back and the side of the snakes and are usually arranged in rows. On vipers, these scales are keeled where as in burrowing snakes they are smooth. Ventral scales rest on the underside of the snake and are smooth in nature which helps aid in maneuverability. The head scales includes the scale at the tip of the nose called the rostral scale; the subocular scale that lies just below the eyes, and the labial scale that rest just around the mouth. Again, depending on the species of snake, these scales can vary in size. Subcaudal scales are found beneath the snakes tails. These are similar to the ventral scales, but may be singular or paired. The cells containing pigments are located in the scales and give each snake species its characteristic pattern and coloration. Coloration of scales is largely dependent on a snakes habitat, helping them to blend into the surroundings. The rainbow boa has a particular structure to the cells in the surface of its scales that causes light to reflect and refract creating a psychedelic, iridescent effect. There are a few species that can change shade within minutes and some species change color throughout their lifetime. Evolution has helped to create unique super powered-like scales in some species of snakes. Take the Desert Horned Viper who sports two horns on either side of its head just above its eyes making it look more like a dragon than a snake. This fellow hides itself in the sands of the Sahara Desert allowing only its eyes and horns to pierce the surface. A few species have tails that end in a sharp point that can be used to stab any predator that tries to mess with them. The rattlesnakes rattle is also an example of a specialized scale. As the snake sheds, theses particular scales on their tail stay in place forming the rattle that can be vibrated to send out a warning sound. Snakes grow but not their scales so they must shed their layers, doing so an average of about once a month. Snakes will rub their nose on something rough to

get begin the shedding process and will crawl along rough surfaces to help remove the outer layer which comes off inside out. Anatomy and Structure The anatomy of the snake has much in common with other vertebrates despite its elongated shape. Snakes have a backbone; rely on the same systems to survive (respiratory, circulatory, digestive, excretory, reproductive, and nervous), and many of the same organs. The main difference is the placement and shape of these organs, which are determined by the narrowness of its body. Snakes inhale and exhale through their mouth and trachea. Most species of snakes have only one functioning lung. The exception to this is the boa and the python who have a right lung. Therefore the right lung is exceptionally large, stretching a third of the entire length of the snake. To allow breath while swallowing large prey, some species of snakes have a tracheal lung which is actually an extension of the right lung. Another neat adaptation to the respiratory system is the muscular wind pipe that they can force forward under their prey allowing them to continue to breathe as well. Their circulatory system is the same to that of most animal except that their heart has only three chambers instead of four. Snakes begin digestion in the mouth where oral glands secrete digestive juices while the snake is feeding. Because the snake swallows its prey whole the throat and esophagus are muscular, helping to push food into the stomach, which is a wide section of the gut. Large and small intestines are shorter than in other animals and food that goes undigested is simple expelled. Interestingly snakes lack a bladder. Waste is filtered through the kidneys and is excreted as a white, crystalline material that contains very little water, helping to conserve moisture. Like other mammals and reptiles, snakes use internal fertilization. Males have elongated testes and a pair of copulatory organs, the hemipenes.

Sperm is carried to the testes to the hemipenes throughway of the ureter. Female will either have staggers ovaries or in some cases only one ovary. The brain and the spinal cord, which runs the length of the backbone, help to make up the nervous system of a snake. Though the nervous system is simplified in snakes due to their lack of limbs, they do have additional nerves that serve the Jacobsons organ. The Jacobsons organ is an additional organ located in the roof of the snakes mouth. Snakes use this organ to sense prey, sticking their tongue out to gather scents and touching it to the opening of the organ when the tongue is retracted. It brings those senses back inside its mouth to the Jacobsons organ where the molecules are analyzed and passed on to the brain. The forked tongue can even tell which direction the prey has gone. This forked tongue though is useless when it comes to taste. Snakes have no taste buds! Made up of a skull, spine, and ribs, the skeleton of a snake is most notable for its strength and flexibility of its spine and its unusually large number of vertebrae- ranging from 120 in smaller species and up to 500 in larger species. Compared to the 24 vertebrae in humans, that is a lot! The jaws and skulls of snakes have evolved over time in response to feeding habits. For example, primitive snakes have limited flexibility in their jaws, therefore limiting their food source to termites and ants. The more advanced snakes eat larger prey and thus require a larger capacity. In these more evolved snakes, the bones in the jaw that would otherwise be fused, are delicate and loose, and have the ability to move apart from each other when the jaw is opened wide. Theses bones are able to move forward, backwards, and outwards independently from each other allowing the snake to hook its teeth on to its prey and drag it into its mouth. Depending on a snakes feeding habit they will have either a large number of teeth or barely any at all. Teeth are loosely attached to the surface of the

jawbone on its inner edge rather than being rooted in a socket. Teeth are constantly being dislodges but grow in quickly, even fangs when present, are replaced throughout a snakes life. Snakes with fangs are divided into two categories: opistoglyphous, or rear-fanged snakes; and proteroglyphous, or front-fanged snakes. The vipers, cobras, and the burrowing asps belong to the family of front-fanged snakes. These snakes fangs are hollow so that the venom can flow along the length, exiting at the tips and penetrating into prey. On the subject of venom, venom is produced from modified saliva, a mixture of proteins and enzymes that originally served as a means of digesting the prey. The stronger these digestive juices, the more venomous the snake is. The toxicity of venom varies from species to species. Some venom is specialized according to the prey. For example, it might affect a lizard but not a bird of the same size. Not all venom has the same effect either. The cobra venom affects the nervous system where as the venom of the viper affects the blood cells. The venom of many sea snakes is fast acting, affecting the muscle. I know you are wondering what the most dangerous snakes are so here you have it: the black mamba, king cobra, and the Australian inland taipan. But these snakes are rare, killing only a handful of people each year. Venomous must not be confused with poisonous. Poison is toxic by touch and would have to be on the outer surface of the snake if that was the case. There are no poisonous snakes. All snakes are carnivores, but within the over 3,000 species of snakes that exist are many different feeding habits. Snakes are stellar hunters, hunting by sneakiness, speed, or scent. If prey is too large to swallow first snakes will kill it first by either constricting or injecting venom into their prey. Constrictors are more common than venomous snakes, most often associated with the boa. Constrictors will wrap themselves around the prey and strangle it until it stops breathing before consuming is. Most snakes have poor eye sight, forcing them to rely on other senses for hunting or defending themselves against predators. Most burrowing snakes can only distinguish between light and dark. The remaining species have one of three types of pupils. The shape of a snakes pupil indicates the probable period of its hunting activity. Generally

snakes with round pupils are diurnal and hunt during the day and snakes with vertical pupils are nocturnal, hunting at night. Horizontal pupils are found in only a few species of tree snakes, giving them binocular vision which helps them move from branch to branch. Another feature unique to snakes eyes is ocular scale, known as the brille. This transparent scale helps to protect the eye from damage because snakes lack eyelids and they do not blink. During the shedding process the brille will becomes cloudy white and will shed too. A snakes ability to sense sound is unique since they have no external ears. Instead they sense or hear vibrations in the ground. The vestiges of the internal structure of the ear are still present in the form of a small bone called the stapes, which helps to transmit vibrations to the inner ear when the jaw of the snake is low to the ground. In addition to the vibration of potential prey or predators, snakes are able to pick up low frequency airborne sounds. There are two species, the pit viper and the boids, have a sort of sixth sense that allows them to catch their prey blinded. This is made possible through infrared vision or heat vision. Infrared rays have longer wavelengths than those of visible light, signifying the presence of warm-blooded prey in three dimensions. These snakes have heat pits located just below the eye and directed forward. These pits allow them to detect even the smallest changes in heat around them. By analyzing the heat on either side of its head, the snake can figure out with precision the range and position of its prey in sheer darkness. A SNAKES NICHE
Content Standard 6.5a

Prey Snakes themselves are often used for food. Birds of prey will eat many snakes. Human Interactions Though humans generally try to avoid interaction with snakes, they do occasionally bear an important role. For instance, the venom of a snake is used often to derive vaccines, and snake scales are considered fashionable in many cultures. FUN SNAKE FACTS

The rattlesnake's rattle consists of six to 10 layers of scales, which fail to shed and make that distinctive sound when the tail is shaken as a warning. Eventually the older segments will slough as the rattle lengthens. A snake's heart can slide 1 to 1 1/2 times its length from its normal position, to allow the passage of swallowed prey. This is because of the relative mobility of the pericardial sac, which surrounds the heart. Snakes can have over 300 pairs of ribs. Out of about 3,000 species of snakes, only about 350 have venom that is dangerous to humans. Snakes are the deadliest animal on earth, killing over 100,000 people each year. Some snakes can reach a length of about 36 feet (11 meters).

SNAKES OF THE SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL FOREST Southern Rubber Boa Charina bottae umbratica

The fundamental role that snakes play in an ecosystem is a simple one. As one part of the greater food chain, they prevent overpopulation and provide food for hungry predators, especially when they are young. Their importance to humans is less pronounced but still significant. Insect and Rodent Control Snakes impose an important check on rodent populations. Some of the most venomous snakes in the world such as the Indian cobra actually prevent the spread of disease-carrying rodents, even in urban centers, so their usefulness often outweighs their danger.

Rubber boas belong to the family Boidae, boas, a

family of nonvenomous snakes which includes 43 species. The genus Charina consists of four species, three of which are found in North America and one in Africa. The name Charina comes from the Greek and means graceful or delightful. This small docile snake looks like a giant earthworm. It is active at dawn and dusk, especially during rainy periods. This small snake ranges between 12- 18 long. The Southern Rubber Boa is found only in riparian habitats in San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains, while the Northern Rubber Boa is found in much of Northern California. A so called intergrade between the Northern and Southern Rubber boa is found in Los Padres National Forest. This intergrade is genetically more related to the northern rubber boa but looks like the southern rubber boa. Rubber boas live in damp woodland and coniferous forest, large grassy meadows, and moist sandy areas along rock streams from sea level to 9,200 feet. They endure cold better than most other snakes and are ovoviviparous, which means that females retain the eggs inside their bodies until the young hatch. Mating takes place immediately after the end of hibernation, and the snakelets are born in August through the first three weeks of September. Each female bears two to eight young. The Southern Rubber Boa has been listed as one of Californias threatened species since 1971. The principal cause for the species' decline is habitat loss due to resort development, OHV activities, logging, and wood gathering. Mojave Rattler Crotalus scutulatus

Its poison is about 16 times more powerful than that of the Sidewinder. They can be identified by their triangular-shaped head and diamond-shaped markings along their body, and of course, rattles. They are brown in color in the lower elevations and darken to a green in the higher regions near the mountains. Their eggs hatch within them so anywhere from 4 to 24 baby snakes are born live in a litter. The Mojave rattlesnake is the most dangerous of rattlesnakes in the Mojave Desert. Its venom, which it uses to immobilized its prey and defend itself, attack both the nervous system with nuerotoxins and the bloodstream with hemotoxins. It looks similar to a diamondback rattlesnake, having diamond shapes along its back. Its color will vary from green-gray in higher, mountain elevations, to yellowish tones found more often in the lower portions of its range. Adults range from 2-4 feet in length. The creosote bush, found in the 2,000 to 4,000 foot elevation is the primary, but not the only habitat of this snake. They feed primarily on small rodents. It will not come looking for trouble, nor will it run from it! Striped Whipsnake Masticophis taeniatus

Striped whipsnakes are fairly common in suitable habitats. In California their range is restricted to Great Basin habitats east of the Sierra/Cascade crest from northeastern Siskiyou Co. and Modoc Co. south to the northern Mojave Desert in San Bernardino Co. Absent from higher elevations in the Warner Mountains. Elevation to 2850 m (9400 ft). Important habitats in California include eastside pine, pine-juniper, sagebrush, bitterbrush, and desert scrub. The often mis-named "Mojave Green" has the most potent venom of any rattlesnake in North America.

A visually oriented, active predator, the striped whipsnake forages on the ground and in the low branches of bushes and small trees. When foraging on the ground whipsnakes often hold their head high off the ground. They are known to take primarily lizards and snakes but also take small mammals, birds, and even insects When not active this species seeks cover under or in dense vegetation, in rocky crevices, or in or around surface objects. During winter individuals hibernate in dens in rocky accumulations . At other times, whipsnakes may return to these dens if conditions become particularly inclement. Males are thought to defend a small area around a female during the period of courtship and mating. Territorial defense sometimes involves physical combat. Males are not aggressive toward each other during other seasons or in the absence of females. Courtship, involving the rubbing of portions of the female's body with the head and neck of the male, occurs soon after emergence from the hibernaculum in the spring. Three to 10 eggs are deposited, often in communal nests, in June and July. Hatching occurs in late August or September. The striped whipsnake is an active, diurnal, visually oriented predator, similar to the California whipsnake, which occurs in less arid habitats. Whipsnakes are taken by a variety of predators including mammals, diurnal birds of prey and other snakes. Mountain Kingsnake Lampropeltis zonata parvirubra

They are found in the mountain ranges between 3,000 up 8,000 feet elevation. They primarily eat lizards, however adults will eat rattlesnakes (hence the name "Kingsnake"). They begin hibernation sometime in October, emerging sometime in midMarch. breeding occurs from the end of April till the middle of June. San Bernardino Ringneck Snake Diadophis punctatus modestus

The ringneck snake is found along the southern California coast from the Santa Barbara area south along the coast to San Diego County, and inland into the San Bernardino mountains. It is a small, thin snake with smooth scales. Gray, blue-gray, blackish, or dark olive dorsal coloring, with a bright orange to reddish underside, speckled with black markings. The underside of the tail is a bright reddish orange. Though it is mildly venomous, it is not considered dangerous to humans. It has enlarged non-grooved teeth in the rear of the upper jaw and a mild venom which may help to incapacitate small prey. This two-toned snake flashes its orange belly when intimidated or scared, trying to scare off predators. These snakes are between 1016 inches long. This snake is rather secretive - usually found under the cover of rocks, wood, bark, boards and other surface debris, but occasionally seen moving on the surface on cloudy days, at dusk, or at night. Their diet consists of slender salamanders and other small salamanders, tadpoles, small frogs, small snakes, lizards, worms, slugs, and insects. As far as reproduction, the ringneck will lay eggs in the summer, sometimes in a communal nest. GLOSSARY Adaptation A characteristic that enables a living thing to survive in its environment

The California Mountain Kingsnake is found in the mountains of California, southern Oregon and northern Baja Mexico. Eggs are laid 3-9 in a clutch sometime in July and August hatching in September and October. Hatchlings are 6-7"; an adult may exceed three feet, but most are between 20 40 inches long. The head is generally all black. Having colorful triads the length of the body.

Brille A clear scale that covers a snakes eye Constrictor A type of snake that kills its prey by suffocation Ectotherm Animals that are unable to regulate their temperature internally Endotherm Animals that are able to regulate their temperature internally Infrared Vision Vision outside the visible spectrum at its red end, where thermal waves are picked up Jacobsons Organ Either of a pair of small pits that are used by reptiles and amphibians as a sense organ for smell. Low Frequency Hearing Wave frequencies that lie below the range of human hearing. Poison A biological toxin absorbed through epithelial linings such as the skin or gut (not injected like venom) Reptile- Any of various cold-blooded, usually egglaying, vertebrates having an external covering of scales or horny plates and breathing by means of lungs. Scales -Small, flattened, rigid plates forming part of the external body covering of reptiles and amphibians Shedding The routine molting or sloughing off of cells, as in the loss of scales on snakes and fur on mammals Venomous Having a venom-producing gland and the ability to inflict a poisoned wound.