LOCOMOTION IN SNAKES – BLASTING THE MYTH ABOUT THEIR CRAWLING SPEED

Snake tales are usually chilling by nature. Nobody wants to be caught up in any ugly encounter with mankind’s natural enemy. A dog may be man’s best friend but, when it’s not fed on schedule, it may bite its owner when it’s big enough.

So, are the stories about snakes that move quicker than a running human being and strike faster than lightning true? Let’s see the evidence below for or against holding onto these myths:

[One surprising characteristic of snakes is their ability to move rapidly without legs. Four quite different types of locomotion are used by snakes. The most frequently used method is the simple, undulating crawl, which appropriately is called the serpentine method. In this type of locomotion, the snake pushes against the ground on the back side of each curve or undulation and flows smoothly forwards.

Another method is called caterpillar locomotion, and is used only by the heavier-bodied snakes. The skin of the ventral surface is moved forwards and backwards by strong muscles, and the broad belly scales grip the ground, moving the snake forwards in a straight line. This method has given rise to the erroneous statement that snakes “walk on their ribs”; actually the ribs do not move forwards and backwards in any of the four types of movement.

Several desert-dwelling species use a special type of locomotion, called sidewinding, to move on loose sand. In this method the snake throws its body sideways along the ground in a looping motion.

The fourth method is known as concertina locomotion, because the body is alternately stretched out and pulled together as the snake moves from one anchor point to another. The concertina is used in crossing smooth surfaces and in climbing.

The most common of the four, and the one that enables all snakes to achieve maximum speed, is the serpentine method. Not all snakes can use each of the other methods.

The fastest recorded speed achieved by any snake is about 13 km/h (8 mph), slower than a human adult can run, but few can move that fast.

In climbing, any of the methods except sidewinding may be used, but snakes swim only by means of the serpentine method.

Some species of snakes of the family Colubridae (garters, kings, and allies) in East Asia and New Guinea are described as being able to fly. They do not actually fly, but they can drop or hurl themselves from fairly high trees and fall or even partly glide to the ground without injury.

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WELL, I GUESS FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN CAN MAKE A SANE PERSON TO RATTLE OFF GIBBERISH! Cheers, everyone.

By the way, see this link for all the snake pictures you want, if you can stand seeing them!