Snakes Vs Lizards

Snakes Vs Lizards

Cousins

There are four groups in the reptile family. Snakes and Lizards belong to the same group. In this way we can say that Snakes and Lizards are cousins. Just like you and your cousins, the snake and the lizard are different in many ways, but they have some similarities.

Supper for Snakes

Snakes eat only live food. Most snakes eat rats, birds, rabbits and sometimes they even eat their cousins, the lizards!!! Small snakes eat mice, worms, frogs, snails, and insects. African egg eating snakes eat only bird's eggs.
But guess what the favourite food of some snakes is? It's other snakes! Cobras eat lots of other snakes. Snakes don't chew their food. They swallow it whole. How rude! Snakes can open their mouths very wide. Their heads and bodies stretch to let in the big things.

Egg eating snakes can swallow eggs that are bigger then their heads! Little snakes can swallow whole frogs.And big Pythons can swallow whole pigs, small deer, or goats, hoofs and all!

Animal Actors

Many Reptiles protect themselves by pretending. The Frilled Lizard is small and harmless. But it pretends to be big and dangerous. When it opens it's mouth its throat is bright red and frightening. A big flap of skin on its neck lifts up and spreads out. The lizard suddenly looks much bigger and very dangerous!

The harmless hog- nosed snake pretends to be dangerous, too. It opens its moouth and hisses. It pretends it's going to bite. But then if its enemy isn't frightened, it pretends to be dead. It rolls over onto its back and lies still. Most animals don't like to eat dead snakes so the enemy usually goes away.

Fun Facts

Fun Fact 1

Snakes can bend and twist because thier backbone is made up of hundreds of tiny bones, all linked together like a chain.

Fun Fact 2

Most Snakes are loners, but hundreds of rattlesnakes will snuggle up together underground to sleep through the cold winter months.

Fun Fact 3

Lizards can snap off their tails when they're being attacked. The dropped tail wriggles, puzzling the enemy, and giving the lizard time to escape. A new tail grows in a few weeks

. Fun Fact 4

The stumpy- tailed skink has a stumpy tail the same shape as its head. As long as it keeps its mouth shut, its enemies can't tell whether the lizard is coming or going

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