Animals that start with S

Snake

Get ready to rattle with laughter as you discover the wacky world of snakes! These facts will make your little ones go “wow” and “eww” at the same time. Join Albert as he explores these amazing snake facts for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners. Click on the images to hear silly sounds and then read about fun shark facts like what do snakes look like?, what sound do snakes make?, how big are snakes?, what do snakes eat?, where do snakes live?, and more fun facts about snakes!

What do snakes look like?

Snakes are reptiles. That means that they are cold-blooded. Other reptiles include lizards, tortoises, alligators and crocodiles.

Snakes are long, thin animals without any legs. They slither along the ground. Snakes have forked tongues which they move in and out of their mouth to “smell” the air. This tells them where their prey is. Most snakes lay eggs, but some give birth to baby snakes.

What sound do snakes make?

Click the the image to hear the sound!

Hiss!

Snakes are known to hiss. Some snakes can also growl or shriek!

Rattle snakes shake the end of their tail, making a rattling sound. This is used to warn intruders away.

How big are snakes?

Some snakes can be tiny and some are huge.

The longest snake in the world is the reticulated python. These regularly grow up to 21 feet (over 6 meters) long. That’s as long as two big sofas in a row!

The smallest snake in the world is called the Barbados threadsnake. It is only 4 inches (10 centimeters) long and as thin as spaghetti!

What do snakes eat?

There are so many different snakes in the world, that they all eat different things. But all snakes are predatory, which means that they hunt and catch other animals to eat.

Some eat tiny animals like insects and worms, whilst other eat small mammals and birds. Some snakes eat other snakes!

Anacondas are huge snakes that live in the rainforest and often eat deer, sheep and even jaguars!

Where do snakes live?

Snakes live in a wide variety of habitats. They are found on every continent except for Antarctica. Although you do find snakes in colder countries, they do much better and thrive in hotter climates.

Some live in trees or underground. Some live in rivers, lakes or in the sea. Some prefer deserts and some find shelter under rocks, logs or sand.

More fun facts about snakes for kids

Like all reptiles, snakes shed their skin. When we grow, we buy new, bigger clothes to fit us. When a snake grows, they remove their outer layer of skin because it becomes too tight.
Snakes don’t have any eyelids! This means that they cannot blink or close their eyes. They do sleep though. Imagine trying to sleep with your eyes open!
Although snakes look like one big, long tube, they have a body and tail.
Some snakes, like the python, only need to eat their body weight in food in one year. Often a snake will eat this amount of food in one day, so it doesn’t need to feed for another year! If you only had one meal in a whole year, what food would you choose?
Snakes don’t chew their food like we do. Instead, they eat their prey whole. They have a flexible lower jaw which allows them to open their mouths extra wide to eat large animals.
The black mamba is the world’s fastest snake. It can reach speeds of 12 mph (19 kph). This is as fast as a fast human can run!
Anacondas, which live in and around water, can hold their breath for up to 10 minutes.
Snakes don’t have real teeth, but some have fangs. These are used to inject or release venom into their prey. This helps them kill it and eat it. The fangs can usually fold away when they aren’t being used.

Sources: Wikipedia, Live Science, Creative Commons, Britannica.com and Freesound.org