Squamata
Amphisbaenians
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Animalia +
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Chordata +
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Reptilia +
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Squamata
- Acrochordidae +
- Agamidae +
- Amphisbaenia +
- Amphisbaenidae +
- Anguidae +
- Aniliidae +
- Anniellidae +
- Anomalepidae +
- Anomochilidae +
- Atractaspididae +
- Boidae +
- Bolyeridae +
- Chamaeleonidae +
- Colubridae +
- Cordylidae +
- Corytophanidae +
- Crotaphytidae +
- Cylindrophiidae +
- Dibamidae +
- Elapidae +
- Gekkonidae +
- Gerrhosauridae +
- Gymnophthalmidae +
- Helodermatidae +
- Hoplocercidae +
- Hydrophiidae +
- Iguanidae +
- Lacertidae +
- Lanthanotidae +
- Leptotyphlopidae +
- Loxocemidae +
- Opluridae +
- Phrynosomatidae +
- Polychrotidae +
- Pygopodidae +
- Rhineuridae +
- Scincidae +
- Teiidae +
- Tropidophiidae +
- Tropiduridae +
- Typhlopidae +
- Uropeltidae +
- Varanidae +
- Viperidae +
- Xantusiidae +
- Xenopeltidae +
- Xenosauridae +
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Squamata
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Reptilia +
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Chordata +
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Table of Contents
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General Description
Efficient movement across land: snakes
Source and Additional Information
Most snakes move across land efficiently using lateral undulation and pushing against surface irregularities.
"The more common scheme in snakes uses one or another form of serpentine (the name of obvious origin) body curvature--sometimes called 'lateral undulation' to distinguish it from the 'rectilinear' motion just described. As shown in figure 24.7b, the entire body moves all the time; what are fixed to the substratum are its curves. So each point along the snake's body alternately bends one way and then the other. The directional motion originates in the way each curve of the snake pushes against irregularities on the substratum and slides forward because those irregularities resist sideways forces and thus lateral motion much more effectively than they resist shearing forces and thus forward motion. The process doesn't differ greatly from what a flagellum does (chapter 11)--it depends on a similarly greater resistance to lateral motion than to axial motion. In one sense, the snake has it better than the flagellum, since points on the substratum may remain completely fixed rather than perpetually slipping. While not anywhere near as fast as it looks to a startled observer, this characteristic kind of serpentine locomotion does manage reasonable efficiency compared to moving on legs, mainly because no part of the body need [sic] to exert force to support itself against gravity." (Vogel 2003:489)
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References
- Steven Vogel. 2003. Comparative Biomechanics: Life's Physical World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 580 p.
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Underground dens protect from cold: snakes
Source and Additional Information
Snakes survive cold winters in part by using underground dens, the depth of which are linked to the prevailing winter temperatures.
"Snakes, meanwhile, choose to conceal themselves during the winter months in underground dens (hibernacula). The depth of these dens is directly linked to the level to which the environmental temperature usually falls at this time of year - as is the length of the snakes' period of torpor. Snakes will often congregate in great numbers at this time to help to conserve as much of their body heat as they can. They will even share their hibernacula with other poikilotherms, such as lizards, tortoises, and toads." (Shuker 2001:109)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
References
- Shuker, KPN. 2001. The Hidden Powers of Animals: Uncovering the Secrets of Nature. London: Marshall Editions Ltd. 240 p.
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Tail shedding protects from predators: lizard
Source and Additional Information
The tail of a lizard helps it escape predators by breaking off at one of the cartilaginous fracture planes within its caudal vertebrae.
"The shedding of tails, and sometimes other limbs too, is not uncommon in the natural world. Autotomy, as scientists call it, is a clever means of getting away from predators, which are literally left holding a part of the intended victim's body. Not only is the victim able to survive the incident, it is able to replace the lost body part. Species from no less than 11 of the 16 classified families of lizard shed their tails in this way. The secret of the process lies in the structure of a typical lizard's tail. Each of its caudal vertebrae from the sixth onward contains a weak horizontal 'break' or fracture plane, which is made of cartilage instead of bone and will snap easily if held. Also, within each vertebra's fracture plane the blood vessels and nerves are constricted, so that if the tail does snap off, blood loss will be minimal." (Shuker 2001:131)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
References
- Shuker, KPN. 2001. The Hidden Powers of Animals: Uncovering the Secrets of Nature. London: Marshall Editions Ltd. 240 p.
Just-in-time manufacturing conserves resources: snakes
Source and Additional Information
Snakes conserve resources by just-in-time manufacturing.
"Just-in-time manufacturing: Producing as needed and at the time of the need is widely used in biology and such examples include the making of the web by spiders or the production of the toxic chemicals by snakes. Such a capability is increasingly adapted by industry as a method of lowering the cost of operation. Many industries are now manufacturing their products in small quantities as needed to meet consumers demand right at the assembly line. Thus, industry is able to cope with the changing demand and decline or rise in orders for its products." (Bar-Cohen 2006:498)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
References
- Yoseph Bar-Cohen. 2006. Biomimetics: biologically inspired technologies. Boca Raton, FL: CRC/Taylor & Francis. 527 p.
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Last curated:
12 Nov 2009
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James Parham.
Editor.
"Squamata". Encyclopedia of Life, available from "http://www.eol.org/pages/1704". Accessed
22 Mar 2010.
