They might lack arms and legs, but snakes are surprisingly mobile. <\/p>
Given that they have nothing by way of legs, arms or wings – or indeed any sort of appendage – snakes have a surprising array of tricks under their scales when it comes to getting from A to B. <\/strong><\/p> Here we explain how they move…<\/p> A snake’s body is long and strong, comprising a flexible spine and hundreds of sharply curved rib bones (up to 400 in some species). Engaging the muscles attached to these rib bones allows snakes not only to slither, but to climb, swim and even fling themselves through the air.<\/p> On land, snakes utilise four basic modes of travel, depending on their size, the habitat and what’s going on around them. Many are capable of more than one mode, switching between them as the need arises.<\/p> Lateral undulation (or serpentine) is the most common. This undulating, side-to-side pattern of movement is probably what comes to mind when we visualise a slithering snake. An individual uses its S-shaped loops to push off from irregularities in the ground or features in the landscape, such as rocks and logs, resulting in a forward propulsion. If the ground is featureless or unstable (a sand dune, for instance), this mode of locomotion is more difficult.<\/p>How do snakes move?<\/h2>
How do snakes slither?<\/h3>