Snakes & Venom
Snakes lost their legs but gained extraordinary ways to move, sense heat, swallow huge meals and deliver venom with precision. Explore how their bodies work, why venom evolved, and why these feared animals are far more varied than they first appear.
What Makes a Snake?
Snakes are highly specialised reptiles whose long bodies changed almost every part of how they move, feed and sense the world.
Moving Without Legs
Snakes do not have one way of moving. They switch between several techniques depending on the surface and situation.
A Different Set of Senses
A snake’s world is built from scent, vibration, vision and, in some species, the heat given off by warm bodies.
How Venom Works
Venom is not one substance. It is a complex chemical toolkit shaped by what a snake hunts and how it survives.
Feeding Without Chewing
Snakes swallow prey whole, which requires a skull and digestive system built for extreme flexibility.
Constriction and Hunting
Not every snake uses venom. Constrictors rely on powerful bodies, while other species specialise in fish, eggs or tiny prey.
Skin, Scales and Growing
A snake’s outer skin protects the body but does not grow continuously, so the animal must regularly replace it.
Extreme Snakes
Snakes have spread from deserts to oceans, forests, caves and mountains by evolving specialised bodies and behaviours.
Snakes and Ecosystems
Snakes are predators and prey at the same time, making them important links in food webs.
Venom, Medicine and the Future
The chemicals that make venom dangerous are also helping scientists understand nerves, blood and new medicines.