British Reptiles : Snakes — Two Turtles 



Unlike the Smooth Snake, which, we have seen, lies 

 in wait for its prey, the Ringed Snake frequently creeps 

 up to its victim and seizes it with its mouth by a rapid 

 movement. It swallows its prey whole, and while yet 

 alive, because it has no limbs with which to tear it to 

 pieces. The uniniti- 

 ated reader may wonder 

 how it is possible for a 

 Snake to swallow a 

 Frog which is larger 

 than its head and even 

 thicker than its body. 

 A study of Fig. i will 

 help in the understand- 

 ing of this matter. 



The bones of the 

 jaws are movable ; 

 they are united by 

 means of tendinous 

 ligaments which 

 stretch, and when the 

 Snake is swallowing 

 its victim the bones 



Fig. i. — Skull of Ringed Snake : from 



Below. 

 0, Maxilla ; U, mandible ; £, tendinous 

 ligament ; G, teeth of palate ; Qu, quad- 

 rate bone ; H, occipital condyle. 

 (From Schmeil's " Text-Book of Zoology.") 



become widely separated, and the head temporarily 

 loses its normal shape. The teeth on the jaws and 

 palate are directed backwards, like hooks, rendering 

 escape of the live prey practically impossible. Under 

 such conditions the process of swallowing is slow ; but 

 it is considerably assisted by an abundant secretion of 



39 



