black coral snake found in extreme 

 southeastern North Carolina, these 

 colors warn that the snake is danger- 

 ous. In other snakes, coloring may 

 help them blend into the surround- 

 ings. 



Snakes grow 

 continuously as they 

 age, and occasionally 

 they must shed their 

 skins. The snake's 

 skin is composed of 

 two layers, an older 

 outer layer and an 

 inner layer that 

 constantly grows. 

 Between the two is a 

 thin layer of clear 

 cells, which enable 

 the old, top layer to 

 separate, or shed, 

 from the new skin. 

 Before shedding, 

 snakes also secrete an 

 oily substance between the layers. 

 This is why a shedding snake appears 

 dull and its eyes blind and milky- 

 white. 



The snake crawls out of its old 

 skin by scraping against rocks and 

 roots. Because the pigments that 

 make up the snake's markings are 

 embedded in the inner layer of 

 skin and not the outer, the shed 

 skin, usually discarded com- 

 pletely intact, has only faint 

 colorings. The snake's new skin, 

 however, is shiny, bright and 

 colorful. 



Locomotion 



Without arms or legs, the 

 snake has to be creative about 

 finding its way around. The 

 most common form of 

 serpentine movement is side- 

 to-side wriggling. The snake 

 uses the sides of its body to 

 push against the bumps and 

 lumps it crosses. As the 

 snake moves forward, 

 different sections of its 

 body push against the same bumps, 

 making the reptile's path appear 

 smooth, flowing and graceful. 



Redbelly water snake 



In another form of movement, the 

 snake works its way across the ground 

 like an accordion or caterpillar. The 

 head extends forward, and the rest of 

 the body pulls after it. Large, heavy 

 snakes use a series of muscles, 

 arranged diagonally along their sides, 

 to inch themselves along in a straight, 

 slow-moving path. 



Snakes are also good swimmers, 

 sometimes long-distance ones. Species 

 such as the cottonmouth and timber 

 rattlesnake have crossed North 

 Carolina estuaries to the barrier 

 islands. 



Predation a 

 Protection 



Snakes are top-of-the-line 

 predators. Some forage for animals 

 that are small and slow-moving; 

 others stalk and hunt their prey. Some 

 camouflage themselves, sitting and 

 waiting for unsuspecting animals to 

 dart by. 



Fish and amphibians are the main 

 prey of most semiaquatic snakes. 

 Snakes also eat rats, mice, turtles, 

 rabbits, squirrels, crayfish, lizards, 

 birds, bats, chipmunks, and eggs of 



8 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1996 



