We all know that snakes have no legs, but how can they possibly move without them? We will reveal the secret of what moves snakes as we dive into the secret world of snake locomotion! Did you know that it took a team of mathematicians to figure out that the secret to how a snake moves is actually in it's scales? Despite popular belief that snakes are slimy, they are not, in fact if they were they would not be able to move as well as they do. Not only can snakes move but they can even jump! Speaking of jumping without legs, lets dive in and learn more! It's pretty amazing that something without arms and legs can be so versatile. These amazing animals can get themselves into some pretty small places that those with arms and legs cannot. There are 4 ways that snakes commonly move along different surfaces, lets have a look: Serpentine method: The famous s-shaped slither, the one we all think of when we picture a snake moving. Snakes will push off from any rock or other bumpy surface, moving in a wavy motion. Snakes also use this method of movement in water. This movement is also known as lateral undulation. Sidewinding: Reaching speeds of up to 18 mph this is one the fastest ways that a snake can move! Similar to the conventional s-shaped slither they do that same movement only sideways! This method is commonly used on surfaces with few resistance points, like sand. Caterpillar: A very slow method of movement but still very effective, is the caterpillar or rectilinear locomotion. This movement contracts the body into curves, but these waves are much smaller and curve up and down rather than side to side, much like a caterpillar. Concertina: Used for climbing, with this movement the snake extends its head forward along a vertical surface and then finds a place to grip with its ventral scales. To get a good hold, it bunches up the middle of its body into tight curves that grip the surface while it pulls its back end up toward it's head; it then springs forward again to find a new place to grip with its scales. Wait a minute here ...let's go back to that part where we said snakes can jump! OK, so they can't jump like we do, but they can launch themselves up pretty high and fast with their lower body and tail. Snakes are all muscle and they have adapted over millions of years to be extremely versatile without limbs. In fact it is believed that sometime during the Jurassic area, snakes evolved from lizards with smaller arms and legs that no longer needed those extremities as they needed to burrow and fit in much smaller spaces. It was thought that those limbs simply got in the way. X-rays of modern snakes show where their limbs would have been. If you would like to learn more about these fascinating snakes, and have an up close and hands on experience, contact us today or book a show ! [fusion_button link="http://www.newenglandreptileshows.com/book-a-show/" title="" target="_self" alignment="" modal="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" color="default" button_gradient_top_color="" button_gradient_bottom_color="" button_gradient_top_color_hover="" button_gradient_bottom_color_hover="" accent_color="" accent_hover_color="" type="" bevel_color="" border_width="" size="" stretch="default" shape="" icon="" icon_position="left" icon_divider="no" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset=""]Book a Show![/fusion_button]

Ball Pythons | Reptile Shows of New England

Snake Eyes- A Gamble at Best
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Snake Eyes- A Gamble at Best

Ball Pythons, Snake Eyes

Snake Eyes- A Gamble at Best

Author: Emily Erickson In Disney’s film interpretation of “The Jungle Book” By Rudyard Kipling, Kaa the snake hypnotizes Mowgli with his enchanting gaze so the large serpent can eat the [...]

yptadmin2019-08-30T13:19:26+00:00Ball Pythons, Snake Eyes|

Reptiles are not Christmas Gifts
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Reptiles are not Christmas Gifts

Ball Pythons, Chameleons, Corn Snakes, Crested Geckos, Garter Snakes, Green Iguanas, Leopard Geckos

Reptiles are not Christmas Gifts

We get calls quite often from those who have pet reptiles, but can no longer care for them because it’s a snake that has gotten to large, or a bearded [...]

Team Member2019-08-30T13:21:05+00:00Ball Pythons, Chameleons, Corn Snakes, Crested Geckos, Garter Snakes, Green Iguanas, Leopard Geckos|

What it takes to be a reptile owner
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What it takes to be a reptile owner

Ball Pythons, Corn Snakes, Crested Geckos, Garter Snakes, Green Iguanas, King Snake, Leopard Geckos, New England Reptile Shows, Proper Reptile Handling and Checking for Health Issues, Reptiles as pets

What it takes to be a reptile owner

In short, research, care and lots of time is what it really takes to be a successful reptile owner. For those of us who have pet cats or dogs, there [...]

Team Member2017-11-02T11:41:09+00:00Ball Pythons, Corn Snakes, Crested Geckos, Garter Snakes, Green Iguanas, King Snake, Leopard Geckos, New England Reptile Shows, Proper Reptile Handling and Checking for Health Issues, Reptiles as pets|

Snake Locomotion
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Snake Locomotion

Ball Pythons, Burmese Python, Corn Snakes, Garter Snakes, How to overcome a fear of snakes, Myths About Reptiles, Rattle Snake, Red Tail Boas, Reptile Shows in Massachusetts

Snake Locomotion

We all know that snakes have no legs, but how can they possibly move without them? We will reveal the secret of what moves snakes as we dive into the [...]

Team Member2018-07-08T17:10:41+00:00Ball Pythons, Burmese Python, Corn Snakes, Garter Snakes, How to overcome a fear of snakes, Myths About Reptiles, Rattle Snake, Red Tail Boas, Reptile Shows in Massachusetts|

Happy World Snake Day!
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Happy World Snake Day!

Albino Burmese Python, Ball Pythons, Burmese Python, Corn Snakes, Endangered Reptiles, King Snake, Rattle Snake, Red Tail Boas, Reptile Shows for Birthday Parties, Reptile Shows in Massachusetts, World Snake Day

Happy World Snake Day!

Over the centuries snakes have really gotten a bad rap for being mean creatures who only want to hide in the tall grass and bite anyone or anything that comes [...]

Team Member2017-11-02T11:42:58+00:00Albino Burmese Python, Ball Pythons, Burmese Python, Corn Snakes, Endangered Reptiles, King Snake, Rattle Snake, Red Tail Boas, Reptile Shows for Birthday Parties, Reptile Shows in Massachusetts, World Snake Day|

How to Conquer your Fear of Snakes
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How to Conquer your Fear of Snakes

Ball Pythons, Burmese Python, How to overcome a fear of snakes, Snake Exposure Therapy, Snake Phobia, Snake Therapy, Snake Therapy in New England, Therapists in New England that specialize in snake phobia, Therapy Reptiles

How to Conquer your Fear of Snakes

Ophidiophobia or ophiophobia is a type of phobia or fear of snakes. It is sometimes called by a more general term, herpetophobia, fear of reptiles. This is one of the [...]

Team Member2017-11-02T11:47:49+00:00Ball Pythons, Burmese Python, How to overcome a fear of snakes, Snake Exposure Therapy, Snake Phobia, Snake Therapy, Snake Therapy in New England, Therapists in New England that specialize in snake phobia, Therapy Reptiles|

Top 5 Myths About Reptiles … Debunked!
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Top 5 Myths About Reptiles … Debunked!

Ball Pythons, Myths About Reptiles, New England Reptile Shows, Reptile Shows for Birthday Parties, Reptile Shows in Massachusetts

Top 5 Myths About Reptiles … Debunked!

Co Authored by Jodi, Emily and Eric Erickson The fear of reptiles is not something that is ingrained into us before birth, it's something that is a learned behavior as [...]

Team Member2017-11-02T11:45:14+00:00Ball Pythons, Myths About Reptiles, New England Reptile Shows, Reptile Shows for Birthday Parties, Reptile Shows in Massachusetts|

Piebald Ball Python to Het-Pied Ball Python
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Piebald Ball Python to Het-Pied Ball Python

Ball Pythons, Breeding

Piebald Ball Python to Het-Pied Ball Python

We are breeding our Piebald Ball Python, Jack to our Het-Pied Ball Python Kat. October 2016. They have hooked up once so far. I am very excited about this pair, [...]

yptadmin2016-10-30T18:41:46+00:00Ball Pythons, Breeding|

Getting Your First Pet Snake? 6 Things to Consider

If you’re considering getting a pet snake, there are some things you need to do and know first. Preparing the right environment for your pet snake, making sure you have [...]

yptadmin2016-10-26T13:39:48+00:00Ball Pythons, Corn Snakes, Garter Snakes, King Snake|

Why do snakes flick their tongues?
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Why do snakes flick their tongues?

Ball Pythons

Why do snakes flick their tongues?

One of the most common asked questions about reptiles is: Why do snakes flick their tongues? All snakes, some lizards, and all cats have what’s called a jacobson’s organ on [...]

yptadmin2016-01-03T19:34:55+00:00Ball Pythons|