Research news on Snakes (order)

Snakes are limbless, elongated reptiles of the suborder Serpentes within the order Squamata, characterized by extreme axial elongation, loss of limbs and external ear openings, and highly kinetic skulls enabling ingestion of large prey. They possess specialized vertebrae and ribs, a forked tongue used with a vomeronasal (Jacobson’s) organ for chemosensory tracking, and often heat-sensing pits in some lineages (e.g., pit vipers, some pythons). Many species exhibit venom-delivery systems involving modified salivary glands and fangs, while others rely on constriction or simple jaw mechanics. Snakes show diverse reproductive modes, including oviparity and viviparity, and occupy a broad range of terrestrial and aquatic habitats.