Snakes have a long, slender (slim) body and scaly skin. Unlike other reptiles, snakes do not have arms or legs. They move from place to place by slithering (gliding). Furthermore, they have no eyelids and no external ear openings. They come in all sorts of colors ranging from bright to dull.

Bright colored snakes are usually venomous (deadly: extremely poisonous or injurious). Dull colored snakes use their color for camouflage (to blend in their environment; a disguise) As they grow, snakes shed their old skin and the film that covers their eyes. Like other reptiles, snakes are cold-blooded.

Snakes are carnivores (meat-eaters). They eat rodents and other mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians, insects, and eggs. Snakes do not chew, they eat their prey whole by swallowing them. Some snakes (like cobras, vipers, and rattlesnakes) are venomous and kill or paralyze their prey by injecting venom through hollow fangs.

Some snakes (like boas and the anaconda) kill their prey by squeezing it to death.

Unlike humans, snakes are ectotherms, meaning they must regulate their body temperature externally by sunning themselves or retreating to cool, shaded areas. Humans, on the other hand, always maintain a body temperature of 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

Snakes are threatened by roads and habitat destruction. They are protected under the Endangered Species Act.