Snakes look so different, Where do they fit in with the other animals?
Like us, snakes are vertebrates, which means they have a backbone consisting of numerous vertebrae that provide their bodies with flexible support. They share this characteristic with fishes, amphibians, other reptiles, and mammals. Snakes belong to the Class Reptilia, meaning they are cold-blooded, have skin covered with scales and lay eggs (oviparous). Some snakes retain the eggs within their body until they hatch, thereby giving birth to live young (ovoviviparous). Snakes are close cousins to lizards and share the spotlight with them in the reptilian Order Squamata. Snakes belong to their suborder Serpentes, consisting of 15 families, 417 genera and over 2,375 species worldwide. Five of these families (depending on your classification system) are represented in the United States by 50 genera and 127 species. Snakes, though of relatively recent origin, are a diverse and highly successful group.
