Book 1, Question 45 · Video
Why Can Snakes Swallow Big Prey? Jaws That Walk!
Snakes can swallow animals wider than their heads thanks to some super clever skull and jaw features. A snake's skull bones are loosely connected, so the head can stretch, and the
Read the full answer →What Crafty Clover says in this video
Intro
Hi! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why can snakes swallow big prey?
The Big Idea
Snakes can swallow animals wider than their own heads, and they do it without chewing! That's thanks to some super clever skull and jaw features. Let's look at three of them.
Loose Skull Bones
Step one: loosely joined skull bones. Unlike our skulls, a snake's skull bones are loosely connected, so its head can stretch and move around a big meal. Snakes don't really unhinge their jaws. Their bendy joints just work like extra hinges!
Split Lower Jaw
Step two: the lower jaw halves are not fused. The two halves of the lower jaw aren't joined by bone. At the chin, they're held by a stretchy band. So they can spread apart, and the mouth opens very wide!
Walking Jaws
Step three: the jaws walk over the meal. The upper and lower jaws walk over the prey, one side moving forward at a time. Backward-curving teeth hook in, and step by step, down it goes!
A Closer Look
Let's take a closer look at a snake's mouth! Stretchy skin and muscles expand around the meal. Curved teeth point backward, so the prey can only go one way: in! And the two lower jaw halves spread wide apart.
Quick Facts
Quick facts! Some snakes can eat prey much wider than their own head, and even wider than their own body! Snakes can breathe while they swallow, by pushing their breathing tube forward, like a snorkel! After a huge meal, some big snakes don't need to eat again for weeks! And egg-eating snakes swallow eggs whole, then spit out the crushed shell!
Think Like a Scientist
Now, think like a scientist! Look at a picture or a video of a snake opening its mouth. Notice how the lower jaw and stretchy skin work together. Watch the chin, where the two jaw halves spread apart. Then watch the jaws take turns walking forward. What else do you notice?
Outro
Loose skull bones, split jaws, and walking jaws make snakes amazing swallowers! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!