Did you know the scales of a snake are made of keratin, the same substance that makes up our hair, skin, and nails? It makes sense being that we shed our skin too based on keratin produced inside our bodies. It's still gross though, although it would be worse if we shed our skins like they do - in full throttle. They only shed it three times a year though, which is called "molting".

Snakes do not have ears, as you can obviously see, so how do they hear? They have internal ears that connect to their jawbone which rests on the ground so they "hear" via vibrations. Their jaws are so flexible that they can open their mouth up to 150 degrees in order to eat its prey, meat, as they are carnivores. If there's any reptile to survive a famine, it would be snakes as certain types can go up to two years without eating. 😳

The most noticeable attribute of a snake is its tongue. Their forked tongue is used to collect airborne particles that are examined inside their mouths to “smell" prey. Many snakes have venom to demobilize their prey and they cannot die swallowing their own venom as the main component is protein which becomes neutralized by their stomach acid.

Snake venom has been studied by many scientists in the medical field for treatments due to its protein capabilities. Captopril, for example, was the first venom-based drug approved by the FDA on April 6, 1981. It was derived from the Brazilian viper and currently being used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure and kidney problems from diabetes.

Who knew a snake could kill you and save your life!