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SLITHER SCIENCE
Dear HIW, Why do snakes slither in a pattern? What helps them slither in the first place?
Christopher
The science behind a snake’s slither is intriguing. They can glide smoothly over the ground in a distinctive ‘S’ shape, yet despite all this winding, their direction of travel remains straight. To create this movement, the snake contracts its muscles from the neck downwards while thrusting from side to side. Snakes that live in the water and those that live on land both use this motion. For those in water, it helps them travel forwards as their bodies push against the water.
Meanwhile, snakes on land are more likely to find rocks, dents in the ground and other resistance points that they can push on as they slither.
To move forward, snakes rely on their
ribs and the scales on their bellies. These grip the surface they are travelling across and push backwards. As they push backwards, their bodies move forwards.
Most snakes glide forwards by alternating the side of their bodies that the scales are pushing from. Not all snakes slither from side to side, though. Other snakes will push backwards on both sides at the same time and travel in a straight line.