Snakes and Intro to Archosaurs

Suborder Serpentes

Includes ~20 families and 3400 species.

Colubridae

Largest snake family, comprising half of species.

Cretaceous

Time period dating snake origins.

Pelvic girdle traces

Remnants found in most snake species.

Fossorial ancestors

Ancestors with reduced eyes for burrowing.

Infrared vision

Ability to detect heat, found in snakes.

Eyelash viper

Example of arboreal snake, Bothriechis schlegelii.

Blind snakes

Burrowing snakes belonging to Typhlops genus.

Sea snakes

Adapted to water, limited land movement.

Wave motion

Locomotion method used by snakes.

Extreme skull flexibility

Allows snakes to consume large prey.

Backward-curving teeth

Facilitates prey capture and swallowing.

Duvernoy's gland

Homologous to venom glands in colubrids.

Opisthoglyphous

Rear-fanged snakes with large grooved teeth.

Proteroglyphous

Snakes with permanently erect front fangs.

Solenoglyphous

Snakes with foldable fangs as only teeth.

Neurotoxins

Toxins affecting the nervous system, found in Elapidae.

Hemotoxins

Toxins that damage blood cells, found in Vipers.

Thermal passivity

Lack of active temperature regulation in reptiles.

Habitat partitioning

Division of habitats based on thermal preferences.

IUCN list

International list of endangered species.

Cuban anoles

Lizards that exhibit sit-and-wait predation.