One of Emory's favorite activities seems to be coiling cozily under her heat lamp, but we decided it was time for a field trip. I gathered the rat snake's long body in my hands and stepped outside to a warm sunny day. Her tongue flicked in and out as we sat on the lawn. She lay motionless as she scoped out this unfamiliar environment. Then suddenly she was on the move:
Emory effortlessly demonstrated a snake's incredible ability to get around without limbs. While snakes often push off of an anchor, like a rock or branch, to move forward, they can also navigate areas without landmarks, like this lawn.
The structure of their belly scales is key for forward momentum. Long, narrow scales overlap like shingles on a roof. If you run a finger from head to tail, the belly is incredibly smooth, reducing friction for forward motion. But if you feel the other direction, your finger will catch on each scale edge. That keeps the snake from sliding backward while it slithers.
A mathematician created an interesting experiment to demonstrate the importance of the belly scale directionality. He fitted snakes with custom jackets that covered their scales and observed their movement patterns. Even though the jacket could grip to the table surface well, the snakes still flopped uselessly because friction was same in all directions. They need the overlapping scales to get where they want to go.
I hovered closely over Emory as she traveled across the backyard. As she neared the pollinator garden, I quickly scooped her up and redirected her back to the lawn where she wouldn't get lost. Emory seemed quite keen to keep on moving, but we returned home after a few laps around the yard. She slid off of my hand and returned back to her warm rock for a well-deserved rest after her outdoor explorations.
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