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Serpentes

A Dictionary of Zoology | 1999 | 508 words | Copyright

Serpentes (Ophidia; snakes; subclass Lepidosauria, order Squamata) A suborder of elongate, limbless reptiles which evolved in the Cretaceous from burroweing lizards. They are carnivores in which the jaws are held by ligaments and are capable of considerable extension. There are no eyelids; the eyes are covered by a spectacle (transparent scale). The skin is usually shed whole. There is no tail regeneration. The tongue is generally forked and protruded through a notch in the snout. There are 12 families.

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