Snake meals are the source of a lot of tall tales. Plenty of people believe an eight-foot snake will eat a person, or a three-foot snake will eat the family dog. It is true that most snakes can swallow things bigger around than their own heads, and that a very few giants can take down an antelope. But people's imaginations run far past the facts. The bones of a snake's jaw are connected by stretchy ligaments instead of a fixed hinge, so the mouth can open around big objects. Snakes do not "unhinge" or dislocate their jaws, despite what you may have heard.
This lesson is part of Certified Junior Herpetologist. Enrollment is self-paced, with no deadline to finish (about 30 hours).
