A snake is a crawling creature. It is a reptile. We are very familiar with snakes. People are very afraid of snakes because many of them are poisonous. However, all of them are not poisonous.
Snakes crawl along the ground on their bellies and breasts. They live both on land and water. There are rough scales on the lower portion of their body. A snake looks like a rope and is of different sizes and colours. The boa and python are very big snakes. Snakes live in holes in the ground or tree-holes and in bushes. They feed on fishes, frogs, insects, rats and young birds.
Poisonous snakes like the cobra are really very harmful to man. The bite of these snakes means certain death. Thousands of people die from snake bites every year in our country. When they bite, they inject poison through two hollow long teeth that rest on bags of poison in the mouth. Some poisonous snakes have hoods and they can make a hissing sound.
Snake skins are very useful. They are used to make things like shoes, bags and belts. Many medicines are also made from the poison of the snakes.
Generally, a snake is a shy animal, but it can bite if it feels threatened.
