Costa Rica Picture of the Day (August 18th, 2013) – Each day the Costa Rican Times will be including a picture from around Costa Rica to see the natural beauty and amazing things that we get to see each day in the land of the Pura Vida.
Snakes are just another common reptile that you may come across while traveling in Costa Rica. Their skulls are small and fragile which has made it difficult to track their evolution. It is believed that snakes descended from lizards.
To track their prey, snakes use their tongue to collect airborne particles and smell their meals. They are carnivorous reptiles and have to swallow their pray whole because they cannot bite.
Most snakes abandon their eggs after laying them, however there are some that construct a nest and stay in the area until their eggs hatch.
The skin of a snake is soft and covered with scales. As part of their growth process they shed their skin and a larger covering is formed.
There are over one-hundred species of snakes that can be found in the country.
By Brenda Sotelo
photo credit: Mario Daniil
