منابع مشابه
How snakes slither
The physics behind the snake’s slither has provoked much debate. Previous analyses suggested that snakes push against objects to propel themselves forward. This assumption has driven the design of search-and-rescue robotic snakes with wheels that go back and forth but not sideways. David Hu et al. propose that friction caused by the snake’s belly scales plays a critical role in movement. The au...
متن کاملSlithering Toward Clarity: Snakes Shed New Light on the Evolution and Function of Sex Chromosomes
What makes males males, and females females? For the majority of animals, the answer lies in the sex chromosomes, which come in two distinct types, with the combination in which they are doled out determining the gender of the offspring. Most other traits are determined by genes found on matched pairs of chromosomes (‘‘autosomes’’), one from each parent, which, through dominant and recessive re...
متن کاملEvaluation of the mechanism of skin enhancing surfactants on the biomembrane of shed snake skin.
The aim of the present work was to investigate the effects of different surfactants at various concentrations as a skin penetration enhancer through the biomembrane of the shed skin of Naja kaouthia. Additionally, the enhancer mechanism(s) of each class of surfactants were evaluated using physical characterization techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflecta...
متن کاملHow snakes eat snakes: the biomechanical challenges of ophiophagy for the California kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula californiae (Serpentes: Colubridae).
In this study we investigated how ophiophagous snakes are able to ingest prey snakes that equal or exceed their own length. We used X-ray video, standard video, dissection, and still X-rays to document the process of ophiophagy in kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula) feeding on corn snakes (Elaphe guttata). Most kingsnakes readily accepted the prey snakes, subdued them by constriction, and swallowe...
متن کاملHow Do Nocturnal Snakes Select Diurnal Retreat Sites ?
Theoretical and empirical studies of habitat selection suggest that reptiles should use ‘‘fixed’’ structural features (perch diameter, vegetation) or light intensity (sun and shade) to select thermally suitable microhabitats. But how do nocturnal species select thermally suitable diurnal retreat sites at night in the absence of visual cues? To investigate this question, we studied habitat selec...
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ژورنال
عنوان ژورنال: Nature
سال: 1879
ISSN: 0028-0836,1476-4687
DOI: 10.1038/021056b0