They use their "abs"... Truly impressive, I agree. They use their scutes in much the same way ice skaters push off the edges of their blades...& they actually have
trouble moving if you put them on a smooth glass coffee table, for example, because there's nothing to push off against. That's why some snakes learn to side-wind
in soft sand, by basically throwing a loop of their body forward & then repeating on the other side. The more you learn about snakes, the more amazing they are.
BTW, her yellow face and especially her orange eyes really suggest she has some Everglades rat snake genes.
Just imagining that makes my abs hurt lol! Really fascinating how they move around. Sometimes I watch my BP doing the rectilinear motion to go forward and the movement of his belly muscles reminds me of a caterpillar. They really are fun to observe and learn about!
Just imagining that makes my abs hurt lol! Really fascinating how they move around. Sometimes I watch my BP doing the rectilinear motion to go forward and the movement of his belly muscles reminds me of a caterpillar. They really are fun to observe and learn about!
You're right, they have several ways of motion...the forward "caterpillar" is sometimes also compared to an accordion.
We're lucky they don't do sit-ups...they'd really put us to shame, eh? I sure couldn't hang onto a tree that way, no matter how much bark it had, lol.