Snakes and Lizards

Squamata is the largest group of reptiles and includes all snakes and lizards around the world. They have overlapping scales made of keratin and a special skull that allows their jaws to move flexibly. Most have a forked tongue that works with a special organ to detect chemicals around them. This group shows a lot of variety in body shape, from snakes without legs to lizards with four legs. Some lizards have also evolved to have smaller or no legs over time. Squamates can be found on every continent except Antarctica. They live in many different places, such as deserts, tropical rainforests, temperate woodlands, and coastal areas. In Britain, there are only three native snakes, three common lizards, and the slow worm, which looks like a snake but is actually a legless lizard. All squamates are cold-blooded, meaning they depend on heat from their surroundings to control their body temperature. They shed their skin regularly as they grow, sometimes in one piece and sometimes in smaller patches, depending on the species.