Answer keys

Snake adaptations worksheet

1. Forked tongue: B
2. Spectacle (brille): D
3. Wide belly scales: A
4. Heat-sensing pits: E
5. Stretchy jaw ligament: C
6. False. Snakes live on every continent except Antarctica.
7. False. The lower jaw halves are joined by a stretchy ligament and the skull bones are loosely connected; the jaw does not actually unhinge.
8. True. This is called ecdysis.
9. True. In most snakes only the right lung works, and it is very long.
10. Sample answer: snakes are ectotherms and depend on outside heat, so long cold periods make survival hard. The adder survives by brumating (resting) through the winter.
11. Sample answer: predators may avoid it because it looks and sounds like a dangerous rattlesnake, so it is more likely to survive.
12. Sample answer: many harmless snakes look like dangerous ones, colours vary, and even harmless snakes can bite. Only experts should handle snakes.

Lookalike Lab (classroom quiz)

The game checks answers itself and shows a fact card after every snake. For a whole-class version, the full list of snakes and features is in our venomous or not ID guide, with each snake marked venomous or harmless. Remind students the game is for learning only and is not safety advice.