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The snake that jumps sideways
The Sidewinder is a small species of rattlesnake. It grows
to about 60 cm long.
It has a stout body and sharp
protruding eyebrow shields. Like all rattlesnakes, its tail
tapers at the end.
Unlike other snakes, which move either in the well-known
serpentine movement, the sidewinder has adapted to moving
in slippery sand in a special way. Two points of its body
momentarily touch the ground, resulting in graceful,
continuous, stepwise movements or a continuous series of
little jumps.
The Sidewinder catches its prey by lying partly concealed
beneath the sand. Coiled like a spring, it has no
difficulty snatching and overcoming its prey.
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