Squamata is prey of:
Gasterosteus
Cyprinidae
Cottus
Prosopium
Salvelinus
Lota

Based on studies in:
USA: Maine (Lake or pond)

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

Squamata preys on:
phytoplankton
Orchelimum vulgare
Pseudacris triseriata
Plethodon cinereus
Eumeces fasciatus
Storeria dekayi
Butorides virescens
Ceryle alcyon
Colaptes auratus
Sorex cinereus
Blarina brevicauda
Eptesicus fuscus
Marmota monax
Spermophilus tridecemlineatus
Glaucomys volans
Sciurus niger
Tamias striatus
Peromyscus leucopus
Microtus pennsylvanicus
Mus musculus
Mustela nivalis
Procyon lotor
Paleosuchus trigonatus
Misumena vatia

Based on studies in:
USA: Maine (Lake or pond)

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

Efficient movement across land: snakes
 

Most snakes move across land efficiently using lateral undulation and pushing against surface irregularities.

     
  "The more common scheme in snakes uses one or another form of serpentine (the name of obvious origin) body curvature--sometimes called 'lateral undulation' to distinguish it from the 'rectilinear' motion just described. As shown in figure 24.7b, the entire body moves all the time; what are fixed to the substratum are its curves. So each point along the snake's body alternately bends one way and then the other. The directional motion originates in the way each curve of the snake pushes against irregularities on the substratum and slides forward because those irregularities resist sideways forces and thus lateral motion much more effectively than they resist shearing forces and thus forward motion. The process doesn't differ greatly from what a flagellum does (chapter 11)--it depends on a similarly greater resistance to lateral motion than to axial motion. In one sense, the snake has it better than the flagellum, since points on the substratum may remain completely fixed rather than perpetually slipping. While not anywhere near as fast as it looks to a startled observer, this characteristic kind of serpentine locomotion does manage reasonable efficiency compared to moving on legs, mainly because no part of the body need [sic] to exert force to support itself against gravity." (Vogel 2003:489)

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  Learn more about this functional adaptation.

Underground dens protect from cold: snakes
 

Snakes survive cold winters in part by using underground dens, the depth of which are linked to the prevailing winter temperatures.

     
  "Snakes, meanwhile, choose to conceal themselves during the winter months in underground dens (hibernacula). The depth of these dens is directly linked to the level to which the environmental temperature usually falls at this time of year - as is the length of the snakes' period of torpor. Snakes will often congregate in great numbers at this time to help to conserve as much of their body heat as they can. They will even share their hibernacula with other poikilotherms, such as lizards, tortoises, and toads." (Shuker 2001:109)
  Learn more about this functional adaptation.

Just-in-time manufacturing conserves resources: snakes
 

Snakes conserve resources by just-in-time manufacturing.

   
  "Just-in-time manufacturing: Producing as needed and at the time of the need is widely used in biology and such examples include the making of the web by spiders or the production of the toxic chemicals by snakes. Such a capability is increasingly adapted by industry as a method of lowering the cost of operation. Many industries are now manufacturing their products in small quantities as needed to meet consumers demand right at the assembly line. Thus, industry is able to cope with the changing demand and decline or rise in orders for its products." (Bar-Cohen 2006:498)
  Learn more about this functional adaptation.

Tail shedding protects from predators: lizard
 

The tail of a lizard helps it escape predators by breaking off at one of the cartilaginous fracture planes within its caudal vertebrae.

     
  "The shedding of tails, and sometimes other limbs too, is not uncommon in the natural world. Autotomy, as scientists call it, is a clever means of getting away from predators, which are literally left holding a part of the intended victim's body. Not only is the victim able to survive the incident, it is able to replace the lost body part. Species from no less than 11 of the 16 classified families of lizard shed their tails in this way. The secret of the process lies in the structure of a typical lizard's tail. Each of its caudal vertebrae from the sixth onward contains a weak horizontal 'break' or fracture plane, which is made of cartilage instead of bone and will snap easily if held. Also, within each vertebra's fracture plane the blood vessels and nerves are constricted, so that if the tail does snap off, blood loss will be minimal." (Shuker 2001:131)
  Learn more about this functional adaptation.

Collection Sites: world map showing specimen collection locations for Squamata

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
                                                             

Specimen Records:	4,221
Specimens with Sequences:	3,291
Specimens with Barcodes:	3,096
Public Records:	953
Species:	798
Species With Barcodes:	685

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