Difference Between Snakes and Lizards

Snakes vs Lizards

Snakes and lizards belong to the same reptilian order but they have many differences.

The first difference that can be seen is that lizards have legs and snakes do not have legs. While lizards move on four limbs, a snake moves by undulating its body and also with the help of its ventral scales. The ventral scales give the snakes a good grip on the surface.

Lizards can hear sounds through their external ear openings. On the other hand, snakes only hear through the skull bone. The snakes, which have no external ears, hear only through vibrations from the ground. While the eyes of a lizard wink, snakes have “unwinking” eyes. Lizards have two movable eyelids, and a transparent scale is what covers the eye of a snake. While lizards can close their eye, snakes cannot close their eyes.

Another feature of the lizard is that it sheds its tail when agitated or in times of danger. Shedding the tail is said to be an escape mechanism. The tail grows again. Snakes shed their skin, and most snakes shed their skin once a year.

Unlike lizards, snakes have more flexible jaws. As the jaws are very flexible, the snakes eat prey larger than their own size.

While a lizard comes with two lungs, a snake has only one lung that works. The right lung is the working lung. Either they have no lungs on the left side or may have a shrunken lung which no longer functions. These left lungs are called vestigial lungs.

Summary:

1. Lizards have legs and snakes do not have legs.
2. While lizards move on four limbs, a snake moves by undulating its body and also with the help of its ventral scales.
3. Lizards can hear sounds through their external ear openings. On the other hand, snakes only hear through the skull bone. The snakes, which have no external ears, hear only through vibrations from the ground.
4. While lizards can close their eyes, snakes cannot close their eyes.
5. Liizards have two moveable eyelids, but a transparent scale is what covers the eye of a snake.
6. A lizard sheds its tail when agitated or in times of danger, but snakes shed their skin.
7. While a lizard comes with two lungs, a snake has only one lung that works.
8. Unlike lizards, snakes have more flexible jaws.

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