How many legs does a snake have?

Snakes have no legs. They are limbless reptiles that move by slithering using their muscles and scales.

Millions of years ago, snakes evolved from lizard-like ancestors that had legs. Over time, they lost their limbs through adaptation to burrowing and crawling lifestyles. Their flexible bodies and belly scales help them move efficiently without legs.

Movement of Snakes

• Serpentine motion: S-shaped movement used on the ground.
• Concertina motion: Used in tight spaces like tunnels.
• Sidewinding: Used by desert snakes on loose sand.
• Rectilinear motion: Straight movement used by large snakes like pythons.

Interesting Fact

Some ancient snake species, such as pythons and boas, still have tiny vestigial hind limb bones inside their bodies, proving their evolutionary past.