Snakes sometimes raise a portion of their body off the ground. This natural behavior serves different purposes in their environment, highlighting their unique physical capabilities and adaptations.
Understanding the Posture
When a snake lifts its anterior body, there isn’t a single scientific term like human “standing.” Instead, “rearing,” “raising,” or “periscoping” are commonly used. “Periscoping” refers to when a snake elevates its head and forebody vertically, like a submarine’s periscope, allowing it to gain a higher vantage point for observation. Other terms, such as “displaying” or “striking posture,” are used when the raising motion is part of a broader behavioral context.
Why Snakes Rise Up
Snakes elevate their bodies for several reasons. A common motivation is to survey their surroundings, gaining a better visual perspective over obstacles or tall vegetation. This “periscoping” helps them locate prey, identify potential threats, or navigate their environment more effectively.
The raised posture is also a defensive display. By lifting and sometimes spreading their neck, as seen in cobras, snakes can appear larger and more intimidating to deter predators or dangers. In hunting, raising the body can be a precursor to striking, allowing the snake to position itself for a swift attack on prey. Some snakes may also elevate parts of their body for thermoregulation, exposing more surface area to absorb or dissipate heat.
The Mechanics of Raising
The ability of snakes to raise a portion of their body stems from their unique anatomy. Their skeletal structure, characterized by a long vertebral column with hundreds of vertebrae and numerous ribs, provides flexibility and support. Unlike humans with around 33 vertebrae, snakes can have between 200 and 400 vertebrae, each connected by multiple joints. This intricate arrangement allows for a wide range of motion.
Powerful musculature runs along the entire length of their spine, with many individual muscles (between 10,000 and 15,000). These muscles contract and relax in a coordinated manner, enabling the snake to lift and stabilize its body vertically. They use the ground or coiled portions of their body for leverage, shifting their center of gravity and employing precise muscle control to maintain balance.
Variations Among Species
The extent and manner of this raised posture vary across different snake species, reflecting their specific adaptations and behaviors. Cobras, for instance, are well-known for their rearing display, often lifting up to a third of their body length and spreading a hood when threatened. This makes them appear larger and more formidable.
Black mambas also exhibit a pronounced rearing posture, capable of raising a substantial portion of their front body, sometimes several feet off the ground, as part of a defensive display or when preparing to strike. Vipers coil their bodies and may elevate their heads and necks in an S-shape, ready to strike. Smaller or more slender snakes, such as some rat snakes or garter snakes, might only lift their head and a small part of their neck for “periscoping” to observe their surroundings. These variations highlight the diverse evolutionary paths snakes have taken.