This allows the lower jaw to stretch laterally extending the snake's ability to accommodate large prey even more than the double-hinged connection between its upper and lower jaw. This particular adaptation has a dual function in that also allows the snake to "jaw walk" over its prey by repeatedly advancing one side of its jaw at a time over the prey in the swallowing process. Finally, the snake also possesses many recurved teeth (Carr, 1993; Gould, 1991). In addition to facilitating the initial kill, these adaptations also provide a very secure purchase on prey and make jaw-walking physically possible.

Explaining the Differences between Snakes and other Similar Species

It would appear that the unique hunting and killing strategy of the snake is responsible for the evolution of the ability to swallow atypically large prey in comparison to most predators (Carr, 1993). Like other prey species that are solitary hunters, caecilians,...
[ View Full Essay]