Snakes have backbones, just like people. Their skeletal structure is composed of hundreds of vertebrae, with a pair of ribs to go along with each. Although they appear to move quickly, they are probably going no faster than 5 miles per hour, depending on the species. Because snakes are cold-blooded, they have to rely on their surroundings to control their body temperatures. Their cold-blooded nature is the reason that a large number of snake species are found near the equator and smaller numbers of species are found as you near the north or south poles.
Snakes shed their outer layer of skin several times a year.
Before shedding takes place, a liquid is secreted between the old layer of skin and the new one beneath it. Snakes are not able to see well at this time and can become irritable until their eyes clear up. After shedding, their skin will be shiny and bright. Each time a rattlesnake sheds their skin, a new segment is added to the base of the tail. So, you cannot tell the age of a rattlesnake by the number of segments on the rattle, since they shed more than once a year, and segments can break off.