Wild Ideas Children have long been fascinated with snakes and other reptiles, like this common boa. Snakes are probably the most fearsome and fascinating animals on Earth. Throughout history, snakes have played the villain in stories, legends and myths. Actually, snakes are an important part of every ecosystem they inhabit, and they inhabit many.
Snakes are beneficial and necessary for a balanced ecosystem.
There are more than 2,700 different kinds of snakes in the world and each one fills a unique niche. What they all have in common is that they are all cold-blooded reptiles. Their bodies are covered with dry scales. Scales are different depending on their function. Those found on the belly are big and flat and provide traction to help the snake move.