Question:
is it true that the snake has got only one lung?
david S
2008-05-13 07:09:36 UTC
is it true that the snake has got only one lung?
Eight answers:
The Corinthian
2008-05-13 07:12:47 UTC
The vestigial left lung is often small or sometimes even absent, as snakes' tubular bodies require all of their organs to be long and thin. In the majority of species, only one lung is functional. This lung contains a vascularized anterior portion and a posterior portion which does not function in gas exchange. This 'saccular lung' is used for hydrostatic purposes to adjust buoyancy in some aquatic snakes and its function remains unknown in terrestrial species.
Pria
2008-05-13 14:13:49 UTC
In most snakes the right lungs is usually the largest and extends for over a 1/3 of the body. The left lung is then VERY small or absent. In effect, snakes only have one lung.



During feeding, when the mouth may be blocked with food for up to an hour, the snake is able to breathe by extending a muscular extension of its windpipe, called the epiglottis, from the bottom of the mouth.
dylanhubb
2008-05-13 14:13:22 UTC
As with all reptiles, snakes are ectothermic.



The snake's heart is encased in a sac, called the pericardium, located at the bifurcation of the bronchi. The heart is able to move around, however, due to the lack of a diaphragm. This adjustment protects the heart from potential damage when large ingested prey is passed through the esophagus. The spleen is attached to the gall bladder and pancreas and filters the blood. The thymus gland is located in fatty tissue above the heart and is responsible for the generation of immune cells in the blood. The cardiovascular system of snakes is also unique due to the presence of a renal portal system in which the blood from the snake's tail passes through the kidneys before returning to the heart.[28]



The vestigial left lung is often small or sometimes even absent, as snakes' tubular bodies require all of their organs to be long and thin.[28] In the majority of species, only one lung is functional. This lung contains a vascularized anterior portion and a posterior portion which does not function in gas exchange.[28] This 'saccular lung' is used for hydrostatic purposes to adjust buoyancy in some aquatic snakes and its function remains unknown in terrestrial species.[28] Many organs that are paired, such as kidneys or reproductive organs, are staggered within the body, with one located ahead of the other.[28] Snakes have no colenary bladder or lymph nodes.[28]
Sarah K
2008-05-13 16:53:04 UTC
YES.

Snakes look like legless lizards for a reason -- the two reptiles make up the order Squamata, which is divided into the suborders Sauria for lizards and Serpentes (or Ophidia) for snakes. Because of their long shape, snakes' organs are arranged linearly, but they are otherwise similar to those of other vertebrates, including people. The bone-encased brain and sensory organs are contained in the head, and snakes have almost all the senses people do -- with a few interesting modifications:



Hearing - Although snakes are not equipped with outer ears like people, sound waves from the air hit their skin and are transferred from muscle to bone. When the sound reaches the ear bone beneath the skull, it sends vibrations to the inner ear, and the sound is processed by the brain.



Sight - Snakes do not see colors, but their eyes are equipped with a combination of light receptors: rods that provide low-light but fuzzy vision, and cones that produce clear images. The complexity of the eyes varies among species because of their different lifestyles. For instance, snakes that live primarily underground have smaller eyes that only process light and dark, but snakes that live above ground and hunt by sight have crystal-clear vision and good depth perception. Some species, specifically boas and pythons, have a second visual tool: Pit organs on their heads see heat sources in their surroundings like infrared goggles -- an effective ability for nocturnal hunters of warm-blooded animals.



Photo courtesy Saint Louis Zoo

Annulated boa









Smell - Like humans, snakes breathe airborne smells into nasal openings that lead to an olfactory chamber for processing; but snakes have a secondary system, as well. When a snake flicks its tongue, it is gathering odor particles for transfer to two fluid-filled sacs at the roof of the mouth -- Jacobson's organs -- that lead to a second, smaller olfactory chamber. The tongue is used only to assist in this process; snakes do not have a sense of taste.









The digestive tract runs nearly the entire length of the body and includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and anus -- all stretchable to digest prey larger than a snake's diameter (See Feeding section). When the snake's mouth is full, it has to extend its trachea (breathing tube) below the food and out in order to keep breathing. Snakes do not have a diaphragm like people do, so they circulate air in and out of the lungs by narrowing the rib cage to push air out and then widening it again to create a vacuum to suck air in. After each breathing cycle, snakes experience apnea -- a stop in breathing -- that lasts from a few seconds to as long as a few minutes. To process the oxygen, all snakes have an elongated right lung; many also have a smaller left lung, and a few even have a third lung along the trachea.
breanna m
2008-05-13 14:14:15 UTC
Breathing for most snakes is accomplished with one lung only. The left lung is either greatly reduced in size or missing completely.
ginny
2008-05-13 14:16:00 UTC
No, a snake does have a left and right lung.

I found this picture to be crystal clear on showing all of the organs, and location of organs, in a snake.



Hope this helps!



http://media.allrefer.com/s4/l/p0013021-snake.gif
anonymous
2008-05-13 14:14:21 UTC
typically they do have one but some have two and then some others have three.
Princess
2008-05-13 14:17:47 UTC
Very true!


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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