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Asked by anon-295292 on 27 May 2021.
Question: Is it possible to create a snake with legs
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Jennifer Graham answered on 27 May 2021:
Snakes actually used to have legs!
Snakes used to have legs and slither, which is hard to imagine. For some reason they evolved to have no legs, maybe because they found if they were closer to the ground they could escape predators more easily. The gene (bit of DNA that gives us things like hair colour or big feet) for legs in a snake is called the ‘Sonic hedgehog’ gene and snakes alive today have this gene but its switched off, meaning they don’t grow legs.
Sometimes, the gene switches on when the snake is developing so some snakes have tiny little claws, which are the beginning of legs!
Lizards have this gene switched on all the time when they are growing, so a lizard is like a snake with legs.
Hope you found that interesting, I certainly did!!
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Simon Williams answered on 27 May 2021:
To add to what Jennifer has said, there is a creature called a slo-worm that looks like a small snake but is actually closer to a lizard and technically belongs to that family. Its shows how one creature can evolve into another and how a snake is just a lizard without legs!
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Emma Yhnell answered on 28 May 2021:
Jennifer’s answer below is awesome!!
I guess we could go back to a time in history where snakes had legs.
But a few things to think about:
– How many legs would the snake have
– How big would the legs be?
– Would the legs have feet and toes?I’d imagining something that looks a bit like a centipede but you might have thought about more of a snake – human creation.
Hope this helps
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Sujit Bhattacharya answered on 28 May 2021:
Did you know snakes have no ears as well. However, they can pick up the vibrations of the earth from many miles away. Do you wonder why…..as they have no legs…the whole body acts like a sensor…..now do you want the snakes to have legs……
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