How many vertebrae does a snake have?

The skeleton of most snakes consists solely of the skull, hyoid, vertebral column, and ribs, though henophidian snakes retain vestiges of the pelvis and rear limbs.

The vertebral column consists of anywhere between 200 and 400 (or more) vertebrae. Tail vertebrae are comparatively few in number (often less than 20% of the total) and lack ribs, while body vertebrae each have two ribs articulating with them. The vertebrae have projections that allow for strong muscle attachment enabling locomotion without limbs.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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12 Comments

Ken Jackson

A bit of a dubious question and answer. It really depends upon the length and species of the snake - and can vary between 100 and 600, so I suppose option 3 was the closest.

JohnnyRoulette

110-655, counting the body and the tail.

Al Breyette

Guessed the closest to the real answer which is between 110 and 655. Another questioin with an incorrect answer .

james parrillo

Francois Maurice, I was thinking that a human adult does not have more vetebrae than a human child. The adult bones are bigger. The other body components are also larger. Would that make sense? I know a number of QuizzClub players are in the medical field. Perhaps, they will correct me. Thank you, Christine, James's wife

Doris Dallaire

I would have thought a garter snake or other smaller snake would have a lot fewer than 200.

Ken Jackson

Glenn Harshman, a testament to my Aussie education...

carole winslow

I find it very difficult to believe that snakes in the 12 - 30 inch size range could have 100 or more vertebra. I will be doing some research on this.