Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Anybody have and/or know where I can get a diagram of how the jaw of a snake fits together?

I was at the East Bay Vivarium a while back and was told that snakes tend to yawn after they are finished eating because they need to get their 5 jaw parts back into shape.

I'd like to see exactly how they come apart....

Well the best ones are the 3D models used on National Geographic TV. Those are way better than a flat drawing in a book. You can find one of those flat drawings on the "Science - How Stuff Works" webpage: http://science.howstuffworks.com/snake4.htm

Be advised that there's many, many misconceptions and much misinformation out there on this topic (especially on the web, which is notorious for bad information). Your best bet would be to pick up a textbook on herpetology.

Also, be sure to check out the "Snake Basics" section of the site I mentioned, because they have an anatomy drawing of a snake's inner workings - and I know how much you like those things.

T