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These Small Snakes Can Roll

Their heads do not spin with their bodies.

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Science news editorial illustration for Tiny Snakes Roll Quickly While Keeping Their Heads Steady

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Source: ScienceDaily / Toho University, 2026-10-24.

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Read and understand · 1/2How did the researchers study the movement?

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Videos from different directions. Recordings from several directions were the method.

Clue: Small dwarf reedsnakes can roll to escape danger. Researchers filmed them from several directions. Rolling was about four times faster than their usual side-to-side movement in the tests.

Read and understand · 2/2What happened to the snakes’ heads?

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They stayed facing forward as the body turned. The head stayed relatively stable while the body rotated.

Clue: The snakes kept their heads facing forward while the back of the body turned. This was controlled movement, not simply falling over.

Your turn

Describe what moved and what stayed steady.

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The back of the body turned, but the head stayed facing forward. Researchers suggest this may help control.

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