"and laughs at his own inability to pronounce that correctly, which Mike Mills kept trying to get him to do. Stipe says he loved Dr. Seuss as a kid but always pronounced his name the wrong way. The song's complete title is not featured in the lyrics, but there is the line ""the sidewinder sleeps in a coil"" as well as the later line ""the sidewinder sleeps on its back"". A sidewinder is a species of rattlesnake (""Crotalus cerastes""), and also an antique style of telephone, with a winding handle on the side. The lyrics frequently refer to making and"
"Crotalus cerastes The sidewinder (""Crotalus cerastes""), also known as the horned rattlesnake and sidewinder rattlesnake, is a venomous pit viper species belonging to the genus ""Crotalus (rattlesnakes)"" and is found in the desert regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here. A small species, adult specimens measure between in length. Most adults are in length. The females are larger than the males, which is unusual for this group of snakes. Usually, 21 rows of keeled dorsal scales occur midbody. Males have 141 or fewer ventral scales; females have"
"Sidewinding Sidewinding is a type of locomotion unique to caenophidian snakes, used to move across loose or slippery substrates. It is most often used by the Saharan horned viper, ""Cerastes cerastes"", and the sidewinder rattlesnake, ""Crotalus cerastes"", to move across loose desert sands, but it is also used by Homalopsine snakes in Southeast Asia to move across tidal mud flats. Any number of caenophidian snakes can be induced to sidewind on artificial smooth surfaces, though difficulty in getting them to do so and their proficiency at it vary greatly. The method of movement is derived from lateral undulation, and is"
"to the maximum possible sand slope without slip. Implementing this control scheme in a snakebot capable of sidewinding allowed the robot to replicate the success of the snakes. One can determine the line of movement of the snake by drawing a line connecting either the right or left tips of the tracks. Sidewinding Sidewinding is a type of locomotion unique to caenophidian snakes, used to move across loose or slippery substrates. It is most often used by the Saharan horned viper, ""Cerastes cerastes"", and the sidewinder rattlesnake, ""Crotalus cerastes"", to move across loose desert sands, but it is also used"
"backward-moving waves), but only sea snakes have been observed reversing the motion (moving backwards with forward-moving waves). Most often employed by colubroid snakes (colubrids, elapids, and vipers) when the snake must move in an environment that lacks irregularities to push against (rendering lateral undulation impossible), such as a slick mud flat, or a sand dune, sidewinding is a modified form of lateral undulation in which all of the body segments oriented in one direction remain in contact with the ground, while the other segments are lifted up, resulting in a peculiar ""rolling"" motion. This mode of locomotion overcomes the slippery"
"and Peringuey's adder (""Bitis peringueyi""), but many other snakes can assume this form of locomotion when on slick substrates (e.g., mud flats). Sidewinder rattlesnakes can use sidewinding to ascend sandy slopes by increasing the portion of the body in contact with the sand to match the reduced yielding force of the inclined sand, allowing them to ascend up to the maximum possible sand slope without slip. Implementing this control scheme in a Snakebot capable of sidewinding allowed the robot to replicate the success of the snakes. The species is nocturnal during hot months and diurnal during the cooler months of"
"very similar, in spite of appearances. A picture of a snake performing lateral undulation would show something like a sine wave, with straight segments of the body having either a positive or negative slope. Sidewinding is accomplished by simply lifting all the segments with the same slope off the ground. In the resultant movement, the snake's body is always in static (as opposed to sliding) contact when touching the ground. The head seems to be ""thrown"" forward, and the body follows, being lifted from the prior position and moved forward to lie on the ground ahead of where it was"
"burrow for seven to 10 days, shed for the first time, then leave their natal burrow. During this time, the mother is thought to guard and protect them from predators. Sidewinders mature at two to three years of age, are capable of reproducing annually, and give birth to live young. Some females skip reproductive opportunities. Some might even skip two years if the food supply is scarce. Sidewinders mate in April through May and sometimes in fall. When the male and female mate, the male snake crawls along the female's back, rubbing her with his chin to stimulate or arouse"
"of the hoop snake has never been accepted by the scientific community. Naturalist Raymond Ditmars placed $10,000 in trust at a New York bank for the first person to provide evidence of a hoop snake. Some have suggested it is a distorted description of the sidewinder of the American Southwest, or of mud snakes, which will occasionally lie in a loose hoop shape. The hoop snake possibly is an embellishment of actual instances of snakes swallowing their own tails, mistaking them for prey. Hoop snake The hoop snake is a legendary creature of the United States, Canada, and Australia. It"
"for listing in a more threatened category. The population trend was stable when assessed in 2007. The common name sidewinder alludes to its unusual form of locomotion, which is thought to give it traction on windblown desert sand, but this peculiar locomotor specialization is used on any substrate over which the sidewinder can move rapidly. As its body progresses over loose sand, it forms a letter J-shaped impression, with the tip of the hook pointing in the direction of travel. Sidewinding is also the primary mode of locomotion in other desert sand dwellers, such as the horned adder (""Bitis caudalis"")"
"distinction between them impossible and thus not warranting subspecies status, though some sources still refer to them, using geography as a basis rather than morphology. Western ground snake The western ground snake (""Sonora semiannulata"") is a species of small, harmless colubrid snake. The species is endemic to North America. It is sometimes referred to as the common ground snake or variable ground snake, as its patterning and coloration can vary widely, even within the same geographic region. Another common name is miter snake referring to the head marking which suggests a bishop's miter; the synonym """"episcopus"" "" (Latin for ""bishop"")"
"Sidehill gouger In American folklore, a Sidehill gouger is a fearsome critter adapted to living on hillsides by having legs on one side of their body shorter than the legs on the opposite side. This peculiarity allows them to walk on steep hillsides, although only in one direction; when lured or chased into the plain, they are trapped in an endless circular path. The creature is variously known as the Sidehill Dodger, Sidehill Hoofer, Sidehill Ousel, Sidehill Loper, Gyascutus, Sidewinder, Wampus, Gudaphro, Hunkus, Rickaboo Racker, Prock, Gwinter, or Cutter Cuss. Sidehill gougers are mammals who dwell in hillside burrows, and"
"described in a genus other than ""Enhydris"". The specific names, ""jagorii"" and ""smithi"", are in honor of German naturalist Fedor Jagor and British herpetologist Malcolm Arthur Smith, respectively. Enhydris Enhydris is a genus of slightly venomous, rear-fanged, colubrid snakes, endemic to the tropical area of Indo-Australian region. The following 6 species are recognized: Several additional species have traditionally been placed here, but are now often in genera such as ""Subsessor"" and ""Pseudoferania"". Another species, ""Enhydris smithi"" , was considered to be a valid species by herpetologists M.A. Smith 1943, 2010, and Wallach et al. 2014, but was considered to be"
"Western ground snake The western ground snake (""Sonora semiannulata"") is a species of small, harmless colubrid snake. The species is endemic to North America. It is sometimes referred to as the common ground snake or variable ground snake, as its patterning and coloration can vary widely, even within the same geographic region. Another common name is miter snake referring to the head marking which suggests a bishop's miter; the synonym """"episcopus"" "" (Latin for ""bishop"") is a similar allusion. ""S. semiannulata"" is native to the Southwestern United States, in Arizona, Nevada, California, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri , New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas,"
"Males may live quite a bit longer (maximum known natural lifespan of 13 years). Sidewinders can live more than 20 years when well fed in captivity (even females). Thus, energetics apparently factor heavily into natural female mortality, whereas predation might be the primary pressure on males. In the wild, females often die of exhaustion after giving birth, but the lives of sidewinders are also cut short by predation, diseases, and vehicle encounters. These snakes are venomous, but possess a weaker venom than many other rattlesnakes. This, together with the smaller size of their venom glands, makes them less dangerous than"
"success of the track led to similar themes being used on subsequent albums by Morgan and others: ""it also established a more or less unbreakable pattern for future LPs, a bold, funky opener [...] followed by half a dozen forgettable blowing themes"". The Sidewinder (composition) ""The Sidewinder"" is a composition by Lee Morgan. It was first recorded for Morgan's Blue Note album of the same name, on December 21, 1963, and has become a jazz standard. The name of the composition, according to Morgan, came from ""the 'bad guy' on television"", not the snake. Bars 17–18 of the 24-bar composition"
"originally. Meanwhile, the head is being thrown forward again. In this way, the snake slowly progresses at an angle, leaving a series of mostly straight, J-shaped tracks. Because the snake's body is in static contact with the ground, without slip, imprints of the belly scales can be seen in the tracks, and each track is almost exactly as long as the snake. Sidewinder rattlesnakes (""Crotalus cerastes"") can use sidewinding to ascend sandy slopes by increasing the portion of the body in contact with the sand to match the reduced yielding force of the inclined sand, allowing them to ascend up"
"its body to match a sinusoidal wave. Similarly, snakebots can move by adapting their shape to different periodic functions. Siderwinder rattlesnakes (""Crotalus cerastes"") can use sidewinding to ascend sandy slopes by increasing the portion of the body in contact with the sand to match the reduced yielding force of the inclined sand, allowing them to ascend up to the maximum possible sand slope without slip. Implementing this control scheme in a Snakebot capable of sidewinding allowed the robot to replicate the success of the snakes. Snakebots are currently being researched as a new type of robotic, interplanetary probe by engineers"
"Aspidura guentheri Aspidura guentheri, commonly known as Günther's rough-sided snake or කුඩා මැඩිල්ලා (""kuda medilla"") in Sinhala, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Sri Lanka. It is the smallest member of the genus ""Aspidura"". The specific name, ""guentheri"", is in honor of German-born British herpetologist Albert Günther. ""A. guentheri"" is a burrowing snake restricted to the lowlands of Sri Lanka. Localities recorded include Ratnapura, Deniyaya, Yapitikanda, Kandilpana, Kosgama, Kalutara, and Balangoda at elevations of . The head of ""A. guentheri"" is indistinct from the neck, and the body is cylindrical. The dorsum"
"Aspidura guentheri Aspidura guentheri, commonly known as Günther's rough-sided snake or කුඩා මැඩිල්ලා (""kuda medilla"") in Sinhala, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Sri Lanka. It is the smallest member of the genus ""Aspidura"". The specific name, ""guentheri"", is in honor of German-born British herpetologist Albert Günther. ""A. guentheri"" is a burrowing snake restricted to the lowlands of Sri Lanka. Localities recorded include Ratnapura, Deniyaya, Yapitikanda, Kandilpana, Kosgama, Kalutara, and Balangoda at elevations of . The head of ""A. guentheri"" is indistinct from the neck, and the body is cylindrical. The dorsum"
"in contact with its fellow behind the mental. Three lower labials in contact with the anterior chin shield. Two pairs of chin shields, the anterior pair broader and slightly longer than the posterior pair. Aparallactus werneri Aparallactus werneri, or the Usambara centipede-eater, is a species of venomous rear-fanged snake in the family Atractaspididae. The specific name, ""werneri"", is in honor of Austrian herpetologist Franz Werner, from whom Boulenger obtained the type series of specimens. ""A. werneri"" is endemic to Africa and is found in Eastern Tanzania in Usambara and the Uluguru Mountains. Dorsally, ""A. werneri"" is blackish with a deep"
"different coloration depending on the temperature—a process known as metachrosis. Sidewinder, horned rattlesnake, sidewinder rattlesnake, Mojave Desert sidewinder (for ""C. c. cerastes""), sidewinder rattler. In the southwestern United States, this species is found in the desert region of south eastern California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, and western Arizona. In northwestern Mexico, it is found in western Sonora and eastern Baja California. This species is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (v3.1, 2001). Species are listed as such due to their wide distribution, presumed large population, or because they are unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify"
"The Sidewinder (composition) ""The Sidewinder"" is a composition by Lee Morgan. It was first recorded for Morgan's Blue Note album of the same name, on December 21, 1963, and has become a jazz standard. The name of the composition, according to Morgan, came from ""the 'bad guy' on television"", not the snake. Bars 17–18 of the 24-bar composition feature a surprise change to a minor chord. Trumpeter Morgan recorded the track with tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, pianist Barry Harris, double bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Billy Higgins. It was released as part of Morgan's album ""The Sidewinder"", as well as"
"the sidewinder of North America, evolutionarily distinct but with similar behavioural patterns because of convergent evolution. Many desert reptiles are ambush predators and often bury themselves in the sand, waiting for prey to come within range. Amphibians might seem unlikely desert-dwellers, because of their need to keep their skins moist and their dependence on water for reproductive purposes. In fact, the few species that are found in this habitat have made some remarkable adaptations. Most of them are fossorial, spending the hot dry months aestivating in deep burrows. While there they shed their skins a number of times and retain"
"under objects like old metal, or wood, under ground, and in plants. Completely harmless, and a member of the colubrid family, it is easily mistaken for other garter snake species. It has a greenish-black back with a distinctive bright-orange or red stripe down the center and yellowish stripes on either side of the body that extend through the second, third, and fourth rows of scales above the belly plates. Adults range in length from . This snake is generally not aggressive although younger specimens have been known to strike when cornered. If handled, will often flail about wildly to try"
"Aspidura ceylonensis Aspidura ceylonensis, also known as the Ceylon keelback, black-spined snake, or slender mould snake, is a colubird snake endemic to Sri Lanka. It is locally known as කුරුන් කරවලා (kurun karawala) or රත් කරවලා (rath karawala) in Sinhala. ""Aspidura ceylonensis"" is a semi-fossorial snake from submontane forests. Restricted to submontane forests and plantations of the Central Highlands, including Pussellawa, Gampola, Hatton, Knuckles, Balangoda, Pundaluoya, Ramboda, Kotagala, Namunukula, Mousakanda, Gammaduwa, and Kotmale, up to about of elevation. Head is long and snout is broadly rounded. Neck is indistinct. The body is slender with cylindrical, short tail. Dorsal side is"
"the snake alternates in bracing parts of its body on it surrounds. Finally the caenophidian snakes use the fast and unusual method of movement known as sidewinding on sand or loose soil. The snake cycles through throwing the front part of its body in the direction of motion and bringing the back part of its body into line crosswise. Although animals have never evolved wheels for locomotion, a small number of animals will move at times by rolling their whole body. Rolling animals can be divided into those that roll under the force of gravity or wind and those that"
"residing only in southwestern Canada, and the western United States. Seven subspecies are currently recognized. Most snakes have a yellow, light orange, or white dorsal stripe, accompanied by two stripes on its side of the same color. Some varieties have red or black spots between the dorsal stripe and the side stripes. This snake often inhabits coniferous forests, and is relatively aquatic. In Wyoming, this snake is found in all habitat zones except alpine, usually near water. The eastern racer (""Coluber constrictor"") is a species of non-venomous, colubrid snake. They are primarily found throughout the United States, east of the"
"(rear-fanged) snakes and can give a venomous bite. However, they have mild venom; so a bite is unlikely to cause lasting damage to humans. There are 21 recognized species. ""Nota bene"": A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ""Philodryas"". Philodryas Philodryas is a genus of colubrid snakes endemic to South America, commonly called green snakes. Species in the genus ""Philodryas"" share the following characters: Head distinct from neck, with distinct ""canthus rostralis"". Eye moderate or large. Pupil round. Body cylindrical or slightly laterally compressed. Tail long. Dorsal scales arranged in"
"Sinonatrix percarinata Sinonatrix percarinata, commonly known as the Eastern water snake, olive keelback, or Chinese keelback water snake, is a species of snake in the subfamily Natricinae. The type locality for ""S. percarinata"" is Guadun (formerly spelled as Kuatun), Wuyishan City (former Chongan County) in NW Fujian, China. The subspecies ""Sinonatrix percarinata suriki"" is endemic to Taiwan where it occurs in the whole country. ""S. percarinata"" is an aggressive snake that bites readily when caught, but it is not venomous. It is a medium-sized snake, typically attaining a total length (including tail) of , but may grow up to ."
"Tentacled snake The tentacled snake or tentacle snake (""Erpeton tentaculatum""), is a rear-fanged aquatic snake native to South-East Asia. It is the only species of its genus, ""Erpeton"", and the two tentacles on its snout are a unique feature among snakes. The method it uses to catch fish has recently been a subject of research. The tentacled snake is a relatively small snake, averaging about in length. They are known to come in two color phases, striped or blotched, with both phases ranging from dark gray or brown to a light tan. It lives its entire life in murky water."
"Mud snake The mud snake (""Farancia abacura"") is a species of nonvenomous, semiaquatic, colubrid snake endemic to the southeastern United States. The mud snake usually grows to a total length (including tail) of 40 to 54 inches (1-1.4 m), with the record total length being slightly over 80 inches (2 m). The upperside of the mud snake is glossy black. The underside is red and black, and the red extends up the sides to form bars of reddish-pink. The heavy body is cylindrical in cross section, and the short tail has a terminal spine. The head scalation is distinctive in"
"Aparallactus werneri Aparallactus werneri, or the Usambara centipede-eater, is a species of venomous rear-fanged snake in the family Atractaspididae. The specific name, ""werneri"", is in honor of Austrian herpetologist Franz Werner, from whom Boulenger obtained the type series of specimens. ""A. werneri"" is endemic to Africa and is found in Eastern Tanzania in Usambara and the Uluguru Mountains. Dorsally, ""A. werneri"" is blackish with a deep black, light-edged nuchal collar. The upper lip is blackish below the eye, and yellowish in front of and behind the eye. Ventrally it is uniformly yellowish. It may attain in total length, with a"