Life for a Look at a Snake Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. John 3:14-15

The Facts, Please! Snakes are legless reptiles. Scientists believe there are over three thousand kinds of snakes in the world at this time. The greatest number and the largest ones are found in warmer climates, but a few kinds can also be found in cold, mountainous regions. Most snakes live on land. Some, like the water moccasin, live on land and in water. Sea snakes live in water. There are even snakes who make their home in trees.Snakes are legless reptiles. Scientists believe there are over three thousand kinds of snakes in the world at this time. The greatest number and the largest ones are found in warmer climates, but a few kinds can also be found in cold, mountainous regions. Most snakes live on land. Some, like the water moccasin, live on land and in water. Sea snakes live in water. There are even snakes who make their home in trees.

Snakes range in length from 5 inches or less to 30 feet. All snakes are covered with scales that keep their bodies from losing too much moisture. Their eyes are covered with a transparent cap that keeps them open all the time. They do not have movable eyelids. A snake keeps flicking out its long, forked tongue while moving along the ground. It is collecting sensations of touch and smell.Snakes range in length from 5 inches or less to 30 feet. All snakes are covered with scales that keep their bodies from losing too much moisture. Their eyes are covered with a transparent cap that keeps them open all the time. They do not have movable eyelids. A snake keeps flicking out its long, forked tongue while moving along the ground. It is collecting sensations of touch and smell. The Facts, Please!

 A snake’s spine may contain as many as three hundred tiny vertebrae, each with a pair of ribs. The jaws of a snake are very loosely attached to each other and to the skull. For this reason it can swallow whole an animal two or three times as thick as its head. It doesn’t chew its food, but its stomach juices digest all of the animal except feathers and hairs. The Facts, Please!

Only about 8 out of 100 snakes are harmful to man. Some are helpful because they kill pests like rats and mice.Only about 8 out of 100 snakes are harmful to man. Some are helpful because they kill pests like rats and mice. The Facts, Please!

The Sinai Desert has several kinds of snakes. Some of these hide in the sand and attack without warning. We don’t know what kind of snake the “fiery serpent” in our story was. They may have been called “fiery” because of their bright color, the burning sensations produced by the deadly poison of their bite, or the hot fever that burned in its victims.The Sinai Desert has several kinds of snakes. Some of these hide in the sand and attack without warning. We don’t know what kind of snake the “fiery serpent” in our story was. They may have been called “fiery” because of their bright color, the burning sensations produced by the deadly poison of their bite, or the hot fever that burned in its victims. The Facts, Please!

Numbers 21:4-9 Bible Story: Fiery Snakes and a Snake of Healing