Question 6
ComprehensionJAMB 2014 Passage II: Snakes
Like all reptiles, snakes are cold-blooded, or more correctly, ectothermic – they cannot produce their own body heat; instead, they rely on the sun to heat their bodies. Because they do not rely on energy from food to generate body heat, snakes can survive on an extremely meagre diet. Some wait for months between successive meals, and a few survive by eating a large meal just once or twice a year. When they do eat, snakes swallow their prey whole rather than biting off small pieces. Many snakes have specialized jaws that enable them to swallow animals that are far larger than their own heads. Although uncommon, some snakes, such as the African rock python, have been observed eating animals as large as an antelope or a small cow.
With over two thousand five hundred species belonging to more than ten families, snakes are a large and successful group. They owe much of this success to their versatility – snakes occupy habitat ranging from underground burrows to the top of the tree, to ocean depths as great as one hundred and fifty metres. They are found on every continent except Antarctica, and although they are most abundant in tropical areas, many survive in regions marked by extreme cold. The only places without snakes are parts of the polar regions and isolated islands, such as the Republic of Ireland and New-Zealand as opposed to places in Nigeria like Plateau and Gombe States in the Northern part where there is a large population of snakes.
Adapted from Microsoft Encarta Premium (2009)
With over two thousand five hundred species belonging to more than ten families, snakes are a large and successful group. They owe much of this success to their versatility – snakes occupy habitat ranging from underground burrows to the top of the tree, to ocean depths as great as one hundred and fifty metres. They are found on every continent except Antarctica, and although they are most abundant in tropical areas, many survive in regions marked by extreme cold. The only places without snakes are parts of the polar regions and isolated islands, such as the Republic of Ireland and New-Zealand as opposed to places in Nigeria like Plateau and Gombe States in the Northern part where there is a large population of snakes.
Adapted from Microsoft Encarta Premium (2009)
It can be inferred from the passage that snakes are
- A.heterogeneous creatures.
- B.voracious cow eaters.
- C.great insect eaters.
- D.homogeneous reptiles.
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: A (heterogeneous creatures.)
Explanation
With over 2,500 species in more than ten families living in very different habitats, snakes are a varied (heterogeneous) group.