The column: Can a snake tie itself into a knot it can’t get out of? - The Straight Dope
A related thread on hagfish: Hagfish - Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports - Straight Dope Message Board
Very interesting column - I learned a lot.
Steven Wright told a similar joke: “I used to work in a pet store. We had three snakes. One day, business was slow, so I braided them and tried to convince people it was a three-headed snake. ‘Oh, yes, it’s very rare. It’s from Connecticut.’”
You had me at “Steven Wright.”
Another method of snake movement was not mentioned, unless that was what was described as “concertina movement.” If so, it was not described well.
Each of the large belly scales (scutes) matches to a pair of ribs. The muscles attached to the ribs allow the snake to move the scutes in a wave fashion, such that the snake moves forward without lateral undulations.
Love the guy!
That is one of the best, informative, and wittiest columns of The Man I’ve ever read.
Yes, that is basically what was intended.
Una
For the Straight Dope.