Hinged Teeth in Snakes: An Adaptation for Swallowing Hard-Bodied Prey

Abstract

Six genera of snakes, representing at least three lineages, possess teeth that fold backward against the jaws rather than being firmly ankylosed. This condition, effected by a connective tissue hinge at the base of each tooth, is associated with suites of cephalic modifications that enable the snakes to grasp and to swallow hard-bodied prey.