Lunar New Year, often called the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, is the most important holiday in China and many other Asian communities. Every year is marked by a different animal and 2025 is the Year of the Snake.

Firecrackers, parades and prayers marked the Lunar New Year as millions around Asia and farther afield celebrated

In honor of the Year of the Snake, let’s appreciate the strange anatomy and evolution of these slithery reptiles