Why did snakes lose their legs?

Happy Snake Week! Every episode this week explores a different question about our slithery friends. Here’s a mind blower for you: did you know the ancestors of snakes used to have legs? Somewhere along the zigzag path of evolution, they traded in their lizardy legs for a more streamlined look. But why did snakes go legless? We asked biologist and snake researcher Emily Taylor to help us find the answer. Got a question that’s snaking around your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll find a fangtastic answer!

You can listen to Why did snakes lose their legs? online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Why did snakes lose their legs? is an episode from Moment of Um by Lemonada Media.

This episode is 4:58 long.

This episode was published on May 30, 2025.

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