Are Snakes and Worms Related or Just Similar in Appearance?

[Deniel]

Can you tell me whether they are siblings ? But why one has two dangerous teeth while the other doesn't ? Why one is big and long but the other is small and shorter?
I saw very long and big worms when I was in Australia 4 years ago on a trip to a farm. They looked terrible.
I guess snakes, worms, and some of the fish like unagi--the one like best, very tasty--are friends and have the same parents, right ?

Thankyou

 

[Moonbear]

Snakes and worms are not even closely related. Snakes are vertebrates (have a backbone) and reptiles while worms are invertebrates (no bones). There are a lot of differences between the two such as different circulatory systems, different nervous systems, different sensory organs.

 

[Deniel]

Moonbear, have you ever seen anyone eating a snake ?
I heard from some of the students who are from Thailand say some people in their country use snakes'meat in their meals... True.

 

[selfAdjoint]

You could probably get snake meat in some of these resturants that advertise weird food. It's said to "taste like chicken".

 

[DarkAnt]

you know, emu tastes like hotdog. just thought i'd add that in

 

[loseyourname]

Eating snake isn't that odd. I have a good deal of family living in the California desert, and they eat snake rather frequently.

 

[selfAdjoint]

Yep, I grew up in San Diego county, and I recall once on a boy scout camp out they threatened to serve snake to us. We all knew it was possible because we all knew someone who'd eaten it.

 

[Imparcticle]

You know, some people attribute snakes to the devil. That's rather silly, when you consider the fact that these very people (who are christians) eat lamb (and Jesus is known as "the lamb of god").

you know, emu tastes like hotdog. just thought i'd add that in

You've tried it before? The most bizarre thing I've ever eaten is the tongue of a lamb (cooked). Really good stuff.

 

[Phobos]

Snakes and worms are not even closely related. Snakes are vertebrates (have a backbone) and reptiles while worms are invertebrates (no bones). There are a lot of differences between the two such as different circulatory systems, different nervous systems, different sensory organs.

I think the vertebrate/non-vertebrate split was something like 500 to 550 million years ago (about 100 million years before there were any land animals at all). So the snake-worm common ancestor is probably even older than that.

 

[Marijn]

As far a i know the only resemblance is in appearance.
A common ancester?
That would probably be the same as our ancester.