Editing Reptile (section)

===Alternative defense in snakes===
{{further|Venom|Evolution of snake venom}}

Camouflage does not always fool a predator. When caught out, snake species adopt different defensive tactics and use a complicated set of behaviors when attacked. Some species, like cobras or hognose snakes, first elevate their head and spread out the skin of their neck in an effort to look large and threatening. Failure of this strategy may lead to other measures practiced particularly by cobras, vipers, and closely related species, which use [[snake venom|venom]] to attack. The venom is modified saliva, delivered through fangs from a [[venom gland]].<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Bauchot |editor-first=Roland |year=1994 |title=Snakes: A natural history |publisher=Sterling Publishing |isbn=978-1-4027-3181-5 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/snakesnaturalhis0000bauc/page/194 194–209] |url=https://archive.org/details/snakesnaturalhis0000bauc |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Casewell |first1=N.R. |last2=Wuster |first2=W. |last3=Vonk |first3=F.J. |last4=Harrison |first4=R.A. |last5=Fry |first5=B.G. |year=2013 |title=Complex cocktails: the evolutionary novelty of venoms |journal=Trends in Ecology & Evolution |volume=28 |issue=4 |pages=219–229 |doi=10.1016/j.tree.2012.10.020 |pmid=23219381 |bibcode=2013TEcoE..28..219C }}</ref> Some non-venomous snakes, such as American [[hognose snakes]] or European [[grass snake]], [[thanatosis|play dead]] when in danger; some, including the grass snake, exude a foul-smelling liquid to deter attackers.<ref>{{cite magazine | first = Susan | last = Milius | date = October 28, 2006 | title = Why play dead? | magazine = Science News | volume = 170 | issue = 18 | pages = 280–281 | doi = 10.2307/4017568 | jstor = 4017568 | s2cid = 85722243 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Cooke |first=Fred |year=2004 |title=The Encyclopedia of Animals: A complete visual guide |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-24406-1 |page=405 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2V1tHqi4hLEC&pg=PA405}}</ref>