Scientists Uncover Why Snake Embryos Develop in Right-Handed Spirals

An international research team has discovered the likely reason snake embryos curl into distinctive right-handed spirals before hatching. The findings suggest that the spiral forms because the embryo's body lengthens rapidly while its gut grows at a slower rate, acting as a tether. This mismatch in growth creates a mechanical constraint that forces the body to buckle and twist into a coil, a mechanism that helps accommodate the snakes' elongated bodies.