I can sizzle like bacon, I am made with an egg,
I have plenty of backbone, but lack a good leg,
I peel layers like onions, but still remain whole,
I can be long, like a flagpole, yet fit in a hole,
What am I?
(In reply to
Puzzle Solution by K Sengupta)
Forst line: "I can sizzle like bacon, I am made with an egg,"
We know that:
"Once cornered by a predator, snakes make use of additional defense strategies. Many, such as the hognose snake, hiss to frighten off predators, and some make noise by twitching their tails in dry grass"
In particular, "The rattlesnake has perfected this style of defense; the loud buzz made by its rattle can be heard over long distances."
Source: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761578341_3/Snake_(reptile).html
Conclusion: Some snakes, in particular a rattlesnake can indeed emit a sound that is akin to a sizzling bacon.
"In most species the female lays eggs..."
Source: http://www.bartleby.com/65/sn/snake.html
Conclusion: Most snakes come from eggs.
Second line: "I have plenty of backbone, but lack a good leg"
Explanation:
We know that:
(i) "....snakes are vertebrates—that is, they have a backbone made of small, interconnecting bones called vertebrae."
(ii) "Snake (reptile), legless animal with a long, flexible body covered with overlapping scales."
Reference: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761578341/Snake_(reptile).html
Third line: "I peel layers like onions, but still remain whole"
We know that:
"Most snakes shed their skin 4-8 times per year. The frequency of shedding depends upon many factors, including environmental temperature, frequency of feeding, amount fed at each feeding, and activity level."
Source: http://www.talktothevet.com/ARTICLES/REPTILES/snakeshedding.HTM
Conclusion: Snakes indeed shed their skins as a part of normal physical activity and suffering no ill effects threof.
Fourth line: "I can be long, like a flagpole, yet fit in a hole"
We know that:
(i) "Snakes are found on every continent except Antarctica and range in size from the tiny, 10 cm long thread snake to pythons and anacondas of up to 7.6 m (25 ft) in length."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake
Conclusion: Some snakes can indeed be long like a flagpole.
(ii) "Snakes share an internal anatomy similar to that of other reptiles, but modified to fit within an extremely narrow space."
Source: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761578341_2/Snake_(reptile).html
Conclusion: Some small snakes can be accommodated within a hole having a reasonably small radius.
Edited on January 31, 2009, 5:16 pm
Explanation
