What protects the snake's eye, leading to an inability to blink?
Answer
A transparent, fixed scale called a spectacle
Snakes lack external ears and external nasal openings, and they also do not possess movable eyelids. Instead, the eye structure is protected by a unique feature: a transparent, fixed scale known as the spectacle covering the surface of the eye. Since this protective scale is fixed in place and cannot move independently, snakes are physically incapable of blinking, which often results in them maintaining a constant, unblinking stare.

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