In the southern United States, snakes can be vibrant¹ and bright. In the North, they tend to be dark and drab. A dark coat may seem a bit depressing. It may, however, help northern snakes soak up heat from the sun more quickly than their southern kin², a teen finds. And a quick solar heating could prove an advantage in colder climes.

在美国南部，那里的蛇能够发出响声，而且很颜色鲜艳。在北方，这些蛇会倾向于变成黑色或者浅褐色。黑色的蛇皮或会看起来有点了无生气。但是，一名青少年发现，与南方的同类蛇相比，黑色皮肤能帮助北方的蛇更快地吸收太阳的温度。在较为寒冷的气候下，快速吸收太阳的热量，对蛇比较有利。

Gianna Fantell, 15, presented the results of her serpentine³ research, here, at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

15岁的吉安娜·范泰尔，在英特尔国际科学与工程博览会上，展示了自己对蛇纹石的研究结果。

Snake fan Gianna Fantell showed that more northerly snakes tend to be darker than those in the South. Darker colors might help snakes soak up the sun’s warmth.

吉安娜·范泰尔对蛇非常感兴趣，她发现蛇所处的地点越是往北，它们的颜色比南方的蛇就越深。更深的颜色或许可以帮助蛇更好地获取太阳的温度。

The freshman⁴ at Colonia High School in New Jersey⁵ has loved snakes for most of her life. “I remember I was trick-or-treating, and this woman came out [of her house] with an albino corn snake,” she recalls. Gianna instantly became fascinated with the creatures.

新泽西州科洛尼亚高中的一名新生在生活中酷爱蛇。她回忆说“我记得有一次我在万圣节捣蛋，一位女士就拿着一条白色的玉米蛇走出了房间。”吉安娜立马对这一生物产生了浓厚的兴趣。

When it came time to design a research project for school, snakes were a natural focus. Flipping⁶ through a field guide, she noticed a pattern. “Farther north, the pigmentation of snakes is darker.”

当学校需要我设计一个研究项目的时候，蛇自然成了我研究的重点。通过研究一份野外工作指南，她发现一个规律。“越是往北，蛇的颜色越深。”