Snakes are closely related to lizards, having branched off from a common ancestral lineage during the Cretaceous period, and they share many of the same features.
snˈeɪks ɑːɹ klˈoʊsli ɹᵻlˈeɪɾᵻd tə lˈɪzɚdz, hˌævɪŋ bɹˈæntʃt ˈɔf fɹʌm ɐ kˈɑːmən ænsˈɛstɹəl lˈɪnɪɪdʒ dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə kɹɛtˈeɪʃəs pˈiəɹɪəd, ænd ðeɪ ʃˈɛɹ mˈɛnɪəv ðə sˈeɪm fˈiːtʃɚz.