"The slender serpent slithered silently, its scaly skin shimmering in the sunlight as its tongue occasionally flicked out to taste the fear in the air." Though you might want to avoid the alliteration, it's up to you.
I am not sure, if I did this correctly. I imagined how a scholar in those times would write it, if he wanted to create a description of all living things. "Sly serpent was created by God on the sixth day after creation, for it inhabits the land. It bears no limbs and is coated in hard scales. Once upon a time, serpent is able of shedding it's scales. Beware, you, who tries to befriend snakes. Many of them have sharp fangs it their mouth. They are venomous and single bite can kill."
I'd go with this. Read David Thorne's blog, to discover how snakes and sticks can easily be mistaken for one another: http://www.27bslash6.com/halogen.html
