If you take a Petri dish, castor oil and some ball bearings and put all in an electric field, you might happen to spot an interesting behavior: self-assembling wires who appear to be almost alive Source
Why are staff at the shelter anxious about handling rabbits? I'd be much more wary of a cat or dog who can inflict real damage.
Because if you don't restrain a rabbit correctly it will break its own spine while struggling, and they can easily panic themselves to death and their favorite hobby under anesthesia is dying.
I saw a video of a Gaboon just kinda walking straight using it's ribcage instead of the usual side slithering. Do any other snakes do this?
This is called rectilinear motion, and it's one of the primary modes of snake locomotion!
Rectilinear motion works by using the muscles around the ribs - one muscle lifts a section of belly, and then the other pulls the section back, pushing the snake forward. This repeats in small sections down the snake's body. It's a slow but steady and consistent form of locomotion.
Rectilinear locomotion is most common in heavy-bodied snakes, like Gaboon vipers, but most every snake is capable of it. It doesn't require bending the spine at all, so it's useful for snakes who have just eaten a large meal.