Final answer:
The sentence uses a simile to describe how the night passed.
Step-by-step explanation:
The literary device used in the sentence "An apprehensive night crawled slowly by like a wounded snake" is a simile. A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using the words "like" or "as". In this case, the night is compared to a wounded snake, emphasizing the slow and unsettling nature of the night.
Learn more about simile