Article Sphere Logo
Snakes Article

The Advantages of Snake Senses

By Expert Author: Tim Jones
Word Count: 280 words | Views: 1246 view(s)
Like most animals on the planet, snakes have the five normal senses. Those would be sight, touch, smell, hearing and taste. Some features of the senses are limited, while others are extended beyond the norm.

Eyes - The range of sensitivity of the eyes vary greatly from snake to snake. Most snakes see the actual movement of objects clearer than the object itself. Snakes that are active during the day normally see in this fashion. On the other end of the spectrum, some snakes, such as the blind snakes, see shades of light and dark. Snakes do not have eyelids in the traditional sense. They cover their eyes with a clear membrane, called the brille.

Ears - Snakes lack an external ear opening. Their ear bone is attached to their jaw bone. They can only hear very low sounds.

Tongue - The snakes tongue is the most interesting part of their anatomy. Everyone knows the typical action for the tongue; flicking. Snakes flick out their tongue, and either wave it in the air, or touch the ground with it. This is one of their touch sensors. It is also used to find or detect chemical scents. Molecules of any chemical are collected by the tongue, brought back into their mouth, and analyzed by the Jacobson's organ. Using this method, a snake can more effectively find and follow its prey.

Some snakes can detect infrared heat rays. Some species of snakes have small holed, or pits, on their faces, including; pit vipers, boas, pythons. This pit allows them to distinguish minute changes in temperature in the direction they are pointed. Hunting prey is made simple by picking out warmer temperatures in front of them.
Tim Jones

About the Author:

Snakes-Skin.com provides information on the care of snakes in captivity.

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/The-Advantages-of-Snake-Senses/9222

 This Article has been viewed 1246 times.
  

Related Videos



 

Related Articles

 
 

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Snakes" article category.

People interested in the above article "The Advantages of Snake Senses" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

 
While South Africa may be famous for animals such as leopards and cape buffalo, the country is also home to a wide variety of snakes, well known amongst herpetologists (or those studying amphibians and reptiles) and there is much of interest to learn for those who study these fascinating creatures. For example, did you know snakes usually only have one lung, stretched to about a third of their body length?
Buying a snake can be a sizable investment. Getting a snake requires making a commitment to the pet's care and well-being. It is important to do your research so you know that the particular species or breed is something you will enjoy owning in the years to come. Find out how difficult they are to feed and house before you buy. Also find out about the snake's temperament.
When you've had some success caring for captive snakes, you might find yourself interested in breeding them. This can be done, but it requires record keeping and attention to many details concerning the living conditions of the snakes. The breeding is generally done in the winter so that the babies are born or hatched in the spring.
It is not difficult to care for snakes but then as we all would vouch, snakes are different. They are regal, dynamic, majestic, but dangerous. While caring for the snake pet, it becomes largely important to understand the various dimensions of keeping the pets handy. For instance, Snakes are cold-blooded. Now this means, they have to be bestowed with more care so that they can survive.
Caring for snake is easy and it can be effectively done. We just need to be careful about getting the basics right. First, we need enclosures; the size of the enclosures would depend upon the activity and the size of the snake. Active snakes like the Black Racer need a spacious cage to move around. Lazy bums like Boa and reticulated python can do with very small spaces. For inactive snakes, a cage equal in length to the snake and nearly as wide as three-fourth the length of the snake is good enough. For the restless species, the dimensions must be doubled.
Discusses the most common causes of pet snakes stopping feeding for long periods of time and how to deal with the situation most effectively.
Describes the basic setup needed to successfully keep a range of the smaller, more common snake species in captivity.
Article Directory Home All Categories Pets And Animals Snakes The Advantages of Snake Senses
 

Can't find what you're looking for? Try Google Search!
 
Copyright © 2005 - by Larry Lim, Singapore - Article Search Engine Directory at ArticleSphere.com™
All Rights Reserved Worldwide. All Trademarks and Servicemarks are the property of the respective owners.