A study proves that snakes hear more than we think!

A study led by the University of Queensland found that snakes can hear and respond to sounds in the air in addition to ground vibrations.

Dr Kristina Zdenek, from the University of Queensland School of Biological Sciences, in collaboration with Professor Damien Candoso from the University of Queensland, exposed snakes held captive in a soundproof room to three different frequencies and observed their response .

“Because snakes do not have external ears, people often think that they are deaf and can only feel vibrations on the ground and in their bodies. But using snakes that move freely without anesthesia, we found our research, which is the first of its kind. ,” said Dr. Zdenek. that they respond to transmitted sound waves, through the air, perhaps with human voices.

The study included 19 snakes representing five reptile families.

Dr Zdenek said: “While one sound played that caused vibrations on the ground, the other two just came from the air. This means that we were able to test both types of hearing: hearing by pressing from the scales on the snake’s belly, and hearing. from the air through the viscera of the ear.” “

And the responses depended a lot on the gender of the snakes.

Dr Zdenek explained: “The female-only python tends to move towards the sound, while the rattlesnakes and brown snakes, especially the rattlesnakes, move away from the sound more easily.”

The types of behavioral responses are also different, as defensive and cautious responses are particularly likely to occur against highly venomous snakes (taipans).

Dr Zdenek says the different responses are likely due to millions of years of evolutionary pressures designed to aid survival and reproduction.

He continued: “Pythons, for example, are large nocturnal snakes that have fewer predators than smaller species and may not need to be on guard, so they tend to approach the sound. However, highly poisonous snakes (taipans) can worry about the animals. They also actively pursue their prey. , so their senses seem more sensitive.”

Zdenek said the findings challenge the assumption that snakes can’t hear sounds like humans talking or shouting, and could reshape the view of how they respond to sound.

“We know very little about how most snake species navigate situations and landscapes around the world. But our study shows that sound can be an important part of their sensory repertoire. Snakes are weak, shy creatures that often hide in hiding,” said Dr Zdenek. and we still have a lot to learn about them.”

The research was published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.

source: phys.org