How Snakes Hear Without Ears

Did you know that snakes can hear you even though they don’t have ears like we do? That’s right – snakes have developed an amazing way to detect sounds without any external ears at all! Most animals have visible ear openings, but snakes work differently. Their entire skull acts like a sound receiver that picks up vibrations from both ground and air. This unique system lets them sense approaching prey or detect danger nearby.

The Myth of Deaf Snakes

For many years, people thought snakes were deaf because they couldn’t see any ears on them. It was widely believed snakes can’t hear anything. You might be surprised to learn that snakes can actually hear quite well. They just do it differently than most animals.

Snakes don’t have external ears like you do, but they have a complete inner ear system inside their heads. These creatures use their jawbones to pick up sounds instead of eardrums. When sound waves travel through the air or ground, they create tiny vibrations in the snake’s jaw. These vibrations then travel to special bones inside their head.

Scientists have discovered that snakes can detect sounds between 50 and 1,000 Hertz. This unique hearing ability helps them stay safe from danger and find food. Different types of snakes react differently to sounds – some, like the woma python, move toward sounds. Others, like taipans and brown snakes, quickly move away when they hear something.

Snakes have developed one of the most unique hearing systems among all reptiles, including crocodiles, turtles, and lizards. Other reptiles use external ear openings and eardrums. In contrast, snakes hear through their jaw and skull bones, using them to catch sound waves. This adaptation helps them hear both through the ground and through the air. Even though they can’t hear as well as you can (humans can hear sounds from 20 to 20,000 Hertz), their hearing is perfect for their needs.

How Snakes Hear

What makes snake hearing really special is that they actually have two different ways to detect sounds. These reptiles can hear through their jaw bones and inner ears. This dual-hearing system evolved across millions of years as snakes adapted to their environments. This double-hearing system developed over millions of years as snakes adapted to different ways of living.

Scientists think this unique hearing system came about when early snakes spent lots of time burrowing underground. A ship becomes more stable the deeper it goes in the water. Similarly, snakes found they could hear better when they were partly buried in the sand. This adaptation helped them detect prey and avoid predators more effectively.

Different types of snakes developed different reactions to sounds based on what they needed to survive. For example, woma pythons, which are big night-time hunters with fewer enemies, tend to move toward sounds. But smaller snakes like taipans, which have more predators to worry about, usually move away from sounds quickly.

Recent studies of ancient snake fossils have given us even more exciting clues about how snake hearing evolved. Scientists examined a 90-million-year-old snake skull and discovered its inner ear was shaped like that of modern burrowing snakes. This tells us that snakes have been using their unique hearing system for a very, very long time.

Understanding Snake Hearing Mechanics

Snakes hear with their skull. Sound waves traveling through the air create tiny vibrations in the snake’s skull bones. These vibrations are so sensitive that snakes detect sounds 10,000 times louder than the softest sounds humans can hear. Snakes excel at picking up low-frequency sounds between 80 and 160 Hz.

A snake’s head contains an inner ear system. This system connects to their jawbone through a special bone called the columella auris. This connection is super important because it helps snakes detect vibrations in two ways:

1. Through their jaw when it touches the ground
2. Through their skull when sound waves hit it from the air

When sounds reach a snake’s inner ear, special nerve cells send signals to their brain. Scientists have discovered that snakes actually have two different systems working together to process sounds:

1. An auditory system through their inner ear
2. A somatic system (part of the nervous system) that uses skin sensors

The really cool part is that snakes can use these systems to figure out the direction of sounds. They do it just like you can with your ears. They do this by feeling the difference in vibrations between the two sides of their jaw.

When you talk to snakes, they can actually hear you. Scientists have discovered that snakes can hear sounds between 80 and 600 Hz, which includes the sound of human voices. Snakes hear you just fine; what they will do when they hear you, though, is not as easy to predict. Some snakes will zip away and others will remain in place, refusing to be bothered.

Different types of snakes have their own hearing ranges. Royal pythons are best at hearing low sounds between 80 and 160 Hz. Sea snakes can hear sounds ranging from 40 to 600 Hz. They are especially good at catching sounds around 60 Hz and 500 Hz.

Snakes are about 20 decibels less sensitive to sounds than you are. It’s like listening to music with earplugs in – the sound is there, but it’s a bit muffled. Here’s what snakes hear best:

1. Ground vibrations (like footsteps)
2. Low-pitched sounds (like rumbling)
3. Airborne sounds between 200-400 Hz

Your ears are much better at catching different sounds than a snake’s hearing system. Snakes hear sounds only up to 600 Hz, while humans catch frequencies from 20 to 20,000 Hz. This difference means humans can hear every key on a piano. Snakes only pick up about three octaves in the middle.

Survival Advantages of Snake Hearing

Different types of snakes have developed clever ways to stay safe from danger. Taipans are super careful – they’ll quickly move away from sounds and get ready to defend themselves if needed. When they hear something suspicious, they might:

1. Flick their heads to look around
2. Hiss to warn the danger
3. Drop their jaws to show they’re ready to protect themselves
4. Keep their heads still while coiling their body

Desert horned vipers can detect a mouse’s footsteps across the sand. Many snakes combine their hearing with smell and vision to execute precise strikes while hunting. Different snakes hunt in various ways. Some wait quietly for prey to come close. Others actively chase their dinner.

Each type of snake has developed special hearing tricks that work best for their lifestyle. Death adders like to stay still and wait for food. They use their hearing to avoid being stepped on by big animals like kangaroos or wombats. Woma pythons hunt at night and don’t have many enemies which makes them braver. They might even move toward sounds to check things out.

Cover Photo: Woma Python ID 191256114 | Snake © Ken Griffiths | Dreamstime.com

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