Physics

How do snakes hear sound???

Do snakes respond to noise?

Almost everybody knows that snakes don't have external ears, a fact that
prompts lots of folks to wonder whether they can hear. These remarkable
critters actually have two auditory pathways, enabling them to detect sound
as vibrations through the air and in the ground.

How do they hear?

Snakes do not have an external ear, but they do have all the parts of the inner
ear that we do. Their stapes—called a “columella”—is slightly different from
ours in that it connects to the jawbone, enabling them to sense vibrations.
However, they can only hear a portion of the sounds we hear.

How do snakes recognize sound?

Snakes lack both an outer ear and middle ear, according to a 2012 study in the
Journal of Experimental Biology. However, they have one middle ear bone
that connects the inner ear to the jaw. This enables snakes to hear vibrations,
such as a predator creeping closer on the forest floor.