Why does a snake s tongue keep sticking out?

Everyone knows that one of the strange and scary movements of the snake is to quickly retract its forked tongue from time to time, why is that? What does this action do to snakes? Why is a snake's tongue forked?

What does this weird look do? Is it really to be scary? After in-depth research, it turns out that the split tongue and the rapid retraction action are both to detect chemical signals in the air.

The tongue sticks out of the mouth and adheres to the chemicals in the air, and the snake quickly retracts the tongue into the mouth and inserts it into the vomeronasal apparatus for odor discrimination. The vomeronasal apparatus of a snake is located on either side of the middle of the top of the mouth, one on the left and one on the left, so that the forked tongue can be inserted into the left and right vomeronasal apparatus respectively. In this way, as long as a small number of chemical molecules in the air (e.g., the smell of prey) are sent to the mucus of the vomeronasal apparatus, they can be distinguished by the sensory neurons there.

Therefore, when there are rats, frogs and the like through the grass, its ** release will inevitably be rubbed in the place where it has been touched, and its chemical molecules will naturally float in the air, so the snake can pick up these chemical molecules by stretching its tongue, so as to obtain information about the prey, track the smell and go to prey. Here, the vomeronasal apparatus plays the role of an olfactory aid, because with the vomeronasal apparatus, of course, the olfactory effect is much greater than that of the nose alone. Experiments have found that a newly hatched young snake that has never eaten food will also stick out its tongue and make an offensive posture when faced with a small animal soaked in water.

It is generally believed that the main function of the vomeronasal apparatus may be to distinguish food in the oral cavity from the sense of smell (smell), that is, its role is combined with the role of taste to distinguish food from both smell and taste. In addition, the olfactory function of the vomeronasal apparatus can also be used to identify the opposite sex. For example, a snake that has degraded eyes and lives underground like an earthworm, called a blind snake, will no longer have courtship if its nose and vomeronasal apparatus are destroyed.

Because snakes have very poor vision, they can't see you as long as you stand still. As a result, their tongues have evolved to be used to detect biothermal functions. Therefore, they must stick out their tongues at all times, seeking prey and discerning their environment The snake's tongue is its olfactory organ.

When the snake sticks out its tongue, it gets some material particles, and after it is retracted, the tongue extends into a pair of small cavities above the front of the mouth, which is called the nasal aid, which is not connected with the outside world and cannot directly produce the sense of smell, but it can achieve the olfactory function with the help of the snake's tongue. Nasal aids are composed of many sensory cells, which can identify chemicals in particles through the synthesis and analysis of chemical information by the olfactory center. After judgment, the snake can accurately capture its prey.

When a snake bitten animal escapes, the snake can use its retractable tongue and sensitive nasal aid to locate and track until it finds its target again.

When you think of snakes, the first thing that comes to mind is that it spits out bright red letters and makes a "hiss" sound, so why do snakes always stick out their tongues?

Its tongue is actually a collector, because the snake does not have a direct nose, can not directly identify the smell of objects from the outside, so it has to stick out its tongue to collect some particles of the smell of objects, and then send it back to a "nose" similar sensory organ in the mouth, and then respond to the gas, so the snake has to stick out its tongue without listening. Just to smell the smell.

The tongue is equivalent to the snake's sensing organ, and when it sticks out its tongue, it can sense danger and take precautions in time to escape or attack. Moreover, snakes can release toxins when they stick out their tongues...

It is said that dogs often stick their tongues out because their sweat glands grow on their tongues, so they have to perspire by sticking out their tongues. I often see snakes on TV sticking out their tongues hot or not, why is that?

You're very observant! The snake sticks out its tongue because it has poor vision and relies on its sense of smell to seek prey and discern its environment. Its olfactory organ is not the nose, but a long, thin, branched strip at the tip'Tongue.

The subtle odor particles in the air are touched on the tongue, and then it retracts the tongue back to the throat, where the snake's "odor analysis room" is, and even the light smell cannot escape the "inspection"! Now, you know what?

Because snakes have very poor vision, even if you stand still, it can't see you. As a result, their tongues have evolved to be used to detect biothermal functions. Therefore, they must stick out their tongues at all times, seek prey and discern their environment!

The above is a quote).

When you think of snakes, the first thing that comes to mind is that it spits out bright red letters and makes a "hiss" sound, so why do snakes always stick out their tongues?