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Posted: 22nd February 2023

Study reveals more about snakes’ response to sound
In the trials, woma pythons tended to move towards the sound.
Researchers find reactions depend on the genus of the snake.

A new study, published in the journal PLOS One, has found that different genera of snakes have significantly different responses to sound waves.

Researchers from the University of Queensland, the Queensland University of Technology, and the Australian Reptile Academy tested the reactions of captive-bred snakes in a soundproof room to three different sound frequencies.

Although they lack external ears and tympanic membranes, snakes are still able to hear sound waves as well as vibrations in the ground. One of the frequencies used in the study produced ground vibrations, the other two did not, allowing the researchers to test both types of hearing.

A total of 19 snakes were tested, representing five genera, in a series of 304 controlled trials. The use of different genera is rare in such a study. The majority of previous studies into the ability of snakes to hear have involved only one species.

The researchers found that the reactions to the sounds were heavily dependent on the genus of the snake. Whereas death adders, taipans, and brown snakes tended to move away from the sound, woma pythons were likely to move towards it.

There were also differences in body language between the different genera, with brown snakes displaying jaw drops and hissing, for example, whereas taipans were most likely to show substantial head movement.

Dr Christine Zdenek, lead author of the study, said: “Because snakes don’t have external ears, people typically think they’re deaf and can only feel vibrations through the ground and into their bodies.”

“But our research – the first of its kind using non-anesthetised, freely moving snakes – found they do react to soundwaves travelling through the air, and possibly human voices.”



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