Fun little question about snakes...?

Question

ok so I was thinking a snake's smell by tasting the air right? So they are tasting the smell so does this mean that since the two senses of a snake are combined that they only have 4 senses? now before you belittle my question and train of thought, think about it first.

Answer 1

Snakes don't necessarily "taste the air", they pick up scents with their tongue then put it in a gland in the roof of their mouth that determines what scent it is.  But they can also taste with their tongue just like you and I.  Another interesting fact is that snakes can sense which direction the scent is coming from by determining which fork of its tongue the scent is on.

Answer 2

A snake can smell using its nostrils, and has a few taste buds at the rear of the mouth, but you are right - the main sense of snakes is somewhere between smell and taste. The snake flicks out its forked tongue, gathering scent molecules from the air, which are then transferred to the Jacobson's organ on the roof of the mouth. This analyzes the molecules, telling the snake what it is sensing and which direction it is coming from - the fork of the tongue nearest the source of the scent will collect more molecules from the air.

Some snakes have heat pits, which detect the body-heat given off by their prey, which is an additional sense we humans do not possess. Certain pythons and boas have these pits lining their upper and/or lower lips, and pit vipers such as rattlesnakes have two, located between the eye and nostril.

All snakes are deaf to airborne sound, since they have no external ears, but they do have an inner ear and can sense vibrations, particularly when the lower jaw is in contact with the ground. Most snakes also do not have particularly good eyesight.

Answer 3

i think they have all five, b/c the smell tase is different from the taste taste.

Answer 4

Snakes have tongues that are sensitive to heat and smell. They don't smell with noses. Snakes also have what is known as Jacobson's Organ that are located where their nose is. This is their main smelling aparatus.