can snakes hear?

[jedam]

I have recently purchased a Morlia Spilota (Coastal Carpet Python). I have heard that they can hear and I have also heard that they can't. please can someone please tell me the truth!!!

 

[Fennwick]

no, they can't hear - they don't have ears. but they are sensitive to vibrations, so its kind of like hearing. i'm pretty sure that's the truth. someone correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[jedam]

Thanks. I was really confused!!!!!!!!!

 

[BenReyn]

Fennwick's right, they can often appear that they respond to noises, but often you will find it caused a vibration, or the frequency of airwaves has caused them to..theyre deaf...

 

[$NaKe PiMp]

well that was an open and shut case
quick lock the thread!!!!!!!!

 

[amazonian]

Coastal carpet python is Morelia spilota mcdowelli (incase you put the wrong info in your fauna book)

 

[salebrosus]

Coastal carpet python is Morelia spilota mcdowelli (incase you put the wrong info in your fauna book)

Not in Queensland they're not. When i transferred my animals from NSW to QLD the import permit refers to them all as carpet pythons - morelia spilota.

So for his record books he is right.

Simone.

 

[serpenttongue]

There have been studies that have proven that some snake species can hear airborne sounds.

 

[amazonian]

Does each sub-species have their own title or are they all lumped under Morelia spilota?

 

[fishbot]

I disagree....snakes do have ears and can indeed hear. It's a matter of specifics and semantics.

They have no external ear opening, but they have the internal organs of ears or ear like organs.

As for "feeling vibrations", well that is what hearing is by definition. Ears detect vibrations and create a signal from them.

Clearing audio is not their strongest sense but it is still a sense they have. Perhaps it's like comparing human sense of smell to a blood hounds....compared to a blood hound humans have no sense of smell.

 

[JasonL]

I agree with Fishbot, whilst they have no ears as such, they would be picking up vibrations through their body. How good they are at doing this? well know one can answer this 100%, probably in most ways not as good as us, and in other ways better

 

[Snake_Whisperer]

Does each sub-species have their own title or are they all lumped under Morelia spilota?

There are several sub-species of "Carpet Python"

• Jungle carpet python - Morelia spilota cheynei
• Southwestern carpet python - Morelia spilota imbricata
• Coastal carpet python - Morelia spilota mcdowelli
• Inland carpet python - Morelia spilota metcalfei
• Diamond python -Morelia spilota spilota
• Northwestern (Darwin) carpet python - Morelia spilota variegata

 

[shlanger]

Not only can they hear, they can speak also! They just choose not to!

 

[Lukey47]

well im pretty sure they cant hear but like said before can feel vibrations so that acts as ears

 

[amazonian]

There are several sub-species of "Carpet Python"

• Jungle carpet python - Morelia spilota cheynei
• Southwestern carpet python - Morelia spilota imbricata
• Coastal carpet python - Morelia spilota mcdowelli
• Inland carpet python - Morelia spilota metcalfei
• Diamond python -Morelia spilota spilota
• Northwestern (Darwin) carpet python - Morelia spilota variegata

I know this but I meant in QLD fauna books are subspecies labelled individually? Or grouped together?
As Simone said all carpets are placed under Morelia spilota I am curious if all of the above are titled Morelia spilota only OR if they are seperated exactly as you have posted (thats how it is in NSW). Just curious about how they are placed over the border there.

 

[Armand]

haha.. snakes cant hear mate.. many studies show that.. even Steve Irwin has admitted to that.

 

[Oxyuranus microlepid]

I disagree....snakes do have ears and can indeed hear. It's a matter of specifics and semantics.

They have no external ear opening, but they have the internal organs of ears or ear like organs.

As for "feeling vibrations", well that is what hearing is by definition. Ears detect vibrations and create a signal from them.

Clearing audio is not their strongest sense but it is still a sense they have. Perhaps it's like comparing human sense of smell to a blood hounds....compared to a blood hound humans have no sense of smell.

i think i agree with this

i always heard they had a small opening behind the eyes (side of head) where a membrane received sound, like a beardy does. some snakes have scaled over openings

apparently

 

[shlanger]

Of course they can't hear, I can prove it! 1. Tell your jungle not to bite, good boy/girl etc. 2. Offer it your hand! Then you will know if it heard you or not!

 

[jflanagan]

Ok, here is your answer...

If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound? The answer for that of course is no, it does not make any sound, as if there is no one there to hear it, it is simply a vibration.

Sound is simply the vibration of molecules in the air, water, cans-with-a-sting-attached, walls, you name it. These vibrations when recognized by the brain are what we call sound, remembering of course that sound is simply our perception of vibration.

When we think of this in terms of a snake, they do not have an eardrum and middle ear required to amplify the vibrations in the air. However, that being said, they have very sensitive neurons in their body which pick up the vibrations in the objects they touch, and that may not be limited to objects but also vibrations in the air. That being said, given the lack of an ear, and the very important middle ear needed to amplify vibrations in the air, this wouldn't be as sharp as ours or even a sense they primarily rely on. That doesn't mean that they cannot hear, simply that our definition of hearing is so grand that a snake doesn't come close.

Then again, if I could pick up vibrations in the ground 100m away, and smell at 1 part per million, I don’t think I'd care if I could hear.

 

[jedam]

Thanks everyone for your answers.