Do snakes have taste buds?

[Sidonia]

Or any other reptiles..?
It's probably a stupid question but oh well.

 

[Ryan93]

yes, When a snake flickers its tongue, it is tasteing the air and then it send this to a orgaon in its head called the jacobsons organ, which tastes air

 

[Australis]

On the Absence of Taste Buds in Monitor Lizards (Varanus) and Snakes
Bruce A. Young

http://www.jstor.org/pss/1565343

 

[Hickson]

Australis: for those of us who don't have access to other pages of that study - what was the results?



Hix

 

[smacdonald]

Australis: for those of us who don't have access to other pages of that study - what was the results?

No compelling evidence for taste buds in snakes nor varanid lizards. This obviously doesn't refer to the vomeronasal ("Jacobson's") organ. Taste buds appear to be found in all other reptile groups.


Stewart

 

[Miss_Croft]

I agree snakes probably do not have taste buds – there is no reason for a snake to have taste buds as it is a meat eating animal. Other animals used their taste buds (Taste buds are used for detecting salty, sweat, sour and the like) That been said – snakes have a very well developed sense of smell (They can smell in stereo). The flick of the forked tongue is the snake way of smelling the air – the tongue is then taken into the snakes mouth where it samples what is in the air. Much of the snake’s brain is used for this function.

 

[arbok]

I agree snakes probably do not have taste buds – there is no reason for a snake to have taste buds as it is a meat eating animal. Other animals used their taste buds (Taste buds are used for detecting salty, sweat, sour and the like) That been said – snakes have a very well developed sense of smell (They can smell in stereo). The flick of the forked tongue is the snake way of smelling the air – the tongue is then taken into the snakes mouth where it samples what is in the air. Much of the snake’s brain is used for this function.

if they dont have taste buds, then why do they have to be so dam picky about diet! lol

 

[kakariki]

Good point arbok! We couldn't get our bredlis to eat rats until we were told to put a mouse in the bag with the rats, basically rub the mouse onto the rats. Problem solved!! Why didn't they like the rats to start with? Is it just that rats smell icky lol?

 

[Miss_Croft]

Arbok - taste buds taste salty, Sweet, Sour - Smell test for "icky". Snakes have a very good sense of smell (What I think you call taste). A larger area of the snake’s brain is used to detect “icky”. I doubt a snake could taste if something was salty, sweet or sour.

Many of the other reptiles like your blue tongues are omnivorous – they need to be able to tell if something is sweet, sour or salty. (They use taste to determine if something is eatable.). My reptiles will lick things before eating them to make sure it is eatable – then they just bite into it. I would think this is the same for many of the omnivorous reptiles.

Taste – is telling if something is Sweet, sour or salty – smell is telling if something is “icky”. In the case of your snakes – you need to train they that an “icky” rat is eatable. You do that by scenting it with a mouse to trick the snake into eating it. Then it learns it is an eatable item.

 

[smacdonald]

there is no reason for a snake to have taste buds as it is a meat eating animal.

But cats and dolphins and ferrets and a whole bunch of other strictly carnivorous animals have taste buds.


Stewart

 

[Miss_Croft]

Cats are NOT strictly meat eaters – they will eat some vegetation (Go to the supermarket and look at the labels. Healthy cats eat a range of foods (Not just meat).
Ferrets also like to eat non-meat products (ie bread soaked in milk)
Dolphins (well whales in general – what do Dugongs eat? What do sea cows (now extinct eat?)

Snakes only eat meat and have only eaten meat – (Who feeds their snake pasta, peas and the like – I know some talk about gut loading of their feed).

Australis has sited scientific studies stating snakes do not have taste buds – I agree with him as I cannot see any reason for them waist valuable brain processing time on taste sensory (taste buds).

 

[redbellybite]

LMAO croft no matter what peeps think of you i can tell you now YOU CRACK me up .............................i seem to always get a good giggle out of what you type thanks for making my day lol ...............oh by the way its edible not eatable just thought I would let you know mate ..cheers RBB

 

[smacdonald]

Cats are NOT strictly meat eaters – they will eat some vegetation (Go to the supermarket and look at the labels. Healthy cats eat a range of foods (Not just meat).
Ferrets also like to eat non-meat products (ie bread soaked in milk)
Dolphins (well whales in general – what do Dugongs eat? What do sea cows (now extinct eat?)

Snakes only eat meat and have only eaten meat – (Who feeds their snake pasta, peas and the like – I know some talk about gut loading of their feed).

Australis has sited scientific studies stating snakes do not have taste buds – I agree with him as I cannot see any reason for them waist valuable brain processing time on taste sensory (taste buds).

Wild cats eat very little vegetation, and not usually to get any nutrition.

Dugongs are strictly herbivorous, but they're very distantly related to whales so I'm not sure why you're mentioning them.

I wasn't arguing with your conclusion (if you read my post above you'll see I stated the main conclusions of the study). I just thought your reasoning was a little flawed.


Stewart

 

[coobs]

Rats not Mice

Good point arbok! We couldn't get our bredlis to eat rats until we were told to put a mouse in the bag with the rats, basically rub the mouse onto the rats. Problem solved!! Why didn't they like the rats to start with? Is it just that rats smell icky lol?

Funny thing that, my coastal won't touch mice. Wouldn't even strike at thawed and killed a live one then let it go. Rats on the other hand, are gone within seconds of being put anywhere near her.:shock: