What's Behind the Slithery Snake Tongue?

Aside from their scales and sinewy form, snakes are also known for their tongues. The sight of a long tongue flicking from a snake can be both majestic and terrifying. What's behind a snake tongue?

Scientists have discovered that the tongues of snakes contain extremely complex receptor systems. Don't be surprised if you don't see a lot of tongue if you happen to glance inside a snake's open mouth. Once it retracts, snake tongue is hidden inside a sheath in its lower jaw. This is why if you look inside a snake's open mouth, you will only see the forked ends of its tongue.

When a snake uses its tongue, it flicks it through the rostral groove, which is a small notch in the snake's lip. This lets the snake flick its tongue out of its mouth without actually opening it. That's pretty cool. While snakes have nostrils and can use these to detect scents, they smell primarily through their tongue.

That's right, a snake's tongue is what it mostly uses to smell. The snake tongue is part of the vomeronasal system, or how snakes perceive things. The receptors on the tongue of a snake can detect small chemical particles. To a snake, this is what counts as scent. When the snake retracts its tongue, its next step is to send chemical information to the brain, which processes and analyzes it. All of these happen very quickly.   

Many scientists say that the tongue of a snake is split so that it can discern which direction to move based on the heavy amount of chemical particles on one side of its tongue compared to the other side. The chemical receptors on the tongue of a snake not only allow it to decide in what direction it should go. It also helps it to detect nearby predators and even possible mates. 

Contrary to popular belief, the tongue of a snake does not have magical powers against poison, nor does a snake store venom in its tongue. A snake releases its venom through its fangs, not its tongue.

Deadly Snake Fangs: Understanding How it Works?

Do you know that snakes can open their mouth up to 150 degrees? This explains how they can swallow their prey, which is sometimes bigger than their size, in one piece. Armed with their toxic venom and sharp fangs, these champion biters are often feared by people. Some kind of snakes is even more dangerous than the others. For instance the splitting cobra, it is known to spit its venom to as far as six feet away.

There are actually poisonous and non-poisonous snakes but you can identify the poisonous breed because of their fangs.  They have four snake fangs on top in which the two are positioned in front and the other two on the rear side of the mouth and there are two more at the bottom.

One of the main characteristic of snake fangs is sharpness. Surprisingly, this animal is known to have more teeth than any other mammals. It depends on the kind of snake but it has over 200 teeth lined in two rows, up and bottom of its mouth. Their teeth are not for the purpose of chewing. In reality, it cannot chew because it is pointing backward making it difficult to use for chewing. Its main purpose is to hold the prey into their mouth.

Also, the snake has hallowed teeth allowing the venom to flow inside and disperse once the prey is bitten. The teeth are actually connected to a small sac located in the snake head. The sac is the source of the venom. The moment the snake bites, the venom flows immediately to the wounds of the prey causing the prey to be incapacitated.

Some snakes simply bite then release the prey. This happens if the prey is big. Releasing the prey will avoid them to be hurt as the victim struggles to live. While others, they bite and hang their sharp teeth to their prey until it dies.

Sometimes snake fangs get broken too specially if they hunt big victims but it is easily replace with another tooth. Generally, they intend to shed their fangs because it is the way to keep its sharpness.

Another odd and deceptive trait of snake is the function of its tongue. Like any other creatures, tongue is functioned most of the time for tasting or something that relates to its nourishment but snake is different. The flicking tongue is used to smell and to follow the prey until it is dead and can be eaten already.

Indeed it is a wonder how can snakes swallow their prey in one piece? Usually their victim’s size is bigger than their head but still they can swallow it without breaking into many pieces. Human being’s jaws are made of bones and attached to our skull. Thus, it limits the flexibility. Unlike with snake, it is consist of tendons, ligaments and muscles hence allowing mobility.

They soak their victims in their saliva before swallowing it. Once it reaches the esophagus, it has muscles that continuously smash the victim into small portions until it reaches the digestive track which it is broken down further.

Snake fangs are really dangerous and no way that its poison level should be ever taken for granted. So when you are in areas conducive to such creatures, be very careful.