SEEING IN INFRARED
Eyesight isn’t the only way some snakes spot their prey. On the faces of some species, like pythons and pit vipers, are small holes called pit organs. Within each of these is a membrane that can detect the infrared radiation emitted from the warm bodies of passing prey or predators. Each pit organ membrane contains receptors that interpret infrared radiation as heat and feed that information to the snake’s brain, allowing them to locate where the heat source is. These pits are extremely sensitive and can detect changes in surrounding temperatures of just 0.001 degrees Celsius. For nocturnal snake species, this gives them a sort of night-vision advantage while on the hunt for warm-blooded prey.