[♪ INTRO]
Whoa, there are so many different amazing snakes out there.
There’s pythons, and vipers, and boas.
This one’s called a cobra.
Snakes are so cool!
[Squeaks squeaks]
Oh no, Squeaks says that snakes make rude faces at him.
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a snake make a rude face before.
Could you help me understand what you mean?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Oh!
You’re saying that snakes are always sticking out their tongues at you!
[Squeaks squeaks]
Well, Squeaks, the snakes aren’t doing that to be rude or to tease you.
The snakes are using their tongues to smell!
[Squeaks squeaks]
Most animals do use their tongues to taste, and their noses to smell.
Snakes just work a little bit differently than other animals.
When I want to smell something, I use my nose to sniff in air,
and smell if anything smelly is around!
It could be a good smell, like cookies or flowers,
or it could be a stinky smell, like garbage.
Snakes can use their noses to do this, too, but they can also use another body part
to understand if something smelly is around.
It’s called the vomeronasal organ.
The vomeronasal organ, or VNO, is on the roof of snakes’ mouths
that’s right here!
But to get smells to their VNO, they need a different body part's help.
[Squeaks squeaks]
That’s right, they use their tongues!
When a snake sticks out their tongue, the smelly things in the air
or along surfaces like the ground stick to their tongue.
Then, the snake pulls their tongue back into their mouth,
bringing the smells the tongue caught inside.
The smells go from the snake’s tongue to the VNO, and the VNO helps the snake
to understand what smells their tongue found when it was flicking around.
[Squeaks squeaks]
It is like how our noses help us to understand smells!
Using their tongue and VNOs, snakes can smell things more strongly
than humans and many other animals.
Snakes and other animals sometimes use smell to communicate.
We use sound, by using our ears to hear the words people say.
And sight, using our eyes to see writing, pictures, or sign language.
But snakes can use their VNOs to pick up smells made by other snakes,
sort of like a smell picture that tells them something!
They can even tell if the thing they’re smelling is on their right side,
or their left, all by using their tongue!
Look at this picture of a snake tongue, Squeaks.
Can you guess how that works?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Yes!
The snake’s tongue has these two points, one on each side.
So if the smelly thing is to the snake’s right, the right side of that snake’s tongue
will pick up more scent than the left side of their tongue.
[Squeaks squeaks]
Well, Squeaks, snakes have to be really good at smelling
because it helps them to explore their surroundings.
Hey, when we go on our nature walks, what senses do you use the most
to explore outside?
[Squeaks squeaks]
That's right!
We use our eyes to see things like clouds and trees and mushroom-covered logs,
and we use our ears to hear things like birds chirping and bees buzzing.
But in addition to those senses, snakes also use their sense of smell
to find things around them!
By using their tongues and VNOs to smell what's around them, a snake can
find a mouse to catch before the mouse can see or hear the snake coming.
[Squeaks squeaks]
I agree, I think it would be really cool to explore the world by smell,
especially if I could use my tongue to smell things!
[Squeaks squeaks]
I’m so glad that you feel better about snakes now!
Hey, I have an idea.
I’ll hide some of our favorite snacks around the Fort, and we’ll see
if you can find them by smell, like how a snake might find food!
We might not be able to smell with our tongues exactly like a snake,
but if we find the snacks with our noses, we could use our tongues to taste!
[Squeaks squeaks]
What do you think it would feel like to smell using your tongue?
What other body parts can you think of that help different animals
explore their habitats?
Squeaks and I love to think about animals, so if you want to keep exploring with us
and all of our friends, make sure to click the subscribe button below.
Thanks, and we’ll see you next time, here at the Fort!
[♪ OUTRO]