Can Snakes Hear?

hm1996

hm1996

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Years ago, my uncle was calling coyotes and had a 6' rattler approached him rather quickly. He always said/thought that the snake was responding to the call.

I've called for 20 years in some areas with a healthy rattlesnake population and have never had such an experience. Got to wondering and did a little research on snake's hearing ability. The jury is still out and I will continue to find more definitive research on the matter. In the meantime, what do you think?

Snakes can hear and some react to sounds according to this article
 
Ya know, 99% of my 65 years of hunting has been in S. TX brush country which has a very healthy rattler population and the three counties in which I've spent most of that time is known for their 6 footers. I often recall sitting around the campfire on my first deer lease with a bunch of old timers after hunting a lease in the heart of snake country. As often happens, the discussion came around to snakes and I made the comment that, "I've hunted here going on 2 years, and I've yet to see a snake.", to which one of the old timers replied, "Well, sonny, let me tell ya, ya been real close to lots of 'em.":eek:

IDK, but I have yet to have a snake come to the call to my knowledge, but can't help but keep an eye peeled for them when calling, and every time I remember that old fella's remark on stand, the hair on my neck stands up.:ROFLMAO:
 
I haven't seen any evidence that they can but I can't say for sure that they can't. They're sensitive to movement for sure. Maybe they're sensitive to sound waves as well. Kind of in the same way we can feel bass they might feel lower frequencies that humans can't. I don't suppose I can answer that with 100% accuracy since I haven't been a snake before. But I've caught thousands upon thousands of them in my lifetime. From what I've seen they react to movent more than sound or anything else.
 
OKRattler said:
I haven't seen any evidence that they can but I can't say for sure that they can't. They're sensitive to movement for sure. Maybe they're sensitive to sound waves as well. Kind of in the same way we can feel bass they might feel lower frequencies that humans can't.
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That makes sense. Thanks for the insight!
 
Snakes can’t hear but when your calling the vibrations you might be making with the effort might be enough that they would feel it. Very sensitive to vibrations. Also heat as they’re pit vipers.
 
They are out there. Saw this one when we were walking out with lights after stalking hogs in a field in the dark.

 
My job took me to Southern Arizona for a decade. I worked mostly at night out in the desert. Snakes were a constant issue. Snakes however are not all the same. Those western diamondbacks were pretty laid back. I believe you would have to mess with them or step right on them to get bit. Now those Mojave rattlers, they would just as soon bite you as look at you. As far as the hearing thing goes, I have never seen any evidence either way.
 
Hey, I did find this piece of incriminating evidence.
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Snakes lack external ears. For a long time biologists said they were deaf, but the current consensus is that they are sensitive to ground vibrations and can hear low rumblings. They can't hear nearly what we can but they're not completely deaf either.
 
can't say for sure if the can hear, I have a great dislike for rattlers and copperheads though. Many years ago killed a 4' rattler while spring turkey hunting, speaking of, ain't far away.
 
I like snakes actually, but do kill venomous snakes when encountered on certain properties.
Haven’t seen a rattlesnake or copperhead in years where we hunt/trap. However, we have all the cottonmouths you could ever want.
 
These Mohave rattlers are 10x more poisonous than other rattle snakes. I heard my local hospital no longer carries the anti venom due to costs. Guess I'd be a dead s.o.b
 
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