Snakes differ from other animals; for example, they don’t have limbs or outer ears. Since they don’t possess external ears, you would think they can’t hear anything. So, can snakes hear?
Snakes can hear, but not in the way humans and other animals can. Although they lost functional outer and middle ears through evolution, they still have inner ear structures which connect to their jawbone. The jawbone relays sound-induced head vibrations via the inner ear to the brain.
This article will discuss how snakes hear in more detail. Keep reading to learn all the answers!
Can Snakes Hear You Talking to Them?
Snakes can hear you talking to them if you’re close enough. The deeper your voice, the more likely the snake will listen to it. That’s because deeper voices create more vibrations, and snakes can hear these vibrations through the ground.
However, snakes are much less likely to hear you if you talk from far away or with a high-pitched voice. So since they hear through their skull, they can sometimes hear human speech.
Are Snakes Scared of Loud Noises?
Snakes are generally not scared of loud noises because they can’t hear them as we do. As long as there isn’t a lot of bass in the loud noise, a snake won’t notice it and should remain unbothered. A noise that we find loud, like a car horn, is likely unnoticeable to a snake.
So, if you try to use loud noises or screaming to scare away a wild snake, it probably won’t have much effect.
Are Snakes Bothered by Loud Music?
Snakes are usually not bothered by loud music because they can’t hear it. They can only feel vibrations, so the snake will not react—as long as the music doesn’t vibrate the room too much. However, if you choose a track with heavy bass lines, expect the snake to become bothered.
Some examples of bass instruments (which snakes are more likely to hear) include:
- Bass guitars
- Tubas
- Bass saxophone
So if the music includes the instruments above, a snake is likelier to hear and be bothered, confused, and scared by it.
How Far Can Snakes Hear?
Snakes can’t hear very far, especially when compared to humans and other animals. For example, most snakes can hear between 50 and 1,000 Hz, while humans can hear noises from 20 to 20,000 Hz. So, their range is relatively low.
Because of their low hearing range, snakes are unlikely to hear noises that are far away.
Can Snakes Hear You Talk?
Snakes can hear you talk in certain circumstances. If your voice vibrates enough to feel it in their jaw, they’ll hear you speak. But they won’t understand where the sound comes from because they’re not smart enough to know.
Unfortunately, they won’t know what you’re saying or be able to communicate back. Snakes are less likely to hear children because they speak at higher frequencies. They’re most likely to hear human adult men because their voices tend to be the deepest.
Can Snakes Hear Human Voices?
Snakes can sometimes hear human voices but not the way we hear them. For example—they hear human voices and sounds as vibrations. If you are far away or are speaking at a high frequency, the snake likely won’t hear you. It’s more likely to hear humans speaking at low frequencies.
Can Snakes Hear Music?
Snakes can’t hear music the same way humans and other animals do. They’re more likely to hear music with lower frequencies. For example, lots of bass instruments and a deep and gravelly singing voice will attract a snake’s attention.
Snakes are less likely to hear sounds from violins because they emit higher-frequency sounds. Violins rarely make the ground vibrate when you think about it, so it’s understandable why snakes can’t hear or sense them. Another example of a high-frequency instrument is the flute–snakes are unlikely to hear this sound.
Can Snakes Hear Sound?
Snakes can technically hear sounds, but their hearing is much weaker than human hearing. They can hear and feel sounds with low enough frequencies because such noises create vibrations through the ground. Snakes can feel these through their jaws.
Snakes may be confused when they hear sounds like these, especially if the noises are out of the ordinary.
Can Snakes Hear Whistles?
Snakes can hear some whistles, but they are less likely to hear them due to how high-pitched they are. Whistles don’t tend to vibrate the ground as much as deeper sounds, so don’t always expect a whistle to catch a snake’s attention or scare it away.
According to a study by the National Library of Medicine, whistling can generate frequencies between 2 and 4 kHz (20,000 and 40,000 Hz), which is higher than what a snake can hear. As mentioned earlier, a snake can only hear between 50 and 1,000 Hz!
Are Snakes Deaf?
Snakes are not entirely deaf. Although many people classify them as deaf, they have inner ears that can pick up sound vibrations. Their inner ears connect to the jawbone—which relays vibrations to the brain. So, snakes can hear sounds as long as enough motion flows through the ground.
As I already mentioned, snakes can hear deep sounds and instruments like bass guitars and deep voices. If you increase the base levels on a speaker while a snake is in the room, it will hear it.
They can also hear certain predators coming toward them, especially as they get closer because the ground will quiver.
Can Ball Pythons Hear?
Ball pythons can hear. They are most likely to hear sounds between 80 and 160 Hz, but the full range of most snakes is between 50 and 1000 Hz, so they may perceive some noises within this range.
Noises below 1000 Hz are what we would classify as deep or low noises. So since a ball python is most likely to hear noises between 80 and 160 Hz, you can imagine how deep these sounds are!
Conclusion
Although snakes can hear, their ears don’t work the same as ours. For example, they don’t have outer ears as we do. However, inner ears connect to their jaw and brain, allowing them to hear and feel low-frequency sounds.
Most snakes can hear noises between 50 and 1,000 Hz, while humans can hear sounds between 20 and 20,000 Hz.