How Do Pit Vipers Sense Heat?

What Crafty Clover says in this video

Intro

Hi there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. How do pit vipers sense heat?

The Big Idea

Pit vipers sense heat with two small pits on their faces! Each pit sits between an eye and a nostril. The pits sense heat, which is invisible infrared light from warm animals.

Face Pits

Step one: find the pits. Pit vipers, like rattlesnakes, have two small pits on their faces. They sit between each eye and the nostril, so the snake has one on each side.

Feel Infrared

Step two: sense the heat. Warm animals give off infrared light, which people cannot see. A pit can sense it even in complete darkness, and even from a short distance away.

Make a Picture

Step three: build the map. The snake's brain turns the heat signals into a picture of where a warm animal is. Snakes also use smell and taste to find food, so they have lots of tools.

A Closer Look

Let's take a closer look! The pit is a small hole on the face. It feels warmth, even from far away. Warm animals stand out in the dark. The brain builds a heat picture.

Quick Facts

Quick facts! Pit vipers include rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths. Some other snakes, like boas and pythons, have heat pits too. The pits work like a heat camera. If you ever see a snake outside, stay back and tell a grown-up.

Think Like a Scientist

Now, think like a scientist! Ask a friend to close their eyes. Hold your hand near their cheek, without touching, and ask if they feel warmth. How close do you have to be? Snakes can feel heat from farther away.

Outro

Pit vipers use heat pits like a built-in heat camera. Science is amazing! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!