Thanks to one of the strongest noses on the planet.
But even the strongest nose on Earth...can't smell certain things that this snake can smell...because the snake's super smell uses two different high-powered organs together!
This snake has nostrils on top of its head...plus an extra feature called the Jacobson's organ.
This organ is a sensor...and it allows snakes to detect chemicals in its surroundings that could lead it to prey.
Enhanced smell for the hunt.
When this snake...and this snake...and this snake...snap their tongues...they are collecting chemical information about their environment that can't be detected through an ordinary nose.
Pheromones, for example, are chemicals that allow animals to send signals to one another.
A bee will release pheromones to attract other bees.
This mouse's pheromones will influence the behavior of other mice.
And with the help of the Jacobsen's organ, this python can sense their pheromones.
First, the snake's tongue flips in the air.
When it retracts its tongue, the snake inserts the forked tip, inside its head, into the Jacobson's organ...which allows the snake to detect the mouse pheromones...providing extra information to use to track its prey.
Nose...tongue...and Jacobson's organ work together.
And in an instant...the hunter prevails...thanks to a tongue that can "smell."
