10 7 / 2011

Snakes + infrared = neat-o matthen: Several species of snakes, including this green pit viper, have evolved the ability to sense infrared. See the two pits between its eyes, these are holes with infrared sensitive membranes at the back. They are similar to how our evolutionary ancestors’ optical wavelength eyes would have been millions of years ago; the pit allows for a sense of direction but the image is not crisp. This allows them to sense the warmth of both predators and prey, because hot objects emit radiation. Imagine a piece of metal which is piping hot- it glows. The peak of its radiation is in the visible spectrum, but at colder temperatures the peak is in the infrared. This is a pretty cool sense to have! [more on snakes] [more on thermal radiation] 

Snakes + infrared = neat-o

matthen:

Several species of snakes, including this green pit viper, have evolved the ability to sense infrared. See the two pits between its eyes, these are holes with infrared sensitive membranes at the back. They are similar to how our evolutionary ancestors’ optical wavelength eyes would have been millions of years ago; the pit allows for a sense of direction but the image is not crisp. This allows them to sense the warmth of both predators and prey, because hot objects emit radiation. Imagine a piece of metal which is piping hot- it glows. The peak of its radiation is in the visible spectrum, but at colder temperatures the peak is in the infrared. This is a pretty cool sense to have! [more on snakes] [more on thermal radiation] 

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