Summary
A snake's flicking forked tongue isn't for tasting or stinging — it's for smelling in stereo. Deep Look reveals how the snake collects scent from the air and figures out which direction it came from.
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All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Talk about it
A snake 'smells' by flicking its forked tongue to catch scent particles, then pressing them to a sensor in the roof of its mouth. The two tips help it tell which way a smell is coming from.
- What is a snake really doing when it flicks its tongue?
- Why might a forked, two-tipped tongue help a snake find the direction of a smell?
- How does this sense help a snake find food or avoid danger?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: forked, scent, sense, information.
Try it: Have a partner hide something with a smell. Move your head side to side to find it. Write how two 'sensors' help locate a scent.