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Why do snakes dart out their tongues2007-11-24 2:04:49Answers:

Snakes can NOT smell with their tongue. They use their tongue to gather aromatic molecules which it brings back into their mouths to deposit those molecules onto the Jacobson's Organ, which IS used to smell. They dart their tongues in and out to get a better sense of what they are smelling and the location of what they are smelling. As a previous person stated, that is why their tongues are forked so they can determine directionality of the object.

Snakes are NOT blind, like a couple people have stated. Some snakes are blind, others have poor vision, and others see very well. Some snakes may not see color, but they can sense movement much better than us with their eyes.

Snakes have an array of highly developed sensory organs. They haven't survived for millions of years with no limbs by luck alone. Their Jacobson's Organ is very sensitive, many snakes have heat pits which allow them to sense thermal differences in their environment, many can see very well or at least sense movement very well, they can "hear" very small vibrations using their jaw and inner ear, and their skin is also extremely sensitive to external stimulus.

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Snakes smell with their tongues.

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they're smelling the air.

the forked tongue help them to sense if the smell if coming from the left or right.

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a snakes toung is like a humans nose : ) they smell with it

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that's how they smell.

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Snakes are blind, most being color blind and a lot just completely blind. Their tongue is not used for tasting, it is used as a feeler to help them know where they are going. Kinda like a blind man that uses a stick to find his way around. they also can pick up scents with their tongue, mostly useful when tracking down their prey.

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they use their tongues for smell

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they cant really see so they use their tongue like a sensor for heat, orientation i guess! there is nothing harmful about it, no venom or such

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It is for sensing where they are.

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It is their way of smelling the air.

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That's how they smell!

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That is how they get a smell for where their surroundings.

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they do it to smell their surroundigs

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Snakes have what is called a Jacobson's Organ that detects microscopic particles from the air and can determine scents that way. When a snake darts out its tongue it coats the moist tongue with air particles that are then transferred to the Jacobson's organ that detects various scents and identifies them as food-friend-foe.etc.