# So snakes can hear? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 31, 2021, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-snakes-can-hear/939114 "2021-03-31T20:36:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-snakes-can-hear/939114/1 "2021-03-31T20:36:18Z")
I have already read that snakes can’t hear air borne sound. This article while not in a scientific journal claims some snakes can hear air borne sounds. What’s the scientific consensus? > **[Can Your Pet Snake Hear You?](https://www.thesprucepets.com/are-snakes-bothered-by-loud-noises-1239469)** > > Despite not having any external ears, snakes can actually hear quite a range of low sounds. Find out if your snake can hear you talking or not! ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-snakes-can-hear/939114/2 "2021-03-31T22:00:58Z")
Snakes got ears, clam’s got legs. > **[How snakes hear without ears](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/how-snakes-hear-without-ears/2011/12/29/gIQAuseoWP_story.html)** > > A study shows that sound waves cause vibrations in a snake’s skull that are “heard” by the inner ear. But it appears snakes hear only a very narrow, very low frequency range. ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-snakes-can-hear/939114/3 "2021-04-01T01:27:52Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Snakes got ears, clam’s got legs. And scientists didn’t know this 20 years back ? Something sounds fishy here. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-snakes-can-hear/939114/4 "2021-04-01T01:44:55Z")
> [@am77494](#): > > And scientists didn’t know this 20 years back ? Something sounds fishy here. (Shrug emoji) People don’t know something until they look into it. You don’t think the study is some sort of scam, do you? 1.) Publish study claiming snakes can hear. 2.) ??? 3.) Profit! What plausible step 2 is there? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-snakes-can-hear/939114/5 "2021-04-01T03:44:09Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > But it appears snakes hear only a very narrow, very low frequency range. So when you’re confronted with a pissed-off Gaboon viper, you should emit low growls instead of high-pitched screams? ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-snakes-can-hear/939114/6 "2021-04-01T03:50:38Z")
Deep-voiced _ **manly** _ screams! ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-snakes-can-hear/939114/7 "2021-04-01T04:29:41Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > clam’s got legs. And the peasants are revolting! ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-snakes-can-hear/939114/8 "2021-04-01T06:30:04Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > > > clam’s got legs. > > And the peasants are revolting!. Serfs are up! ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-snakes-can-hear/939114/9 "2021-04-01T10:30:50Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > And the peasants are revolting! You can say that again! (Stolen from a Wizard of Id cartoon.) ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2021, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-snakes-can-hear/939114/10 "2021-04-02T13:37:50Z")
Like Reb Brown? [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/87pAm4c6RlY/hqdefault.jpg "Reb Brown: A Career in Montage") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87pAm4c6RlY) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-snakes-can-hear/939114/11 "2021-05-17T17:47:19Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > But it appears snakes hear only a very narrow, very low frequency range. So I stopped playing Minnie Riperton songs to drive away snakes and substituted Motorhead with Lemmy on vocals, but the damn legless reptiles just kept on writhing and grooving.