Flickering tongue

Adder close up

When a snake's tongue is flicked out into the air, sensors on the tongue pick up chemical particles, which are perceived as scent. When the tongue is retracted into its sheath, the tips of the tongue fit neatly into an organ called the Jacobson's organ, (named for the man who discovered the organ : Ludwig Lewin Jacobson ) sending the chemical information that has been gathered through the organ and to the brain, where the information is quickly processed and analyzed so that the snake can act promptly on it. The snake's tongue is split so that it knows which direction to move based on the preponderance of chemical particles on one side of its forked tongue in relation to a lesser degree of particles on the other side of the tongue. This can be advantageous when catching prey or avoiding predators.

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