Alex answered, "Colour vision can be found in at least some snakes. Snakes, being ground crawlers, would have a limited view of their surroundings due to their height, thus having the ability to see great distances would be useless."

"The sense of smell and the sense of taste have combined to form one of the most powerful chemosensory devices in the animal kingdom."
Alex also states, "Touch is another one of the most highly developed of all the serpent senses. As one can imagine touch would play a vital role in the life of a creature that lives on it's belly, so it is no surprise to hear that snake bodies are flooded with tactile receptors that allow them to feel the slightest change in their environment."

"Along with the five main senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch) some snakes have another sixth sense. The ability to sense the heat of other creatures."

"Snake's vision is unremarkable. Generally vision is best in arboreal snakes and worst in burrowing snakes. Snakes can detect movement. Snakes use smell to track their prey. It smells by using its forked tongue to collect airborne particles then passing them to the Jacobson's organ or the Vomeronasal organ in the mouth for examination. The fork in the tongue gives the snake a sort of directional sense of smell and taste simultaneously.
Pit vipers, pythons, and some boas have infrared-sensitive receptors in deep grooves between the nostril and eye, although some have labial pits on their upper lip just below the nostrils(common in pythons) which allow them to "see" the radiated heat Infrared sensitivity helps snakes locate nearby prey, especially warm-blooded mammals."

Emma's hand shot in the air, as she tried to recall all information on the subject of snake senses that she could. "Snakes don't smell using a nose, but with their tongue. The forked tongue actually helps to give the snake direction, and it is constantly in motion. Snakes also have limited eyesight, and it is worse in burrowing snakes.

"One point for pointing one sense. Indeed, they use their tongue to detect chemical scents. They either flick their tongue in the air or hit the ground with it".



"Two points! Snakes do have the five senses to Smell, See, Hear, Touch, and Taste. Unlike other creatures, snakes rely primarily on their senses of smell and touch" Fabian grinned proudly!





"One point! Lyra there listed all five senses. But you did list the sixth sense that not all snakes have, but only the 'pit vipers' do; they have the special pits located between their eyes and nostrils to detect heat change".




Fabian blinked at Marco, as he spoke for a while, non stop. " Thats part of their senses Marco, detecting when a prey's heartbeat or breathing stops is picked up by their sense of hearing, Touch, and smell. Different species of snakes have those sharpened beyond the norm than others".


"How about we start going into the details of their senses and how they use it in hunting? Lets start with Hearing.. anyone want to take a guess or answer on how the hearing sense functions in a snake?"





Edit:

ooc: Class shall resume again later on today/morning to give people on other timezones a chance to post. Please feel free to be creative with your answer, but no chatting please!

Ems raised her hand, "Snakes hear through vibrations. When a vibration reaches the snake it is picked up by the bones and muscles in the snakes lower jaw. These vibrations are focused to a bone that is connected to the inner ear of the snake."

Kerry had been quiet taking notes all this time, but finally caught up she raised her hand, "Snakes do not have an external ear, middle ear, or eardrum. Instead, they use their ear bone, to detect vibrations of sound waves conducted through the ground. They are able to pick up some sound waves conducted through the air, but only at very low frequencies."

Emma's hand was in the air once more. "I'm not exactly sure how hearing functions on the snake, but I do know that they can sense other animals and predators through vibrations in the ground. The part of their bodies that lies on the ground picks up the vibration and that is how they can sense movement around them, instead of listening for movement as other predators do." she explained. She wasn't exactly sure if that was what the professor was looking for, but she gave it a shot.

Josh raised his hand again,' Sounds travel into the snake's body through muscle to bones in the jaws. These bones are next to the inside ear parts."

Alexis rasied her hand in the air "The part of the body which is in direct contact with the surface of the ground is very sensitive to vibration, thus a snake is able to sense other animals approaching through detecting faint vibrations in the air and on the ground?"

Cassandra's hand shot up. "A snake lacks external ears but they have equivalent structures on each side of its head. The skin and muscle tissue on each side of the head cover a loosely suspended bone, called the quadrate, which undergoes small displacements in response to airborne sound."

Agie wasn't doing so well. She really hated snakes, but she continued to raise her hand "Snakes lack external ears, so sounds travel into the snake's body through muscle to bones in the jaws. These bones are next to the inside ear parts. It is one of the most acute senses in snakes. Ground vibrations are transmitted through the snakes body to jaw where it later goes the middle ear bone and then to the inner ear."

Alex sighed, the teacher had taken no notice of him, but then again most of it was out of a book he borrowed from the library. He diecided to stop cheating and actually earn some points for Slytherin but asking, "Do Snakes do have ears, inner ears that allow them to hear low frequency vibrations?"

Cassandra then placed her hand down and continued her thought. "The quadrate motion is transferred by intermediate structures to the cochlea, which produces electrical signals on its hair cells that correlate with the airborne sounds, within a range of intensity and frequency determined by the ear system, and are transferred to the brain. The same way a lizard does." She then looked at her professor, "But this wasn't discovered till 35 years ago, before then, no one believed snakes could hear."

"Snakes can hear by having equivalent structures on each side of its head. The skin and muscle tissue on each side of the head cover a loosely suspended bone, called the quadrate, which undergoes small displacements in response to airborne sound. The quadrate motion is transferred by intermediate structures to the cochlea, which produces electrical signals on its hair cells that correlate with the airborne sounds (within a range of intensity and frequency determined by the ear system) and are transferred to the brain." Dia answered quickly.

"Snakes don't have ear parts on the outside of their heads. But they do have ear parts inside. Sounds travel into the snake's body through muscle to bones in the jaws. These bones are next to the inside ear parts. "

Shel raised his hand.

"When anything moves across the ground, vibrations are created. Most animals don’t hear or take notice of them but snakes, they're different. They don't have outer ears but, when sound waves reach snakes, they're picked up by the bones and muscles in the snake's lower jaw. These vibrations are focused to a bone that is connected to the inner ear of the snake. The brain processes the sounds, and that's how they hear."

Lyra giggled at Christian. "I'm afraid of that big bad snake," she whispered, leaning a little towards him. "Glad to know that someone will save me."

Lyra glowed from earning her fellow Hufflepuffs 2 points for answering correctly. She was not too keen on them studying snakes at the moment but was taught well about different animals by her uncle. She smiled back at him, wrinkling her nose and shrugging her shoulders.

She then realized that someone was sitting next to her, opposite of Christian. Her eyes glanced over to notice her hero, Zero. She pressed her lips in excitement to keep from making a noise, then took hold of his arm, locking hers underneath. She had to show some kind of excitement if she couldn't talk.

Sana raised her hand and spoke, "They have inner ears but no trace of an outside ear or eardrum, A sleeping snake will pay no attention to shouts or banging on a tin pan, but rouses immediately when a man or other animal walks near. Apparently snakes hear by feeling the vibrations of the earth, just as a person can hear a distant train by putting his ear to the track".

Zero acknowledged his arm being held by Lyra, noticing her excitement on her face when he turned towards her. He squeezed her hand with his cold hand, he hoped she was alarmed by the chill. He always thought of that when he felt her. "It's good to be here with you," he said while smiling, but keeping his eyes up on Fabian. He didn't want to get sent to detention for talking in class. Well, and to his niece. Hmm, what to say about snakes. He hardly knew anything about them.

Lyra felt Zero's hand touch her's and her body shivered from the coolness. Her eyes gazed towards his for a moment, wondering if he was cold natured or running a feever. She would talk to him after class and maybe persuade him towards the nurse if he felt bad.

To keep them from getting into trouble, Lyra raised her hand and answered the question Fabian asked, even though others answered as well. "Snakes lack an external ear opening because their ear bone is attached to their jaw bone," she remembered reading in an old book. It seemed that only useless information was contained in her brain sometimes. "Thus is why they can only hear very low sounds."

Josh smiled as he nodded at Amelia." of course." He was late in saying it, but hopefully it was acceptable. He looked around as it seemed that it would be alright to have a small break and finish chatting.

Josh chuckled." Yes i will protect you. Any venomous snakes beware." he said playfully.



"Pleasure to meet you." he said to the girl . He smirked as he then said." Yeah they may be willing, but they will loose. Can you guys bare to lose yet once again?" he asked with a smirk.

Cassandra glared at Josh... "Shhhhhhh" she said.

"Aw..you're so kind, Josh..." she complimented lavishly but looking around and winked, "Seems you're busy with all your fangals.." laughed.
"but again I want to do some adventour with snakes, are u ready?" she nudged again.

Josh looked to see cassandra telling him to shut it. He sighed as she was probably right. If he kept talking he would lose His very small one point that he had earned. One.. point.



Josh chuckled at her comment as he then pointed at cassandra as she had just shushed josh. He had to keep quite because of the house points. He did manage to nod at her question. He moved to place his finger over his mouth as he then shushed her. he smiled at her as he turned back to class.

Sana responded to his shushhhhhh..
"kay, we'll talk later.." she chuckled slightly.