PIT vipers and boid snakes strike at prey with uncanny accuracy even when blindfolded, a feat that’s been hard to explain given the rudimentary nature of their heat-sensing organs. It seems that some rather spectacular image processing may be the key.
To scout for cool shelters, and hunt in complete darkness, pit vipers and boid snakes are known to use infrared sensing organs. But their skill has amazed scientists. “In the lab, blindfolded snakes can strike a running rat behind the ears to avoid its sharp teeth,” says physicist Leo van Hemmen of the Technical University of Munich in Germany.…
