Young Bruce A
Department of Biology, Lafayette College Easton, Pennsylvania 18042, USA.
Q Rev Biol. 2003 Sep;78(3):303-25. doi: 10.1086/377052.
Snakes are frequently described in both popular and technical literature as either deaf or able to perceive only groundborne vibrations. Physiological studies have shown that snakes are actually most sensitive to airborne vibrations. Snakes are able to detect both airborne and groundborne vibrations using their body surface (termed somatic hearing) as well as from their inner ears. The central auditory pathways for these two modes of "hearing" remain unknown. Recent experimental evidence has shown that snakes can respond behaviorally to both airborne and groundborne vibrations. The ability of snakes to contextualize the sounds and respond with consistent predatory or defensive behaviors suggests that auditory stimuli may play a larger role in the behavioral ecology of snakes than was previously realized. Snakes produce sounds in a variety of ways, and there appear to be multiple acoustic Batesian mimicry complexes among snakes. Analyses of the proclivity for sound production and the acoustics of the sounds produced within a habitat or phylogeny specific context may provide insights into the behavioral ecology of snakes. The relatively low information content in the sounds produced by snakes suggests that these sounds are not suitable for intraspecific communication. Nevertheless, given the diversity of habitats in which snakes are found, and their dual auditory pathways, some form of intraspecific acoustic communication may exist in some species.
在大众文学和专业文献中，蛇常常被描述为要么耳聋，要么只能感知地面传播的振动。生理学研究表明，蛇实际上对空气传播的振动最为敏感。蛇能够利用其体表（称为体觉听觉）以及内耳来检测空气传播和地面传播的振动。这两种“听觉”模式的中枢听觉通路仍然未知。最近的实验证据表明，蛇能够对空气传播和地面传播的振动做出行为反应。蛇能够将声音情境化并以一致的捕食或防御行为做出反应，这表明听觉刺激在蛇的行为生态学中可能比以前认识到的发挥更大的作用。蛇通过多种方式发出声音，而且蛇之间似乎存在多种声学贝氏拟态复合体。分析在特定栖息地或系统发育背景下声音产生的倾向以及所产生声音的声学特征，可能会为蛇的行为生态学提供见解。蛇发出的声音中相对较低的信息含量表明，这些声音不适合种内交流。然而，鉴于发现蛇的栖息地的多样性以及它们的双重听觉通路，某些物种中可能存在某种形式的种内声学交流。
