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Concept

Infrared pit organ

A close-up view of a snake's head illuminated by red light, highlighting its infrared pit organ, a sensory structure used for detecting heat.

A sensory structure found in pit vipers, pythons, and some boas, located between the eye and nostril. It contains a thin membrane suspended in an air-filled chamber, packed with heat-sensitive nerve endings that resolve temperature differences of a few thousandths of a degree. The brain integrates these signals with vision, allowing the snake to strike warm prey in complete darkness.

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