Snakes' hearing ability

Researchers have dispelled the myth that snakes are deaf to airborne sound and can ‘hear’ only ground vibrations. Snakes were placed in a soundproofed room, and sounds with different frequencies were played on speakers. Death adders (Acanthophis), taipans (Oxyuranus) and brown snakes (Pseudonaja) tended to back away from the source of the sound. Woma pythons (Aspidites), however, often approached the speakers — possibly because they’re large nocturnal snakes with few predators, unlike the others. The experiment suggests that snakes can indeed hear sounds in the frequency range and volume of a human voice.