Which organ helps snakes detect chemical particles collected by their tongues?

Jacobson’s organ helps snakes detect chemical particles collected by their tongues.

Its scientific name is the vomeronasal organ, and it sits in the roof of the mouth. When a snake flicks its forked tongue, the tongue tips gather chemical traces from the air, ground, or nearby objects. The tongue then transfers those particles to openings connected with the organ.

This system gives snakes detailed chemical information about prey, predators, mates, and trails. The forked shape helps a snake compare signals arriving from the two sides, which can provide directional information. Tongue flicking is therefore a form of environmental sampling, not a sign that the snake is tasting the air in the same way humans taste food.

Snakes also have ordinary senses such as vision and smell. Some species possess heat-sensitive pit organs as well, but those are separate structures. Jacobson’s organ is not unique to snakes; related vomeronasal organs occur in several other vertebrates, although their roles vary among species.