Snake's Eyesight Improves When Threatened

A snake's vision is not very acute, so they mostly use their tongue to sense their surroundings and help them navigate. According to a new study from the University of Waterloo in Canada when the non-venomous coachwhip species of snake feels threatened, less blood flows to their eyes so they can see better and control their vision.

A snake's vision is not very acute, so they mostly use their tongue to sense their surroundings and help them navigate.

According to a new study from the University of Waterloo in Canada, when the non venomous coachwhip species of snake feels threatened, less blood flows to their eyes so they can see better and control their vision.

If they need to get away from a predator or defend themselves, it is advantageous to have better eyesight to see what is happening around them, and react so that they can survive.

All snakes and lots of other reptiles don't have an eyelid; instead they have a see through layer of scale that scientists refer to as a spectacle, which protects their eyes.

Kevin van Doorn, one of the researchers from the University of Waterloo said: "This work shows that the blood flow pattern in the snake spectacle is not static but rather dynamic."

More research needs to be done to see if controlling blood flow to their eyes or spectacles is a trait shared with other species of snakes.

What do you think about the coachwhip snake's ability to improve their eyesight when they feel threatened?