Snakes are often perceived as silent creatures, known for their stealthy movements. While they do not possess vocal cords like many mammals, snakes are capable of producing a variety of sounds. These acoustic displays offer insight into their world and interactions.
Common Snake Sounds
Snakes produce several distinct sounds, with hissing being the most widely recognized. This sibilant noise results from a forced expulsion of air, serving as a clear signal. Rattlesnakes, in particular, are known for their characteristic rattling sound, created by specialized segments at the end of their tails. This dry, buzzing noise is unique to these species.
Beyond these well-known sounds, some snakes employ other acoustic warnings. Certain species, such as the Western Hook-nosed snake and the Sonoran coral snake, can produce a “cloacal popping” sound. This unusual noise involves expelling air from their posterior opening, primarily as a defensive tactic. These diverse sounds demonstrate the varied ways snakes communicate.
How Snakes Produce Sounds
Snake sound production involves the controlled movement of air. Hissing occurs when a snake forcibly expels air from its lungs through the glottis, an opening to the trachea in its throat. The air’s rapid passage through this narrow opening creates the turbulent sound. The snake can modulate the intensity and duration of the hiss by adjusting the force of the air expulsion.
Rattlesnakes generate their distinctive sound by rapidly vibrating the specialized segments, or “buttons,” at the tip of their tail. These segments are interlocking, hollow structures made of keratin, the same material found in human fingernails. When the snake shakes its tail, these keratin segments click against each other, producing the buzzing rattle. Other snakes may create sounds by rubbing their scales together, a process known as stridulation, or through muscular contractions.
The Purpose of Snake Sounds
Snake sounds primarily serve as a defensive mechanism, warning potential threats. A hiss or a rattle communicates to predators, including humans, that the snake feels threatened and may escalate its defense. This behavior aims to deter an approaching animal, encouraging it to retreat before a physical confrontation. The sound acts as an aposematic signal, similar to bright colors in other animals, indicating potential danger without requiring direct engagement.
These acoustic warnings allow snakes to avoid direct conflict, conserving energy and minimizing injury risk. While sounds are predominantly for interspecies communication to ward off threats, some limited intraspecies communication exists. Certain species might use variations in sounds as part of courtship rituals or dominance displays, though this is less common than their defensive applications.
Diversity in Snake Sound Production
The range of sounds produced by snakes extends beyond simple hissing and rattling. For instance, the King Cobra can produce a low-frequency “growling” sound, distinct from a typical hiss, due to specialized tracheal diverticula that act as resonating chambers.
Pine snakes, such as the Bullsnake, are known for their particularly loud and raspy sounds, sometimes described as shrieks, produced by modified structures within their airway. The saw-scaled viper creates a distinct “sizzling” or “rasping” sound by rubbing together specialized serrated scales on its flanks, a form of stridulation.