Ask Mr. Science: Why do snakes have forked tongues?
Dear Mr. Science, Why do snakes have forked tongues? I love Percy! Lily, age 9 Hi Lily, Great question! All snakes use their tongues to smell and to track prey or food. The “fork” in their tongue allows them to sense where their prey is. For example if the right side of their tongue is picking up a scent of mouse and then other side is picking up a weaker scent, the snake will move to the right to find its prey. The snake keeps its tongue constantly in motion to determine the presence of prey or predators in its surroundings. The image below is Percy! Percy is a California Kingsnake and was born in 2006. He is currently two and a half feet long but could grow to be as long as four feet during his stay with us. Keep those questions coming! GET OUT and GET DIRTY Chris Do you or your child have a science or reptile related question for Mr. Science? If so, please email me. If we select your question, we will mail you a special gift from Tree Frog Treks but please be sure to include your na
