Researchers who glued minuscule plastic balls onto the faces of live rattlesnakes say the project has revealed the first experimental evidence of an overlooked role for the viper’s heat-sensing organs. The newly tested function: finding places for the desert snake to hide from the scorching sun.
HEAT SENSOR. A western diamondback rattlesnake lost its skill at spotting cool refuges when researchers blocked its heat-sensing pits with tiny balls and aluminum foil (below).
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