NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/498175
30 NEBRASKAland • MAY 2015 V omeronasal. The name itself is a mouthful. The vomeronasal system is regarded as the most important survival tool of snakes and other reptiles, which employ the special sense by moving their tongues in and out of their mouths. The casual observer who is creeped out by the tongue should know that the snake is just trying to get a "whiff" of what's around it. It's a much more sensitive approach than that of humans, for instance, who pick up scents by filtering air through the nose. The forked tongues of snakes pick up airborne particles which give clues of any nearby predators, prey, or mates. Once the tongue is retracted, it touches the vomeronasal organ, which consists of two tiny bulb- like structures midway between the eyes and nose that send information to the brain through nerves. How much a given reptile species relies on the system can be determined by how deep the fork of the tongue is. Many mammals, from elephants to mice, also use a vomeronasal organ – alternately known as a Jacobson's organ. Ungulates such as bighorn sheep and elk use this special sense when they curl their upper lip during mating season. Known as the flehman response, when animals engage in this physiological behavior, they are allowing easy passage for pheromones and other scents to make their way to their Jacobson's organ at the roof of the mouth. The action helps them determine the sex and individual identity of other members of their species. Whether or not humans have a functional Jacobson's organ has been a controversial topic, but most evidence says no. Although a small infolding in the nose has been observed and studied by scientists, it looks quite different from the vomeronasal organ of other species and no nerves can be found connecting it to the brain. Regardless of whether or not this nasal infolding gives us humans any degree of a sixth sense, it seems we do an adequate job of using our noses to detect Mom's cooking or the chosen fragrance of the opposite sex. Consequently, it's probably best if you keep your tongue in your mouth and your lip uncurled. ■ The Test of the Tongue How snakes and other animals use a special sense for survival Story and photos by Justin Haag