How Do Snakes Hear Without External Ears? The Answer Is More Fascinating Than You Think

Secret Body Structure: A complete hearing system inside

If you look closely at a snake’s head, you won’t find any ear holes. In most animals, sound waves hit the eardrum, which sends signals to the inner ear. Snakes lost their external and middle ears over time. But, deep inside their skull, they have a fully developed inner ear. They use a special little bone called the columella, which works like the stapes bone in humans, to get sound vibrations to this inner ear.