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Sensitive pit organs between eyes and nostrils detect heat differences. The figure is taken from Encyclopædia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

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Pit vipers see thermal infrared radiation in pitch darkness

Sensitive pit organs between eyes and nostrils detect heat differences.

Rattlesnakes and other pit vipers feature specialized loreal pits containing thin membranes lined with temperature-sensitive nerve endings. These pit organs detect thermal radiation differences as tiny as 0.003 degrees Celsius, creating an accurate infrared map of warm-blooded prey.

Trimeresurus fucatus, Banded pit viper — Rushenb , Thai National Parks · CC BY-SA 4.0 · licence · source

Where this comes from

Encyclopædia Britannica

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Tags: viper, reptiles, infrared

Pit vipers see thermal infrared radiation in pitch darkness: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Sensitive pit organs between eyes and nostrils detect heat differences. The figure is taken from Encyclopædia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a animals fact?: Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.