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RE: Something I thought may be an interesting topi
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by AquaHerp on June 25, 2010
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The pits don't fill with water, or become covered. The same as your ears don't take on water in the shower.
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RE: Something I thought may be an interesting topi
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by theemojohnm on June 25, 2010
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Exactly.. Which is why I think to be really effected, that would have be be an extremely soked snake!
Im sure being sprayed, throws off some of their heat-seeking accuracy, but I would bet most crotes could still land an accurate bite..
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RE: Something I thought may be an interesting topi
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by hapkidocrochunter on June 26, 2010
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your ears don't fill in the shower, but they can fill when your whole head is submerged...at least mine do if im underwater.
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RE: Something I thought may be an interesting topi
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by Cro on June 26, 2010
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Very good point Matt.
Many swimmers keep a small bottle of rubbing alcohol and a dropper handy so that a couple of drops can help them drain the water that collects in the ears when they swim.
Hearing is greatly diminished when the ears are full of water.
I can see some situations where the loreal pits of an largely aquatic snake light a cottonmouth just might have the pits take on water.
Of course, looking at the flip side, the common water snakes manage to find food items in murky water, and do not have the help of heat sensitive pits. So, one does have to question just how much those pits on cottonmouths might be used when hunting in water ?
Best Regards
John Z
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RE: Something I thought may be an interesting topi
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by kacz on June 26, 2010
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While I have no problem with any of the empirical evidence presented so far, let’s not forget what we’re working with here. If a cold shower lessens the willingness of a pit viper to dance with you then by all means use it when you have to get up close and personal. Just remember what the pits really do – they detect light!
We see things in colors from red to violet. These colors that we perceive are due to the wavelength of the light; from the shorter waves of violet to the longer waves of red. These are the wavelengths to which the nerves in our eyes are sensitive. The nerves at the base of a viper’s pit are sensitive to light whose wavelength is longer than red’s, that is infra-red. Although we can’t see it, the nerves at the bottom of the viper’s pit does react to certain wavelengths in the infrared range.
So the viper’s pit actually sees the light. Now here’s the strange part. Warm objects emit light of wavelengths in the infrared range. It doesn’t matter if it’s a fresh cow pie or the sun, hot objects “glow” in the infrared range. Now here’s the real question: Does clear water reflect or absorb infrared light? Doing either, reflecting or absorbing the light, will interfere with the infrared radiation reaching the sensitive nerves at the base of the pit. The answer? I don’t know! We know that clear water usually transmits visible light (red through violet), but in a fog or mist can reflect and bend much of it too (gray clouds and rainbows). Also, regular glass transmits visible light (or it wouldn’t be very useful!), but absorbs light with wavelengths just shorter than violet. That’s why you can’t get a tan behind your picture window or in a car. The ultraviolet rays are absorbed by the clear glass and don’t get to your skin.
So if somebody can find out how water affects the transmission of infrared radiation most of your question is answered. Now you have to figure out if the water can act as a lens to this light and screw-up the pit’s resolution or aim.
Kacz
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RE: Something I thought may be an interesting topi
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by theemojohnm on June 26, 2010
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Good points, Paul.. I am wondering much the same thing. Again, I think there are a lot of variables..
Very interesting topic..
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RE: Something I thought may be an interesting topi
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by Cro on June 27, 2010
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Very good points, that could lead to some very interesting experiments, if one had access to the right kind of lab, and the sensitive measuring equipment that would be needed to test some of the questions.
Best Regards
John Z
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RE: Something I thought may be an interesting topi
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by CanadianSnakeMan on July 2, 2010
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Why not try filling a small container with water and placing a heat source behind it, then looking at it with an infra red scope or camera?
But first, you'd want to test the empty container by its self to make sure that the container on its own wouldn't block out the IR.
If I get the chance, I'll try to dig up an IR scope at work and test this theory out... the key is finding out where they keep them though!
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RE: Something I thought may be an interesting topi
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by Time on July 2, 2010
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On the other hand, rain in the desert quite often turns into flash flooding...Hmmmm
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