The ribs on the neck of the cobra can bulge outwards for demonstrations. The length of the cobra is generally 1.2 to 2.5 meters. Cobras are highly venomous. If a person is bitten without any treatment for 30 minutes to 30 hours, they will die due to paralysis of the respiratory center and heart failure. In India alone, 50,000 people are killed by cobras every year.
Snakes are also the incarnations of gods in India. Many people advocate snake culture, so there are many snake charmers on the streets of India. Of course, the cobras used for performances usually have their fangs and venom glands removed, which is basically not dangerous. We can often see scenes like this from movies or TV shows: the snake charmer performs on the street, the cobra is installed in a rattan cage, the snake charmer takes out the gourd-shaped snake flute, opens the lid of the cage, and starts the performance Playing the flute, the snake heard the music gradually poking its head out of the cage, spitting out a long core. The scary-looking snake actually began to circle around and dance with the rhythm of the music. Why do these extremely poisonous cobras dance to music? Can they also understand music? Science allows us to discover the truth.
The truth is that snakes don’t understand music at all. Because snakes do not have outer ears, middle ears, tympanic membranes, ear holes, and eustachian tubes, they can hardly receive the sound transmitted in the air, let alone understand the rhythm.
Cobra not only has poor hearing, but also has poor eyesight. All snakes have poor eyesight and can only see a very small area in front of their eyes. So what drives the snake to make many dance-like movements? The secret lies in the snake charmer.
Generally, snake charmers use their feet to beat the rhythm when they play the flute, or tap the rattan basket with a wooden stick. Snakes use their jaws on the ground to sense the vibrations around them, and the irritated snake will sway out to look for targets that threaten itself. As for why snakes dance, the reason is actually very simple. Everyone knows that snakes have underdeveloped bones and it is difficult to maintain an upright posture. To maintain balance, they sway left and right. In this way, from the perspective of bystanders, the snake is dancing.
The vision of a cobra is limited. The snake charmer’s snake flute is an important object in its eyes, so it will move in different directions with the direction of the snake flute. The rhythm of the snake we see is actually blown out by the snake charmer himself, allowing the music to match the changes in the snake’s body.
