A pit viper 'sees' heat through two holes that have nothing to do with its eyes

Between each eye and nostril, pit vipers carry a membrane wired with TRPA1, the most heat-sensitive channel found in any animal. It turns body heat radiating off prey into a nerve signal precise enough to strike accurately in total darkness.

— Elena O. Gracheva et al., Molecular basis of infrared detection by snakes — Nature, 2010

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