What specific radiation are the yellow anaconda's heat-sensing pits highly sensitive to?
Answer
Infrared radiation
The sensory apparatus of the yellow anaconda includes specialized structures called heat-sensing pits located around its jaws, which are crucial for its nocturnal and murky water hunting success. These pits manifest as small depressions in the scales containing specialized nerve endings. These nerve endings are highly sensitive to infrared radiation, which is the form of energy associated with body heat emitted by warm-blooded prey animals. This thermal sense allows the snake to accurately pinpoint the location of a warm target even when visual cues are unavailable due to darkness or turbid water conditions.
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