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7. Thermoreceptors

Midway between the eyes and nostrils of the copperhead are thermoreceptors called pits. These sensors pick up heat signatures of warm-blooded prey and have a range of up to three feet. Nerve fibers within the pit, called trigeminal ganglia, to form a profile of the hunted animal. The pit helps snakes detect heat instead of relying on light to identify their prey. This enables them to detect prey day or night.

What are Copperhead Snakes? Mark Kostich / Getty Images

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