assumed that the organ evolved specifically for prey capture. However, recent evidence shows that the pit organ may also be used for thermoregulation. In an experiment that tested snakes' abilities to locate a cool thermal refuge in an uncomfortably hot maze, all pit vipers were able to locate the refuge quickly and easily, while true vipers were unable to do so. This suggests that the pitvipers were using their pit organs to aid in thermoregulatory decisions. It is also possible that the organ may even have evolved as a defensive adaptation rather than a predatory one, or that multiple pressures may have contributed to the organ's development. The use of the heat pit to direct thermoregulation or other behaviors in pythons and boas has not yet been determined. See also Crotalinae Infrared sensing in vampire bats Neuroethology Thermoception References External links Physorg article on Infrared vision in snakes Infrared vision in snakes summary article (archived 7/15/2013) Electromagnetic radiation Ethology Heat transfer Perception Snake anatomy Snakes