According to this new study, the sound of a rattlesnake can create the illusion of hearing.

Rattlesnakes or rattlesnakes are a type of venomous snake. The most distinctive feature of this snake is the sound produced from the tail which is quite loud. It turns out, according to a new study, the sound produced is capable of creating the illusion of hearing. Citing Live Science, this illusion gives the impression that the snake is closer than it actually is.

Researchers initially thought that the snake made the sound by vibrating the keratinized structures on its tail to warn predators and gradually increased its frequency. However, researchers also found that this snake has another trick, namely spikes in the frequency of the rattlesnake's sound to deceive its listeners.

Boris Chagnaud, a professor of neurobiology at Karl-Franzens-University Graz, Austria, said that based on the data obtained, the interpreted rattlesnake sound was actually a more complex interspecies communication signal. Chagnaud got his first hint of this when he approached one of the rattlesnakes in the laboratory.

He noticed the frequency emitted increased before the moment he got closer. However, as Chagnaud moved away, the frequency decreased. To find out the cause of this phenomenon, he and his colleagues recorded the frequency of the rattling sound. The trick is to bring some objects closer to the rattlesnake, such as on vinyl records and human torso manikins.

Not only that, the researchers also conducted other experiments using VR technology that showed snakes and their habitats. The simulation involved 11 volunteers who were instructed by the researchers to signal when they heard a snake creaking up close. The virtual snake actually increased its rattle to 70Hz while the volunteer was still 4m away. This simulation proves that rattlesnakes can outwit the senses of volunteers.

“Snakes don't just screech to let them know where they are. But the rattle is an innovative solution like a device in a car that tells you the safe limit when going backwards," said Boris Chagnaud in a release posted on the EurekAlert!