How do lizards and snakes smell?

Lizards and snakes smell by licking the air with their tongues. The tongue picks up scents in the form of airborne molecules that the animal then draws back into its mouth. The forked tips of the tongue are inserted into two openings of a special organ, called Jacobson’s organ, which identifies the molecules and passes it on to the brain. Thanks to this unique organ, both lizards and snakes have a sharp sense of smell, which they use to track prey and find potential mates.