Is it true that snakes cannot hear?

I've been told that they cannot -- but that they do feel vibrations and they rely on this plus their sense of smell.

True? I do not know.

However, the memory of an incident in my teens tends to make me doubt it.

Our mailbox was out on the highway, almost a quarter-mile from the house.

Someone had to go out to the box for the mail each day.

On this particular warm summer day, I was poking along the dusty road on my way to the mailbox, my guitar slung over my shoulder. I was trying to work out some chords I'd been having trouble with.

Out there, away from the house and out of hearing, I would not be irritating anyone with my practice.

About halfway to the highway I found that a large bull snake, who'd been crossing the road just ahead of me, had stopped midway and was lying perfectly still, watching me.

Why did he stop? I wondered. Then I remembered having seen a snake charmer -- in a movie -- and the cobra had come up out of his basket when the man began to play his flute. Was this snake responding to the sound of my guitar? Else, why had he stopped there in front of me? Never before had a snake stopped just to visit with me; they'd always hurried away from me.

Standing there in the hot sun, I began to serenade him.

And, as long as I played, he lay without moving, watching me intently.

When finally I stopped playing, he slowly moved on across the road and went on his way, leaving me to go on mine.

And to wonder, the rest of my life, if he had really heard and enjoyed the music.