Buzz
Animals have long outshone humans when it comes to fundamental senses such as hearing, vision, and smell. This is one reason why we’ve spent centuries studying their abilities, trying to harness their talents for our own benefit.
Take, for instance, the mysterious ability of numerous wild creatures to sense earthquakes long before they strike, sometimes by days or even weeks. While much of the knowledge surrounding their powers remains speculative, it’s hard to dismiss the patterns—like how toads leave their ponds days ahead of an earthquake. Even more strangely, snakes have been known to stir from hibernation in the dead of winter, venturing out into harsh, cold conditions, a full month before seismic activity occurs.
Researchers are eager to gain a deeper understanding by studying the behaviors of these animals. However, earthquakes remain one of the most challenging natural disasters to predict in advance, at least for us humans.
10. Birds
Numerous bird species, particularly in the northern hemisphere, embark on migrations when winter arrives and food becomes harder to find. Some birds manage to travel thousands of miles from their breeding grounds, only to return once warmer weather sets in. A task that would seem impossible without access to a detailed map or GPS. Birds, however, pull off this remarkable journey by detecting magnetic fields and navigating with their help.
After years of puzzling over this natural compass, scientists discovered that birds can detect both the strength and direction of magnetic fields. It was found that special cells responsible for this ability reside in the bird’s inner ear.
This theory was supported by the discovery of tiny iron “balls” in the brains of all the bird species examined so far. Hair cells, vital for movement and acceleration, were shown to contain these iron-rich sensory neurons. While this finding was crucial, it still doesn’t completely explain how birds manage to navigate with such precision.
9. Dolphins
These marine mammals are renowned for their ability to send out sound waves and interpret the returning echoes to gather information. Emitted from an organ in their heads, these sound waves function like radar. Although primarily used to detect threats and locate prey, dolphins also utilize this ability to detect pregnancies.
Experts suggest that echolocation may enable dolphins to detect a pregnant woman's developing fetus. In a similar way, doctors use high-frequency sound waves, known as ultrasound, to monitor fetal growth. These sound waves bounce back when they hit the boundary between muscle and skin, and a computer can combine multiple reflections to create a detailed image.
Dolphins produce comparable ultrasound waves and are known to show particular interest in pregnant women. When dolphins interact with each other or focus on an object, they press their snout against the skin and make a buzzing sound. This act of buzzing represents a concentrated form of echolocation, and it has been observed around the bellies of pregnant women.
8. Rats
Although many people treat rats as if they are nothing more than pests, certain species have been trained to detect landmines since 1997. In particular, the African giant pouched rat, a large rodent with poor eyesight but an extraordinary sense of smell, has been used for this important task.
Over time, these rats have successfully detected 13,200 landmines across Angola, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Cambodia. Cambodia continues to grapple with an estimated six million land mines scattered throughout the country, blocking access to crucial land needed for agriculture and construction.
After just nine months of training, the rats are able to cover significantly more ground than humans, inspecting over 185 square meters (2,000 ft) in just 20 minutes. In comparison, humans can take up to four days to complete the same task, all while risking their lives. Humans must stop after each ping from a metal detector to ensure the area is safe.
The rats, however, are too light to set off the explosives and pause to scratch the ground when they detect TNT. The landmines in the identified areas are later safely detonated.
7. Honeybees
Aside from their obvious attraction to nectar, honeybees have a surprising skill—they can be trained to detect landmines by associating the scent of sugar with explosives.
These bees can detect TNT from as far as 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) away. Their movements are monitored using thermal cameras. Ongoing research is focused on deploying honeybees in de-mined areas to ensure no mines are left behind.
One of the benefits of using honeybees for this task is their lower cost compared to rats and dogs. Honeybees also have a remarkable ability to recruit and teach other bees to perform the same task, all on their own. Their hairs are efficient at collecting particles, allowing them to detect chemical vapor concentrations at parts per billion, and even parts per trillion.
Honeybees have even earned the Guinness World Record for being the smallest animal used to detect landmines.
6. Cats
For years, cat owners have claimed that their pets possess healing powers. While cats don't have the ability to cure illnesses, they certainly have a knack for detecting them.
Diseases cause chemical alterations in the body, and cats use their sharp sense of smell to detect when someone is ill. In addition, our feline companions gather more information by picking up on changes in our behavior and emotions. They are also able to sense illness in other animals.
One particular cat has even “predicted” 25 deaths in a nursing home. Oscar the cat, known for his usually aloof nature, suddenly showed affection toward several residents who were nearing the end of their lives.
Experts speculate that the cat may be able to smell and sense when organs begin to shut down. However, don't rush to schedule a doctor's appointment if your cat suddenly jumps into your lap—sometimes even the most independent creatures crave a little affection.
5. Snakes
As if snakes weren’t already intimidating enough, snakes have specialized pits in their heads called pit organs. These organs allow them to detect infrared radiation emitted by warm bodies from up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) away. This infrared vision acts as an additional sense, helping them track prey in darkness and deliver precise strikes.
The somatosensory system, which includes the pit organ, does not rely on vision to receive signals. Snakes sense heat rather than light photons. This same system is responsible for detecting pain, touch, and temperature.
Pit membrane tissue is heated by infrared radiation. Once the tissue reaches a specific temperature, an electrical signal is generated by ions entering the snake’s nerve cells.
Observations suggest that for certain snakes, the threshold temperature is just above 28 degrees Celsius (82 °F), which is comparable to the heat emitted by a squirrel or mouse located about 1 meter (3.3 feet) away. The presence of pits on a snake’s head is also a key indicator of its venomous nature, as non-venomous snakes lack them.
4. Pigs
Pigs are yet another species with an extraordinary sense of smell. They are often trained to locate one of the most expensive delicacies—truffles. Researchers have uncovered the reason behind pigs' success in finding this prized fungus: truffles contain a substance that is also found in high concentrations in boar testicles.
The substance is released in the saliva of boars during mating season. Females are drawn to the musky aroma that emanates from the foam in their saliva. The desire to mate is enough motivation for pigs to detect the fungus from up to 1 meter (3 feet) beneath the ground.
The same substance is produced by human males in their testicles and is excreted through their sweat glands. Additionally, the urine of women contains trace amounts of these chemicals. This could help explain why people are so fond of truffles and are willing to pay a premium for them.
Since 1985, Italian laws have prohibited the use of pigs for truffle hunting. Truffles are highly sensitive to environmental changes, and pigs can damage the delicate ecosystem by recklessly digging. The environment necessary for truffle growth is very fragile, and even a small disturbance, like moving a stone, can disrupt it.
Pigs also tend to eat the truffles they find, which is another reason dogs have become the preferred choice for truffle hunting. However, while dogs are trained for the task, they still cannot match the truffle-finding abilities of a pig.
Despite the ban in Italy, pigs are still used for truffle hunting in other countries.
3. Dogs
Naturally, when discussing the extraordinary detection abilities of animals, it's impossible to overlook dogs. While animals like rats or pigs may have a sharper sense of smell in some areas, nothing compares to the bond between a human and their loyal canine companion. With their loyalty and ease of training, dogs are ideal candidates for situations that require exceptional animal senses.
Medical detection dogs use their keen sense of smell to identify illnesses in people. With the ability to detect odor concentrations as low as one part per trillion, they can recognize the scents associated with diseases. This is equivalent to detecting a teaspoon of sugar dissolved in two Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Dogs surpass cats in this regard, as they are able to detect cancer—a task beyond the capabilities of felines. The unique odors emitted by cancerous cells enable dogs to alert individuals to the disease much faster than medical professionals can.
One notable case involved a dog that repeatedly sniffed at a lesion on its owner's thigh, even attempting to bite it off. The lesion was later diagnosed as malignant melanoma, a form of cancer. The dog potentially saved its owner's life by detecting the cancer at an early, treatable stage.
It seems dolphins aren’t the only animals capable of detecting pregnancy. Dogs also seem to behave differently around pregnant women. Experts believe that dogs can sense hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy.
Dogs are incredibly attuned to shifts in the mood and behavior of humans. They can detect these changes in pregnant women, which may cause them to become more attentive and protective. While it’s difficult to prove scientifically, dogs might even be able to hear the infant's heartbeat.
Hunting for truffles is another skill dogs can master after just a few months of training. While they may not have the same motivation as pigs to find the fungus, their accuracy more than makes up for it.
Instead of disturbing the environment by digging around, dogs are able to pinpoint the exact location of a truffle. They won’t eat the truffles they find and are less conspicuous than pigs when on a truffle hunt. These traits have made dogs more popular than pigs for this task.
Dogs are also frequently trained to detect explosives. When they find a substance, the dogs typically sit down, signaling their handlers to alert them to the presence of dangerous materials.
Similarly, dogs are also used in drug detection. While some question their accuracy, it’s often because they can detect traces of chemicals so minuscule that they’re too small for the naked eye. Critics sometimes mistake these findings as 'false positives.'
It looks like our loyal canine companions will remain the undisputed masters of detection, as just a few months of training is enough to enable them to find almost anything.
2. Elephants
With their enormous ears, elephants possess an exceptional sense of hearing. While they have been observed changing direction unexpectedly, the reason behind this has now been uncovered. Research has shown that elephants can sense an approaching rainstorm from about 241 kilometers (150 miles) away.
This remarkable ability was discovered through the study of elephant migrations in Namibia. Elephants can hear low-frequency sounds that humans cannot, which they use to communicate. Thunderstorms produce similar low-frequency sounds, which the elephants can detect from miles away.
After tracking nine elephants from different herds using GPS for seven years, researchers uncovered evidence suggesting that during the rainy season, the elephants changed their course. They were observed heading towards thunderstorms hundreds of miles away, days before any rain was forecasted.
Understanding when, where, and why elephants change their course could play a critical role in conservation efforts, especially considering that between 2010 and 2012, poachers killed an estimated 100,000 African elephants.
1. Fish
In the deep waters where sunlight is scarce, and vision becomes unreliable beyond 200 meters (656 feet), fish seem to have no trouble avoiding obstacles, navigating whirlpools, or pursuing prey.
Researchers have identified flow sensors on the bodies of nearly all fish species. These sensors help them gather information about water movement. The fish's sensory system detects vibrations and changes in the surrounding water, with specialized canals that open through several pores for this purpose.
After testing a rainbow trout model in realistic aquatic conditions, the findings revealed the crucial role of the canal system's positioning. These canals were primarily located on the top of the head and other areas experiencing significant pressure variation.
