Animals, like humans, have different senses. These are not all equally important for different species. For example, for some animal species, the sense of smell is much more important than it is for humans. There are also animals that use a sense that we as humans do not have at all.
Senses
People have different senses, but one is more important than the other. For example, (most) people use their sight much more than their sense of smell. For animals, too, certain senses are more important than others. For some animals the smell is very important, for others the hearing. This can be important for communication between animals, for finding food or for navigation.
Finding food
For some animals, certain senses are very important to find food. Here are some animals that use their senses in a special way to find their meal.
Sharks
The earth is surrounded by a magnetic field. People do not perceive this field, but certain animals do. Many animals create their own electric field by generating electrical impulses in the muscles and nerves. Some shark species have electrical sensors that allow them to track fish hiding on the bottom. In this way the shark finds its food.
Butterflies
Butterflies can taste with their feet. So when a butterfly lands on a plant, it can taste what kind of plant it is through its legs. This is possible because there are chemical sensors in the legs of butterflies. This way they know if they are on a plant where they can find food.
Bats
Different species of bats use echolocation to orient themselves to the environment. They emit very high-pitched sounds that are reflected by things in the environment. If an echo returns quickly, it means that the object ?? close, if an object is further away, it takes longer for the echo to return. A bat uses echolocation to find prey as well as to navigate. Dolphins also use echolocation, as do some whales.
Snakes
People sometimes use thermal cameras to track people. Living things radiate body heat, which a thermal camera translates into images. The police can use this, for example, to track down a missing person or a wanted criminal who is hiding in an uninhabited area. Some snake species have such a camera themselves; they have heat sensors on their heads. Potential prey radiates body heat, which is captured by snakes sensors. As a result, these snakes can also hunt for a meal when it is dark.
Communication
For other animals, certain senses are very important for communication. For some this may be hearing, while for others smell is more important.
Elephants
Elephants interact with other elephants through a kind of elephant language that humans cannot hear. This consists of very low and deep growling sounds. The sounds can be heard hundreds of meters away and allow elephants to communicate with other herds of elephants.
Cicadas
Hearing is also important for communication for cicadas. They produce sounds that can be heard less than a mile away. Cicadas can communicate with each other while hiding in the rainforests. Male cicadas attract partners in this way. The sound is created by the flanks of cicadas vibrating back and forth very quickly. These sounds are audible to humans, cicadas can produce a lot of noise.
Dogs, cats, foxes and antelopes
Many mammals, such as dogs, cats, foxes and antelopes, mark their territory with scents. Such a scent can linger for a few days and sometimes even a few weeks. Other animals of some species then know that this area is already in use and that they should go elsewhere.
Navigation
Some animals use their senses in a special way to find their way.
Salmon
Salmon can detect very small differences in the composition of water by tasting it. This allows them to find the river where they were born. So their sense of taste is very important to them. Also some other fish and sea turtles can perceive these differences to use this as navigation.
Birds
Different types of birds are migratory birds, or birds that migrate to another area in winter to hibernate here. Birds that move away from their nesting grounds to move to another site in the winter are also likely to be able to sense Earth’s magnetic field. With this they find their way to their wintering place and then back to their breeding area. These places can sometimes be thousands of kilometers apart. However, research still needs to be done into how birds use this and whether they really have a sense for this.