A dog sniffs the ground and follows a smell you cannot even notice. An owl hunts in the dark. Many animals have senses much stronger than ours.
Key idea
Animals use their senses to find food and stay safe, and many can sense things we cannot.
Why it works
An owl's huge eyes take in lots of light, so it can see when it is dim. A dog's nose has many more smell sensors than ours. Many bats call out and listen for the echoes that bounce back from insects. A cat's whiskers feel the air and nearby things.
Worked example: Let's think it through
How can a bat find insects in total darkness?
- The bat makes high calls as it flies.
- The sound bounces off an insect and comes back as an echo.
- The bat hears the echo and knows where the insect is.
Answer: It uses its hearing and listens for echoes.
Common mistake
Children often think animals sense the world just as we do. A snake smells with its flicking tongue. A butterfly tastes with its feet. A dog smells things we never notice.
For the grown-up. Many bats use echoes, but not all. Some large fruit bats find food mostly by sight and smell. Play an echo game: in a big room or a tunnel, clap and listen for the sound to come back.