Seals use whiskers to track prey in deep ocean, study shows

Scientists analysed footage from small video cameras with infrared night-vision attached to the animalsWhen they are in the deep, dark ocean, seals use their whiskers to track down their prey, a study has confirmed after observing the sea mammals in their natural habitat.It ’s hard for light to penetrate the gloom of the ocean’s depths, and animals have come up with a variety of adaptations in order to live and hunt there. Whales and dolphins, for example,use echolocation– the art of sending out clicky noises into the water and listening to their echo as they bounce off possible prey, to locate them. But deep-diving seals who don’t have those same acoustic projectors must have evolutionarily learned to deploy another sensory technique.Continue reading...

Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - June 13, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Sofia Quaglia Tags: Marine life Animal behaviour Biology Wildlife Oceans Science World news Source Type: news