Dogs’ noses just got a bit more amazing, writes Virginia Morell referencing a study in Scientific Reports. The ability to sense weak, radiating heat is known in only a handful of animals: black fire beetles, certain snakes, and one species of mammal, the common vampire bat, all of which use it to hunt prey.
. . . dogs’ rhinaria are moist, colder than the ambient temperature, and richly endowed with nerves — all of which suggests an ability to detect not just smell, but heat.”
Source: Science, February 28, 2020. Link.
INSIGHTS: This would be fun to share with younger pet enthusiasts or during a school visit.