Top 7 Animals With The Best Sense Of Smell

Humans were created to think logically when making a decision. We were also made with perfect bodies with the feet to walk, hands to work, noses to smell and eyes to see. Whereas animals have various unique features that differentiate them from one another.

Some are capable of seeing things at nighttime while others have a strong sense of smell to help them detect predators, water, and such. Here we would like to share with you the top 7 animals with the best sense of smell unlike other creatures out there.

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1. African Elephant

Studies have shown that African elephant has one of the best sense of smell in the animal kingdom. What's fascinating is that this animal has many genes(around 2,000) that are related to its sense of smell.

In comparison, this figure is five times more than humans and 2 times more powerful than dogs. The nose of an elephant that is located at the end of its long trunk can detect water sources as far as 19.2 km(12 miles) in distance.

2. African Rat

This small animal is also known as the Gambian pouched rat and it comes from Central Africa. Despite its poor eyesight, this rat has a more remarkable sense of smell compared to other creatures.

This giant rat has been trained to be able to detect land mines and other explosives from the past war. This explains why the African rat has such a high value to them and many countries like Cambodia, Angola, and Mozambique have been using them to detect tuberculosis(TB) from samples obtained at hospitals.

3. White Shark

The Great White shark has the best sense of smell out there as it plays a critical role for this animal. This mighty predator can use its smell to detect even one drop of blood in 10 billion drops of water.

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Their nose is very sensitive and they can detect even a tiny amount of blood at hundreds of meters in distance. Their nose which is located just underneath their nozzle is full of smell cells.

4. Kiwi

This iconic animal is native to the country of New Zealand and it is known for its long beak with an interesting function. Even though this flightless bird has poor eyesight, their break gives it a powerful sense of smell.

Scientists from Massey University found that its beak has a sensory hole that perhaps helps them to detect their prey underneath the ground. On top of that, Kiwi's olfactory bulb(part of the brain that detects smell) is far much bigger than any bird out there.

5. Bloodhound Dog

The Bloodhound species is known for its outstanding capability of smell. This animal has a very sensitive sensory smell that is comprised of 230 million smell receptors and can detect smell coming from something that exceeds 13 days.

Bloodhound dogs are often used by the rescue squad to investigate incidence by hunting down criminals or even seeking a mission person. It is undoubtedly very helpful in solving criminal cases that we humans are not capable of doing.

6. Basset Hound Dog

Another dog on our list will be the Basset Hound dog and it also has one of the best senses of smell. Its small comparative size and its position that is much closer to the ground made them suitable to be used for detection.

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Its huge flappy ears can also be used on the ground to help increase the aroma of its nose. Its wrinkled skin around the face and neck catches these scents and helps during the detection process. This probably explains why these dogs are so good at sports tracking.

7. Male Butterflies

Butterflies generally have the best sense, especially the male. They might not have a nose like other critters but their long antennas are optimized to detect smell. This antenna is fully equipped with smell receptors that help them detect pheromones from their counterparts as far as 7 miles.

On the other hand, the female uses such aroma from the male to check for their capability to reproduce.

Source:

• Popular Science

• Iluminasi

Also read: Top 6 Animals With The Best Hearing