Sensational Animal Senses

Book excerpt: Sensational Animal Senses explores the world of senses and perception in both human and non-human animals. Readers will delight in the wonders of our six senses―vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell, and balance, plus exotic senses that some non-human animals have like heat vision, magnetic senses, and bioelectricity. Have you ever wondered how we see color, know which way is up, or why we get goosebumps? How do we determine what is a good smell from stinky stuff? And… what if a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Or have you ever wondered why dogs hear things we can’t or why some cats seem to see ghosts? How do animals navigate over large distances flying north to south or swimming from one part of the ocean to another without getting lost? To answer these questions and more, peek inside Sensational Animal Senses: Living in a Noisy, Smelly, Tasty, Slimy, Tipsy, Colorful World. You'll learn about each of our six senses—vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch, and balance—and about some senses we don’t have but animals do like heat vision, magnetoreception, and electroreception. You’ll learn how scientists research the wonderful, colorful, loud, delicious, and smelly world we inhabit and how our brains and nervous system process that sensory information to give rise to our perceptions as we make sense of the world around us. And you'll see just how important brains are to make sense of your senses! Plus you'll read real world examples of science in action as well as stories about people who work with animals, like park rangers, animal researchers, K9 police officers, veterinarians, and conservationists. Also included are simple experiments to help you discover how senses work while testing the limits of your sensory systems.