Pets & Animals

Pets & Animals

Bomb-Sniffing Bees

Scientists have found a way to train honeybees to sniff out bombs.  With a sense of smell that can detect pollen on molecular levels, the usefulness of the bees challenges that of bomb-sniffing dogs, especially in war zones like Iraq.  The bees can also be strapped with radio transmitters and released outside, where they will search the area and swarm on any bombs they find.

• How can you train honeybees to sniff for bombs? - A brief, but easy to read article on the topic.
• NY Times Article - Details on combining the bees with technology and support from Pentagon.
• Wasps Are Better - Tiny, non-stinging wasps may be a better solution according to this article.

Homing Pigeons 

Long before cell phones were so convenient, pigeons were used to deliver messages.  Carried into the field and then released, the "homing pigeons" could find their way home from very long distances away.  Now, pigeons can be trained to look at satellite images and point out enemy targets. 

• How Homing Pigeons Find Home - Interesting article with a lot of great facts.
• Wiki Article - Very detailed history of homing pigeons.
• CNN Article - Did you know that pigeons follow roads just like we do?

Llamas Help Detect Biological Weapons

A llama, one of the goofiest looking animals on earth, has a natural antibody that is amazingly strong (much stronger than the human version).  Scientists have found a way to extract this anitbody and turn it into a sensor that can be used to detect biological weapons.  It seems llamas deserve a little more respect than we think.

• HowStuffWorks Article - A brief, easy-to-read article on the topic with some great information.
• LiveScience Article - Another brief article, but with some more technical information.
• Eagle Tribune - A newspaper article on the topic with reference to other llama abilities.

Piranhas Taste Delicious

Although piranhas are one of the few fish that people fear, they are actually not that dangerous.  Piranhas only attack larger animals (people) when they are starving or when they sense that the animal is wounded.  Many locals and tourists swim with piranhas in South America, and the fish are said to be delicious when cooked.

• How to Safely Swim With Piranhas - Well written instructions with some interesting facts.
• Red Piranha - A brief, but useful scientific description of the fish.
• Piranha Printout - A useful diagram on the anatomy of the fish, along with some facts.