Page 72 - One Million Things: Animal Life - The Incredible Visual Guide

AFRICAN WILD DOG
SMELL AND TASTE African wild dogs, like other members 1
1
of the dog family, are predators with
a powerful sense of smell. Dogs use
The ability to smell and taste varies enormously smell to track prey over long distances,
throughout the animal kingdom. An animal with to identify other members of the
a sense of smell has detectors that pick up odor pack, and to pick up scents left by
molecules from objects, enabling it to find food or outsiders marking their territory.
mates, identify other members of its species, detect
predators, or find its way home. A sense of taste
involves direct contact with food in order to test
if it is a tasty meal that is safe to eat.

2 FRUIT BAT
While insect-eating bats depend on
their acute sense of hearing to detect
prey, larger fruit-eating bats use their
excellent senses of smell and vision to
find food. Also called flying foxes, they
live in tropical areas where there is a
constant supply of fruit. Some species
of fruit bat feed on flowers, nectar, and
pollen, also found in tropical areas.
2

3 KIWI 3
Native to New Zealand, this nocturnal,
flightless bird has poor sight, but,
unlike most birds, it has a great sense
of smell. The kiwi has two nostrils at the
tip of its long beak. As it looks for food,
the kiwi pushes its beak into the soil to
sniff out worms, beetle larvae,
centipedes, and other juicy food items.

4 TAPIR
A tapir lifts its upper lip to expose the
opening of its Jacobson’s organ,
located in the roof of the mouth, which
enhances the ability to smell and taste.
This action, called a flehmen response,
draws in airborne scents. It is also
performed by lions and some other
mammals, and is used mainly to pick
up smells given off by potential mates.

5 MOTH
Insects use the two antennae attached 5
to their heads to detect smells and
tastes, as well as to touch. Some male 4
moths have feathery antennae that are
supersensitive to pheromones
(chemical signals) released by females,
often hundreds of yards away. As they
fly at night, males pick up the scent trail
and follow it to find a potential mate.

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