Is it true that animals can sense things that we humans sometimes can’t?
"Many animals predict the arrival of summer or rain with their changing behavior, because they sense that the days are getting longer or hotter. Animals are very attuned to day length and the seasons and other cues from nature that help them in many ways " says Dr Simon Robson from the School of Marine and Tropical Biology at James Cook University at Australia. Below is the list of some wonder animals that can tell you the weather that’s about to change:
Cows - Farmers claim that these animals can forecast the weather. According to legend, when cows sense bad weather, they become restless and antsy and begin to swat flies with their tails or lie down in the pasture to save a dry spot. As milk production is often effected in very hot weather, scientists at the Universities of Arizona and Northern Missouri decided to study the behavior of cows and their definite co-relation to the weather. They proved that cows lie down when it is cold and stand when it is hot for long hours. When cows are too hot, their milk production suffers.
House Flies - Flies tend to become sluggish and crawl on exposed body parts prior to hot, humid, wet weather coming in. The usual quick moving flies become ‘sticky’ before the onset of wet weather. Some species that do not generally bite humans, have even been known to bite rather strongly before bad weather.
Ants -This one’s a common and a spectacular sight. On a very hot day when the humidity starts to build, millions of normally Earth-bound ants seem to miraculously sprout wings and take to the skies. In preparation for bad weather, red and black ants sometimes build up their mounds for extra protection or to cover the mounds’ holes. So if you notice higher mounds than usual in your yard, it's probably best to close the windows and make a point to get back in quickly.
Bees and butterflies - When you are on your wilderness trip, some basic knowledge about how to predict weather will help you to take appropriate action for not getting into trouble and risk your safety. Remember this, when bees and butterflies disappear from the flowerbeds, you can expect some heavy weather coming your way. The folklore goes that if they’re not in their usual spots and they seem to have disappeared from the flowerbeds they usually visit, something is up! It is for this reason that butterflies and bees are often referred as the ‘indicator species’. Also, their relatively short lifespans and generations, makes them perfect for studying the effects of climate change. On the other hand you can notice when the weather is warmer the blue banded bees emerge from hibernation and fly to the blossomed flowers.
Birds - Depending on how low the birds fly, how bad the weather is going to be, can be gauged. It’s been said that if birds are flying high, the weather is clear. Most birds have a special middle-ear receptor called the Vitali organ, which can sense incredibly small changes in barometric pressure. So if the activity at feeders suddenly becomes much more intense and they start flying close to the ground, be sure that a storm may be approaching.
Frog – This one is the easiest to judge. Loud and slimy amphibians, the frogs, are said to croak even longer and louder than usual when bad weather is on the horizon. When you hear their volume increase, you can assume a storm is brewing. So next time you are out trekking and you hear the frog croaking loudly, run to the nearest tree for shelter.
