Sixth Senses

by David A. Rizwan

       Animals have always been developing interesting ways to gather food. Throughout this development, some animals have developed senses so keen that humans cannot even sense what they are able to. Consequently, some animals have even developed totally new ways to sense their surroundings, and they continue to amaze us.

Pit Vipers

       Pit vipers are a classification of snakes that have elongated, arrow shaped heads which bear hollow fangs that inject haemotoxic and sometimes neurotoxin venom into the prey. The haemotoxic venom directly attacks the body tissues it comes into contact with. The neurotoxin venom is also deadly in that it disrupts the nervous system, which controls all major body functions. All pit vipers are venomous, and include rattlesnakes, copperheads, water moccasin, and many more snakes. This would enough to scare most people off, but the truly frightful thing is that pit vipers will know where you are long before you ever see them. Pit vipers receive their name from their unique pits that lie between their nostrils and their eyes. These pits are able to sense infrared light, a light that that is given off by objects based on their temperature. Military night-vision goggles are based on this concept of measuring heat as well. A warmer item will give off more heat, which is sensed much easier by the snake. Since most of the pit vipers' prey is birds and small mammals, all of which are warm-blooded creatures, their ability to sense heat is invaluable. From this information, the viper can make a decision to either stay and fight or flee. Snakes will usually opt for the latter, but if cornered, they will not hesitate to bite.

Sharks

     Snakes are not the only creatures to have developed special senses. Sharks, too, have developed a sense that is rather strange to humans. Using their Ampullae of Lorenzini, sharks are able to sense the small electrochemical impulses that are sent through the bodies of other animals when they move a muscle. Even lying motionless cannot escape the Apullae; for the heart is a muscle. The heart will continue to beat, giving the shark a constant supply of information. The ampullae are strategically placed on the snout of the shark, and contain many small jelly-filled tubules that contain small electric sensitive cells. The power of these cells seems to be limited to a few feet in front of them, but scientists still know very little of the Ampullae of Lorenzini.

     No matter how odd the animals' senses are, humans continue to research and discover about these senses. In fact, using our main skill, the use of tools, humans combine their craftsmanship and their intelligence to mimic these technologies. Although humans are not born with night vision, thanks to this very technology humans can do the same exact thing.