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Are animals able to predict the weather? You may be familiar with the numerous myths, mythology, and legends surrounding animals that have weather-predicting abilities.
However, are these predictions accurate? Are certain animals able to predict the weather?
With the help of ten different animals that are rumoured to have weather-predicting abilities, this article sort to distinguish fact from myth.
Why are animals able to sense weather changes when humans cannot?
According to experts, animals are intensely aware of even the smallest changes in their surroundings, such as barometric pressure, the changing of the seasons, and humidity.
Animals may be able to forecast the weather and alter their behaviour before storms because they have enhanced senses.
Below are ten animals that can supposedly predict the weather.
You've probably heard the adage that says it will rain when cows lie down.
Another proverb goes, "A shower is extremely families when a cow tries to scratch its ear."
This hypothesis was tested by researchers, who discovered that it was accurate.
When they notice the air temperature lowering, cows lie down since standing up causes them to lose heat (like it does before a rainstorm).
Wear a raincoat the next time you see a herd of cows sprawled out in their pasture.
Many people believe that dogs can forecast the weather, which explains the many tales of dogs warning their families of imminent dangers like tornadoes or hurricanes.
They may act in a variety of ways, such as barking ferociously or whining and attempting to slink away to a hidden location like the closet or under the bed.
When dogs perceive environmental and atmospheric changes, such as a drop in pressure or the electricity in the air before a storm, they may act abnormally.
Additionally, compared to humans, they have a far greater sense of smell, allowing them to detect an approaching thunderstorm before it occurs.
Many people think that because cats are particularly sensitive, they can anticipate thunderstorms and bad weather.
Compared to humans, cats have significantly more acute senses. As a result, they can detect declining air pressure.
Cats have enhanced hearing, thus they can hear the distant thunderclap.
Additionally, according to experts, cats can probably smell the metallic odour that happens in the atmosphere just before a storm.
Cats might even be able to detect the particular smell of rain.
Another technique to anticipate a rainstorm or thunderstorm is to observe the behaviour of birds.
According to mythology, birds that fly low to the earth are a sign of bad weather, however, this may not always be the case.
Instead, a downpour is typically indicated by unexpected migrations, a large number of birds perched on power lines, or seagulls flying in from the ocean.
Birds can hear infrasound, which is an extremely low frequency that humans are not able to hear.
They can detect storms approaching from great distances due to their enhanced hearing.
The common toad is another creature that is said to have weather-predicting abilities.
They are claimed to have the ability to foresee natural disasters in particular.
Italy's L'Aquila had a devastating earthquake in April 2009.
A colony of toads in a pond near L'Aquila began rapidly leaving five days before the earthquake, and they later reappeared a few days later.
However, experts believe it has something to do with shifts in the Earth's magnetic field and the amount of radon gas present in the groundwater.
Experts are puzzled how the toads anticipated the impending calamity.
Some civilizations believe that sheep are another animal that can foretell the weather.
For instance, in Iceland, people believe that bright yellow urine indicates a sunny and bright day and that more sheep urination is a warning of impending rain.
Whether or not this wives' tale is true is unknown.
When sheep begin to headbutt one another, which indicates strong winds, this is another way sheep are said to be able to predict the weather.
The groundhog is unquestionably the most well-known animal associated with weather forecasting.
According to reports, people travel to Pennsylvania on February 2 to find out if Punxsutawney Phil will forecast six more weeks of winter or early spring.
Unfortunately, it appears Phil is only right 39% of the time, so whether groundhogs can predict the weather is still up for debate.
However, there's no disputing how much fun it is to see Punxsutawney Phil and take part in the celebrations that follow.
That alone should convince you that groundhogs make excellent meteorologists!
Another animal that can predict the weather is the shark.
This was demonstrated by scientists through observation and surveillance of a small group of sharks.
Blacktip sharks in Florida reacted as Hurricane Gabrielle was ready to hit in 2001 due to the storm's effect on the barometric pressure.
The sharks moved into deeper water, which offered better protection.
Weather predicting is surprisingly done by sharks.
With their very sensitive antennae, ants can detect minute chemical traces in the air as well as changes in the atmosphere.
There is no way to know for sure if ants can detect severe weather because there is a dearth of credible scientific evidence supporting this purported ability.
However, roughly 24 hours before a significant downpour, some ant species that are found in flood plains would build levees by enclosing their nests in substantial mud barriers.
They take this action to direct water elsewhere and stop flooding in their colony.
Fire ants band together to form a ball that may float on the water's surface for days or even weeks to survive floods.
These tiny amphibians are extremely vulnerable to changes in the atmosphere and temperature, particularly global warming.
After a good rainstorm, frogs are more likely to reproduce successfully since they need water to survive and lay their eggs.
Since good rain gives frogs the moisture and space they need to lay eggs, you could hear them croaking their mating calls louder just before rainfall.
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