Do you know why some animals have whiskers? These specialised hairs, also known as vibrissae, are more than just a cute feature. They play a crucial role in helping animals navigate their environment and hunt for food.
Tiger
Tigers are one of the most recognisable and majestic animals in the world, and they are known for their beautiful stripes and powerful roar. But did you know that tigers also have long, sensitive whiskers on their face?
Like other animals, tigers use their whiskers to sense their environment. The facial area of the tiger has numerous sensory neurons that can detect even the slightest change in air pressure when passing by an object.
This helps them navigate their surroundings and avoid obstacles when hunting or moving through dense vegetation. The whiskers also help tigers to determine the size, shape, and texture of objects around them, which is especially important when hunting prey.
Tigers have long and sturdy whiskers that can reach up to 15 centimetres (six inches) in length. These whiskers are much longer than the fur on the rest of their body and are arranged in a distinctive pattern around their face. The whiskers are also much thicker than regular hair and are deeply embedded in the tiger’s skin, making them highly sensitive to touch.
In addition to their whiskers, tigers have other impressive senses that help them to survive in the wild. They have excellent hearing, mainly used for hunting, and their eyesight is six times more powerful than a human’s. Tigers also have a keen sense of smell, which they use to locate prey and avoid danger.
Binturong
Also known as a bearcat, this mammal has a distinctive look that sets it apart from other animals with whiskers.
One of the most striking things about the binturong is its shaggy black fur. This fur is speckled with grey tips, which gives the animal a distinctive appearance. The binturong also has long, white whiskers that help it navigate its environment.
Despite its name, the binturong is not a bear or a cat. It’s a member of the Viverridae family, including other animals like civets and genets. However, its appearance has led many people to mistake it for a bear or a cat.
Binturongs are found in Southeast Asia, where they live in the rainforests. They are primarily arboreal, which means they spend most of their time in trees. Their long claws are so important – they help the binturong climb and cling to branches.
Walrus
If you’re looking for an animal with impressive whiskers, look no further than the walrus! These marine mammals are known for their long, coarse, and incredibly sensitive whiskers, which are actually modified hairs that grow from their snouts.
Walrus whiskers, or vibrissae, are incredibly important to these animals. They use them to detect prey on the ocean floor and locate breathing holes in the ice when swimming in the Arctic. Walruses have been known to use their whiskers to detect clams buried in the sand up to a foot below the surface of the ocean floor!
Walruses have several rows of whiskers on each side of their snouts, and each whisker is connected to a nerve that sends signals to the walrus’s brain. This allows them to detect even the slightest movements in the water and to locate prey with incredible accuracy.
In addition to their whiskers, walruses are known for their impressive tusks, which are elongated canine teeth that can grow up to three feet long! These tusks are used for various purposes, including fighting with other walruses, breaking breathing holes in the ice, and even helping the walrus climb out of the water onto the ice.
Porcupine
If you’re looking for an animal with some impressive whiskers, look no further than the porcupine. These spiky creatures have long, sensitive whiskers that help them navigate their environment and find food.
Porcupines have a unique adaptation in their whiskers, allowing them to detect changes in air currents. This helps them locate objects in their environment, even in complete darkness. Their whiskers are also used to help them climb trees and navigate through tight spaces.
In addition to their whiskers, porcupines are known for their sharp quills. These quills are modified hairs covering the porcupine’s body and serving as a defence mechanism against predators. When threatened, the porcupine raises its quills and lashes out with its tail, embedding the quills in the predator’s skin.
Despite their prickly exterior, porcupines are quite docile creatures. They are primarily herbivores, feeding on various plants and tree bark. They are also nocturnal, spending their days sleeping in trees and coming out at night to forage for food.
Red Panda
If you’re looking for an animal with cute and fuzzy whiskers, the Red Panda is definitely one to consider. These adorable creatures are native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China and are known for their unique appearance and playful personalities.
One of the most distinctive features of the Red Panda is its reddish-brown fur, which is thick and soft to the touch. They also have black legs and bellies, white-lined ears, and a ringed tail that helps them balance while climbing through the trees. The most notable feature of the Red Panda is their long, bushy whiskers, which they use to sense their surroundings and communicate with other Red Pandas.
Red Pandas are primarily herbivores, and their diet consists mainly of bamboo, berries, and eggs. Their specialised digestive system allows them to break down tough bamboo fibres and extract the nutrients they need to survive. In the wild, Red Pandas are solitary animals, but they do occasionally come together to mate during the breeding season.
Red Fox
When you think of animals with whiskers, the red fox is probably one of the first to come to mind. These cute little creatures are known for their long, bushy tails and their distinctive reddish-orange fur.
In addition to their whiskers, red foxes have other adaptations that make them great hunters. For example, they have excellent hearing and can detect the slightest rustling in the grass. They also have retractable claws, which they use to grip their prey tightly.
Red foxes are found worldwide, from North America to Europe to Asia. They are known for their adaptability and can thrive in various environments, from forests to urban areas.
Sea Otter
Sea otters have long, thick, and sensitive whiskers that help them navigate their environment. They use their whiskers to find prey, detect changes in water currents, and sense the presence of predators.
The whiskers are so sensitive that they can detect the slightest movement in the water, which helps the sea otter locate prey even in murky water.
In addition to their sensitive whiskers, sea otters have other unique adaptations that help them survive in their environment. For example, they have a very buoyant body due to all the air trapped in their fur and their large lung capacity, which is two and a half times greater than other animals. This allows them to stay underwater for up to five minutes while hunting for food.
Sea otters are also known for their playful behaviour, which is often captured in photos and videos. They are social animals that live in groups called rafts and spend much of their time grooming themselves and each other. They use their paws to groom their fur, the densest of any mammal, with up to one million hairs per square inch.
Tasmanian Devil
You must check out the Tasmanian devil if you’re looking for an animal with unique and fascinating whiskers. These marsupials have long, wiry whiskers that can reveal a lot about their diet and their past.
According to a study led by UNSW Sydney, scientists can look at a Tasmanian devil’s whiskers and peer at least nine months into their past. The whiskers hold chemical imprints from the food they’ve eaten, which can help tell broader stories about their behaviour and environment.
Tasmanian devils are known for their ferocity and their love of meat. They’re carnivorous and eat almost anything they can catch. Their whiskers can reveal what they ate months – and even seasons – ago, which can be a valuable tool for researchers studying these animals.
Believed to be a type of opossum, the Tasmanian devil was first described by naturalist George Harris in 1807. He named it Didelphis ursina due to its bearlike characteristics, such as the round ear. The Tasmanian devil is now classified as a separate species and is found only on the island of Tasmania.
In addition to their whiskers, Tasmanian devils are known for their powerful jaws and distinctive growl. They’re nocturnal and spend much of their time hunting for food. Despite their fearsome reputation, Tasmanian devils are listed as endangered due to a contagious facial tumour disease that has decimated their population.
Manatee
Manatees are large aquatic mammals known for their gentle nature and love for warm waters. They are also known for their unique set of whiskers that help them navigate their environment and find food.
These whiskers, also known as vibrissae, are located on the manatee’s snout and are used to sense their surroundings. Manatees have a set of stiff whiskers highly specialised for this purpose. They are finely tuned to detect even the slightest changes in their environment.
Manatees are also known for their slow movement due to their large size and bulky shape. They can weigh up to 1,300 pounds and grow to 13 feet long. Despite their size, they are very gentle and peaceful animals that are beloved by many.
Jaguar
Jaguars are the largest cats in the Americas, known for their powerful jaws and beautiful fur. They are also among the many animals with whiskers, which help them navigate their environment.
Jaguars have short, stiff whiskers that are located above their eyes, on their chin, and the sides of their mouth. These whiskers, known as vibrissae, are highly sensitive and help the jaguar detect movement and environmental changes.
In addition to their whiskers, jaguars have other unique features that make them well-adapted to their environment. They have powerful legs that allow them to climb trees and swim in rivers and are excellent hunters. They are also known for their distinctive roar, which can be heard from up to two miles away.
Jaguars are found in various habitats, including rainforests, grasslands, and swamps. They are also found in several countries, including Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. Unfortunately, jaguars are threatened by habitat loss and hunting, and their populations are declining in many parts of their range.