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A Distinctly Foxy Skill
A Distinctly Foxy Skill
There are all sorts of interesting fox facts. Arctic foxes don’t even feel cold until temperatures get down to -70 degrees Celsius (-94 Fahrenheit). Some foxes like to sleep in trees. Red foxes have the widest geographical range of any carnivorous species and can adapt to life seemingly anywhere – rural areas, cities, the extreme north, deserts.
Perhaps the most unique and interesting bit of fox information is that they may use the Earth’s magnetic field to hunt prey. If this is true, then they are the only animal to use this 6th sense to hunt for dinner.
This video shows a red fox using his sensitive hearing, coupled with the North Pole’s magnetic field, to plan his leap through the air. The furry hunter makes it look cute and easy, but catching dinner actually involves a very complex and calculated process. It starts with his highly sensitive ears that can detect the faintest of noises, such as a mouse scurrying, below the deep snow.
Simultaneously, he focuses in on the Northern Hemisphere’s downward sloping magnetic field. It is believed that foxes are able to see the Earth’s magnetic field as a ring of shadow on their retinas, which is darkest towards magnetic north. When the fox hears the mouse reach that shadow, they are lined up. Now he is able to estimate the distance between himself and dinner,and it's time to pounce.
The magnetic hunting theory is based off evidence collected in a study conducted by Czech scientist Jaroslave Cerveny. His team recorded 84 foxes jumping almost 600 times. When they pounced in a northeasterly direction, 20 degrees off magnetic north, their kill rate was 73%. Jumping in the opposite direction, southwesterly, yielded a 60% kill rate. And finally, jumping in any other direction resulted in catching dinner only 18% of the time. Amazing stuff. Thanks science!!
If diving head first into a snowbank for your next meal doesn't appeal to you, then surf over to http://KindMeal.my, where you can find compassionate and delicious meat-free food, no matter which direction you're facing.
Source: http://goo.gl/DS7ILx
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