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Wildlife Wednesdays
A project by Ryan Bishop, with the support of the
Environment & Wildlife club
What do animals use their whiskers for?
Whiskers are:• in fact called
vibrissae
• only found in
mammals (in their
true form)
• serve as a tactile
sensor
Whiskers are not facial hair or fur!
• Whiskers are not found in humans;
• Facial hair is a secondary sex
characteristic in biological males
whi
sker
s fo
r
spat
ial
sens
ing
mystacial whiskers for object identification
Also whiskers
Carpal whiskers
A chinchilla’s whiskers can be longer than a third of its body!
• The movement of the whiskers is called ‘whisking’
• Not that many animals whisk actively
There are different types of whisking depending on the size of the object
and the distance from it.
Most carnivores don’t whisk
actively.
RECAP:~Whiskers are
sensory organs that complement the
tactile sense of the skin~
Can you spot all
different kinds of
whiskers this fox
has?
Cat whiskers are:a measurement of whether a cat can fit through
an opening
so sensitive that they can detect changes in air
currents
a good indicator of a cat’s mood:
pulled back means defensive and
distressed
Whiskers should never be trimmed!
they are so sensitive that a rat can tell if a surface is smooth or bumpy, hard or soft
whiskers help a rat crawl through openings even in
the dark
Seal whiskers are oval instead of
round, in order to minimize
disturbance when swimming.
Seals extend whiskers forward to follow trails left by
fish.
The whiskers are so sensitive that they help seals discern size of their prey!
Dog whiskers vary in pattern and location concentration among
different breeds!
Dog whiskers are highly sensitive to air currents and changes
in them.
When they brush against an object that
might be harmful, they cause the dog to
blink in order to avoid injury.
Dog eyes can’t focus on objects close up, so whiskers help them with things that are right under
their nose!
Lots of cute meerkat
whiskers!
Whiskers in horses are important for sensing and avoiding unseen danger.
They are also of great help, in tandem with a horse’s lips, when picking out food.
Design consultant:Wyatt Hall
Illustrations by:Yesua Jeon
