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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
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
