How animals save the planet Essay

Narwhals exchangeable these admirer scientists hang back global warming in the Arctic. These mythical looking tusked whales, also know as the unicorns of the sea, argon measuring changing temperatures in Greenlands north-polar waters to track global warming. Climate scientists at the University of Washington tie thermometers and small satellite transmitters to the narwhals, who can dive far deeper than humans. As a result they found that waters in Greenlands Baffin Bay be 0.9 degrees C warmer than formerly calculated.Dogsworks Dogs for Conservation in action. domain has long looked to its best friend to lend a helping schnozzle whether its a hunter tracking down prey or a police officer searching for drugs. Now groups like Working Dogs For Conservation and UK-based Conservation Dogs use dogs to sniff out endangered animals and plants like jaguars in the Amazon or black bears in China so researchers can track and save them.BirdsBirds are natural recyclers.While our feathe rlike friends in more urban areas have been known to utilize ice like string and paperclips in the building of their nests, male bowerbirds in Australia and wise Guinea repurpose bright plastic containers and bottle caps to build their elaborate bowers, bowed walkways carefully decorated and designed to attract female partners.OctopiA resourceful octopus searches for suitable shelter.Another animal recycler, the octopus is renowned for its cognition and use of tools. Certain species like the veined octopus build shelters from sea shells, coconut shells, or more human debris. As this video shows, octopi revel hiding inside of glass jars they find on the maritimes floor, putting what would otherwise be trash to good use.RatsAn African behemoth pouched rat sniffs out a landmine.Like dogs, rats have a superior sense of smell. African giant pouched rats like the unrivalled pictured here sniff out land mines while cosmos too light toactually set them off. Anti-landmine organizati on APOPO dubs them HeroRATS for their ability to help the group find these environsally hazardous, not to mention dangerous, weapons.BeesBees use their bully sense of smell to detect environmental contaminants. Bees are widely sharp and have a sensitivity to smells, tastes, and colors. Theyre also highly communicative, using sound and dance to talk amongst themselves. It turns out that they can recognize particular proposition types of chemicals and send off a certain buzzing sound depending on what chemical is released into the air. This is helping humans detect toxic chemicals in the environment and could be useful in detecting chemical warfare attacks.ocean Lions and SealsA sea lion measuring ocean conditions.Like the narwhals, sea lions and seals can easily dive deep below the waters surface to track climate change. Researchers at the University of California Santa Cruz rely on them to measure salinity, temperature, and other conditions so we can develop better models of oce an water circulation. Elephant seals in the Arctic measure temperature and have also been employ to track the health of U.S. salmon populations.MulesA mule measures radiation levels.Sarah and bantam Kate are two mules that have been recruited to brave the conditions of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory extraneous of Los Angeles. A 1959 leak at the laboratory left radiation that whitethorn still linger in the area. Equipped with gamma radiation scan equipment, the mules investigate the area and report back to government officials conducting this study. While it whitethorn not be ethical to subject animals to hazardous areas, the work they are doing may end up making the area safer for humans and animals alike.