The study found that rats reacted differently to male and female pheromones. Regardless of risk, rats — particularly males — were observed to “scout out” areas with male pheromones, often later avoiding them. Areas sprayed with female pheromones, however, were visited significantly more often than male-sprayed areas.
— Can rat pheromones solve New York City's rat problem? Read more in Fordham Research Repels NYC’s Rodents at Fordham Observer.
It’s Friday and World Animal Day! Our community project for today: do what you like with the World Animal Day theme.
What fragrance did you pick? As always, do chime in with your scent of the day even if you’re not participating in the community project.
I’m getting cp points and extending my summer with L’Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse aux Papillons…
The ursine nose is lined with a vast sheet of specialized tissue, called the epithelium, which is embedded with scent-detecting nerves. Like the human epithelium, these cells have the exceptional ability to regenerate themselves (unlike most other nerves). But a bear's epithelium dwarfs our own. "It is much, much larger than a human's," explained Heiko Jansen, a neuroscientist who researches human and animal physiology at Washington State University. "It's several orders of magnitude larger."
— Read more at What would it be like to smell the world like a bear? at Mashable.
“The chemical blend may make the scent differ between types of insect, so it is hard to describe the general odor, but it is an acrid but somewhat sweet smell,” says Bertone. “I liken it to a very sour, fermenting apple, but other people detect other odors.” On the flip side, Gore says “most people describe it as a peppery odor, similar to coriander or cilantro.” (That’s because one of the compounds produced by stink bugs can actually be found in cilantro.)
— Read more in What Do Stink Bugs Smell Like? Everything to Know About the Odor They Produce at Prevention.
But these supersized snoots are constantly serving up surprises—and a group of researchers has now discovered that they’re discerning enough to distinguish more from less. Their study, published today in the journal PNAS, suggests elephants can use scent alone to differentiate between quantities of sunflower seeds that might flummox even the most hawk-eyed of humans.
— Read more at Elephants Can Use Scent to Distinguish More From Less at NOVA.