How Animals Navigate: Magnetoreception and Beyond
How Animals Navigate: Magnetoreception and Beyond Imagine being able to find your way home blindfolded — across continents, oceans, and vast landscapes — without a map, GPS, or even a compass. For many animals, this incredible feat is part of everyday life. From tiny migrating monarch butterflies to giant sea turtles crossing thousands of miles of open ocean, animals possess extraordinary navigation skills that continue to baffle and fascinate scientists. So how do they do it? Beyond the familiar senses like sight, smell, and hearing, many animals harness an invisible, mysterious sixth sense called magnetoreception — the ability to detect Earth’s magnetic field. But that’s just the beginning. This blog dives into the hidden world of animal navigation, unveiling secrets of magnetoreception and the remarkable strategies animals use to find their way. The Invisible Compass: What Is Magnetoreception? Earth behaves like a giant magnet w...