Critter Geek
Snakes as Earthquake Detectors
Several news sites are reporting that observations of snakes are being used to predict earthquakes in southern China. From CHINAdaily:
Experts at the bureau monitor nests of snakes at local snake farms via video cameras linked to a broadband Internet connection. The video feed runs 24 hours per day.
“Of all the creatures on the earth, snakes are perhaps the most sensitive to earthquakes,” Jiang Weisong, director of the bureau, told China Daily.
Jiang said snakes could sense a coming earthquake from 120 kilometres away, three to five days before it actually happens. They respond by behaving erratically.
“When an earthquake is about to occur, snakes will move out of their nests, even in the cold of winter,” Jiang said.
“If the earthquake is a big one, the snakes will even smash into walls while trying to escape.”
Although the article describes several monitoring stations, there’s no mention of any actual warnings that have been generated yet, so while I’d like to believe it, I’m a little skeptical.
