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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Photo: Moles, Shrews Can Smell Prey While Underwater, Study Suggests


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A close-up of the bizarre-looking schnoz on the star-nosed mole shows the animal breathing out bubbles underwater (see a photo of a star-nosed mole).

The small, semiaquatic mammal can rapidly breathe out and inhale bubbles at a rate of five to ten times a second, a feat that researchers say allows the rodent to sniff for prey while underwater.

Photograph courtesy Ken Catania