Like humans, animals have extraordinary abilities, too, abilities that are used to adapt to the environment. Many animals have the best sense of smell, and some species have a keener and more remarkable ability than others.
If you want to know which animals are this, keep reading because we have prepared a great list of animals that dominate for having the best sense of smell.
Humans have 396 genes for olfactory receptors; however, animals have more OR genes. It is smaller than the 768 olfactory receptors found in rabbits. However, more animals have a high olfactory receptor count, a gene that gives an excellent ability to smell.
You must be looking forward to this, so let’s get started on the list of species with the best sense of smell right away, shall we?
List of Animals with the Best Sense of Smell
Let’s get into our list of animals with some amazing smell sensors.
1. Bear
Bears are among the great animals that can smell the best. Their sense of smell is 300 times better than humans. Bloodhounds, a dog species, also have 2,100 times better sense than humans.
Since the olfactory bulb area in the bear’s brain is five times larger than the human brain, bears have the best sense of smell of any animal in the world. This kind of ability makes bears scary and fascinating at the same time.
Bears have enormous noses, each containing thousands of smell receptors. As a result, they are ranked first among the species with the best sense of smell in the world.
Due to their exceptional ability and sharp sense of smell, bears can detect a deceased animal from up to 20 miles away.
When camping or in the woods, especially when bringing food appealing to bears, the dominant smell receptors, which are 100 times more sensitive than those of the human nose, will detect the scent of the food being brought.
If you do not store your food in an odor-proof plastic bag, keeping a bear away from it will be quite challenging in this situation.
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2. Shark
When considering which animal has the best sense of smell, the sharks are among those on the list. This predatory fish relies mostly on its ability to smell. Smelling is so important to this creature that two-thirds of its brain is dedicated to the olfactory bulb.
These sharks are frightening predators because they can detect the presence of a wounded marine animal or even an injured human victim from a mile away.
In addition to using its keen sense of hearing to seek food, the shark uses its powerful sense of smell. This species’ nostrils are on the bottom of its snout, either side of its mouth.
They are aware of their surroundings by hearing and their excellent sense of smell, which is made possible by the shark’s amazing ability and body structure, allowing water to flow continually over its nostrils.
With the help of its incredible ability to smell, a shark can recognize a drop of blood in almost 100 liters of water!
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3. Elephant
Elephants are on the list when it comes to animals with the best sense of smell. According to research, this animal possesses the best sense of smell and is possibly the strongest ever discovered in a single species. Elephants have almost 2,000 unique genes that enable them to identify scents in their environment.
Elephants have a keen sense of smell and can discover water sources from up to 12 miles away, thanks to their long-range and keen sense of smell. According to previous research, African elephants can discern between odor molecules with exceedingly minute structural changes that humans and other primates cannot detect.
Their nostril is located at the tip of the trunk and is responsible for breathing, smelling, and obtaining water from the environment. Elephants’ sense of smell is constantly used, making them among the best animals. Their trunk is always used to detect new smells and information.
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4. Snake
Are you wondering which animals have the strongest sense of smell? Snakes are definitely among these animals. Their remarkable ability to sense smell keenly makes them fascinating.
Snakes have nostrils despite not having conventional ones, and they can smell with their tongues. The tongue of the anaconda, ground-dwelling snakes, and other aquatic snakes are used to detect scent.
Snakes sniff through the mouth; they rely on tongue-flicking gestures to gather airborne particles that they can smell through the mouth. This facilitates the collection of samples from air particles, soil, and water and analyzing various compounds.
These animals use their tongues to detect all kinds of scents in the air, which allows them to identify a smell and locate prey or to know where danger is lurking. Like sharks, snakes use their keen sense of smell to be aware of their surroundings and survive.
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5. Dogs
Dogs have powerful noses, making them among the animals with an amazing sense of smell. Generally speaking, dogs are considered good smellers, as police and military service dogs are trained to detect explosives.
However, even though they do not have a particularly large number of olfactory receptor genes, their sense of smell is 100 times better than that of humans. Bloodhounds are a dog species with an exceptionally keen sense of scent and 300 times better-smelling abilities than humans.
The portion of a dog’s brain dedicated to evaluating odors is approximately 40 times larger than a human brain. These animals are drawn to odors that are new, novel, and intriguing to them.
Dogs have an extremely delicate and powerful sense of smell because of their keen sense of smell, which dogs are trained to use to detect bombs and drugs. They can also track down individuals based on the smell of their clothing and discover bodies.
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6. Kiwi
Small but with an incredible sense of smell. The kiwi’s olfactory bulb is the second largest among all birds in terms of its forebrain size. It is why it is among the animals with the best sense of smell.
Because Kiwis cannot fly and their food is on the ground, they have developed an acute sense of smell.
Kiwis can only locate earthworms by using their sense of smell. Their nostrils are also positioned near the tip of their bill, a unique adaptation that makes detecting and locating food easier for the bird.
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7. Cows
Animals with the best sense of smell include huge, tamed, cloven-hooved herbivores like cows. These animals have a keen sense of smell, as evidenced by 1,186 olfactory receptor genes compared to humans.
Its strong nose could detect odors from as far as five to six miles away, which made the cows’ skill in detecting impending danger valuable.
Aside from possessing a keen sense of smell, cattle are also equipped with outstanding hearing capabilities. Even though the cows’ primary senses were sight and hearing, their excellent sense of smell also benefited them in understanding what was going on in their environment.
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8. Moth
You might wonder why a moth is on the list, and the answer is simple. The male silkmoth moth is the world’s best among insects. A male moth can sense the scent of a female moth from more than seven kilometers away, demonstrating how intense and acute the animal’s sense of smell is.
Male moths use their feathery antennae to extract smell molecules from the air.
Their antennae detect scent components as they fly rather than utilizing their nostrils to smell them as most would normally do. A single scent is detected by their highly developed sense of smell, which has evolved to detect only the scent of female moths.
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9. Rat
If you’re looking for answers about which is the best, rat or mice, in terms of sense of smell, Rats beat the mice. Rats are among the animals with the best sense of smell.
They have strong sniffing abilities, which allows them to have a more varied and versatile diet than cats, who can smell out but are extremely picky eaters. They are not very well-versed in detecting odors, which is what rats can do.
The presence of 1,207 olfactory receptor genes in rats contributes to their excellent sense of smell. The skin on the back of the rat’s neck comprises smell receptors, allowing air to pass past its nose.
When rats smell, the fragrance particles travel to their vomeronasal organ, where they process them. Rats also use this organ to detect and distinguish between individuals of the same rat species by detecting pheromones.
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10. Horses
Horses have a high sense of smell and are among the most intelligent animals. Although their sense of smell is not as good as a dog’s when it comes to scent detection, they have a far better sense of smell than humans.
Through this skill, horses can distinguish between predators and other horses, and the anatomy of their nasal cavities has provided horses with a relatively big nasal cavity to use. Furthermore, due to the large size of the horse’s head, there are a disproportionately large number of receptors.
When they inhale a scent they are intrigued by, their flexible nostrils flare. It is similar to how dogs learn about one another by sniffing one another’s backsides, although horses are less straightforward when meeting for the first time.
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11. Opossums
Opossums are marsupials, which means they are mammals with a keen sense of smell. Their development is similar to that of kangaroos and koalas, with part of it taking place in the mother’s womb and the rest in her pouch.
Because of its limited vision and hearing, its sense of smell and its excellent touch take precedence over these senses.
These genes are found in more significant numbers in this species than in humans, who only have 396 olfactory receptor genes. Because of their vast number of OR, opossums are remarkable animals with a keen sense of smell.
Some notorious foragers are frequently observed sniffing in gardens and grounds in search of a food source.
A high sense of smell helps opossums adapt to their surroundings, allowing them to survive in urban environments.
Aside from its incredibly keen olfactory capabilities, this animal is also recognized for having an exceptionally powerful immune system, which allows it to defend itself against illnesses and toxicity from the venom of the snakes it preys on.
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12. Chinese softshell turtle
The Chinese softshell turtle, also called the Asiatic soft-shelled turtle, is a reptile among the animals with the best sense of smell. In addition to China and Hawaii, this species can be found in other places worldwide.
This reptile’s inclusion on this list was attributed to its 1,137 olfactory receptor genes, almost close to the number of Cows OR.
The Chinese softshell turtle is a type of softshell turtle that is also considered to be an invasive species in the United States. It has a maximum height of 13 feet, depending on gender.
These olive-colored turtles may have dark markings on their bodies and a long-looking snout. This animal uses its exceptional sense of smell to capture prey and determine whether there is a predator or incoming harm in its surroundings.
FAQs
What animals have the best sense of smell?
Animal sense of smell is the ability of animals to detect and identify different odors in their environment. Some animals have a much better sense of smell than others.
For example, dogs have an incredibly sensitive sense of smell and can detect scents that are 100,000 times weaker than humans. Other animals with a strong sense of smell include bears, elephants, and certain species of rodents.
Do dogs have a sense of smell?
Is dogs’ sense of smell acute? Dogs have an incredibly acute sense of smell, with some breeds able to detect scents at concentrations as low as one part per trillion. This ability is due to the large number of olfactory receptors in their noses, estimated to be up to 300 million, compared to humans’ six million.
Additionally, dogs’ sense of smell is used in various ways, such as search and rescue operations, medical detection, and tracking.
Can animals smell better than humans?
Animal sense of smell is often more acute than that of humans. Animals possess a much larger olfactory bulb in their brains, which allows them to detect and differentiate a wider range of scents. Additionally, animals have a higher density of olfactory receptors in their noses, which allows them to pick up even faint odors that humans cannot detect.
Do elephants have a better sense of smell than dogs?
Elephants have an exceptional sense of smell. They possess the largest olfactory bulb of any mammal, allowing them to detect scents from up to 2.5 miles away. While dogs are often considered to have the best sense of smell among mammals, elephants are certainly contenders for the title.
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