Art, obsession, and identity
The technical name for whiskers is vibrissae. They are modified hairs that are used by mammals to sense their environment.
Rodents are particularly noticeable for their whiskers. Rat vibrissae form a grid-wise layout on either side of the snout that taper to an extremely narrow tip.
These hairs are finely specialized for this purpose, and almost all mammals except humans have them. In fact, mammal species without whiskers are actually a minority.
The pinniped with the most whiskers is the walrus, which has 400–700 whiskers on its face, taking the form of a bushy moustache.
Each whisker has it own nerve and blood supply, thus nourishing a complex sensory awareness system.
A few bird species are known to have a set of vibrissae, noticeably the aptly-named whiskered auklet. This small seabird has a few strands of white feathers protruding from around its eyes that have been proven to help them navigate in the dark.
Similarly, nightjars, a species of bird that tends to rest and nest on the ground, has rictal bristles—stiff hair-like feathers that arise around the base of the beak. Their exact purpose isn't clear, though it's believed they may function as a "net," helping in the capture of flying prey.
Surprisingly perhaps, some of those with the most prominent whiskers are non-mammals, for example selected catfish species. In fact, there's a family of long-whiskered catfish that has extensively long whiskers, of which the redtail catfish is a member.
As whiskers brush an object or sense vibrations in the air, irregularities in the surface are translated into movements of the vibrissae. Those movements are subsequently detected by numerous tactile motion detectors set inside a heavily innervated hair follicle.
Whiskers are most often noticed on cats, including the big variety. Whiskers typically grow around the nostrils and above the lips and eyes.
Other mammals, the manatee for example, have them all over the head and body. In most mammal species, however, they form an ordered pattern.
On some mammals, whiskers can appear greatly exaggerated. This is exemplified by those sprouting from the snout of the Etruscan shrew, the smallest known extant mammal by weight in the world.
Whiskers aid navigation, locomotion, exploration, hunting, and social touch. But how do they work, exactly?
These nerves relay detailed information about the direction, velocity, and duration of the vibrissal movement.
Chinchilla species can also claim a long-whiskered crown. These cuddly creatures, native to the Andes Mountains in South America, possess vibrissae typically one-third the size of their bodies.
The flightless kiwi, endemic to New Zealand, is known for its hairlike feathers. The bird uses its nostrils at the end of its long beak to detect prey before they see it, the rictal bristles serving as important tactile sensors and guiding locomotion and foraging.
Pinnipeds—comprising seals, sea lions, and walruses—have the longest whiskers. The Antarctic fur seal beats them all with an average whisker length of up to 35 to 50 cm (13 to 19 in), according to Guinness World Records.
Vibrissae typically grow in clusters. These groups vary somewhat in form and function, but they are relatively consistent among land mammals.
Some mammals rely almost entirely on whiskers to navigate their environment. The mole, for example, has individual muscles that allow macrovibrissae around the nose to be moved independently. This is also a feature of rats and other small rodents.
Few people realize that whales and dolphins also have whiskers. But because of a unique evolutionary trait, these vibrissae are found around their blowholes.
Unlike terrestrial animals whose whiskers are clustered around their noses, the very specific location of vibrissae in whales and dolphins serves as proof that different marine mammals have different placement of whiskers, though cetaceans make few whisker movements.
See also: How whales help to combat climate change
The whiskers of many carnivores, particularly aquatic and nocturnal species like the Eurasian otter, are also very prominent.
These cranial groups include: above the eyes (supraorbital); on the cheeks (genal); where a moustache would be (mystacial); and under the snout (mandibular).
Whiskers serve a variety of uses, but are most commonly used to locate food, the vibrissae acting as a radar in detecting movement of potential prey.
While the walrus is the vibrissae cluster king, other mammals striking in their facial hair appearance include the emperor tamarin. This South American primate has a definitive long mustache, and almost inconspicuous white whiskers on its chin.
All other primates, including monkeys, have whiskers. Our closest living relative, the chimp, features vibrissae on its lower chin.
Many land mammals have four typical whisker groups on their heads, collections known as cranial vibrissae.
This sensory intelligence allows the animal to detect the precise location, size, texture, and other details of an object.
Many terrestrial mammals can also detect air currents with their whiskers, which may warn them of approaching danger.
In the same way, marine mammals use their whiskers to detect a potential meal, or again to evaluate the environment around them, such as water currents, tidal flows, and changes in the contours of the seabed in shallow-water habitats.
This resplendent bird native to Brazil, whose vivid crown is rarely displayed, possesses what's known as rictal bristles along the upper beak. They are morphologically similar to mammalian whiskers.
The mandrill is a handsome Old World monkey whose lips are surrounded by stiff white whiskers.
When we talk of whiskered creatures, we tend to automatically think of our pet dog or cat. The animal kingdom, however, is bristling with numerous mammals possessed of this key anatomical feature. In fact, mammal species without whiskers are actually a minority. And besides terrestrial beasts, several fish and bird species are also blessed with a crop of this stiff, functional hair. But why exactly do animals have whiskers, and how do they work?
To find out, click on and read through this gallery of wonderful whiskered wildlife.
Wonderful whiskered wildlife
Why do animals have whiskers?
LIFESTYLE Animals
When we talk of whiskered creatures, we tend to automatically think of our pet dog or cat. The animal kingdom, however, is bristling with numerous mammals possessed of this key anatomical feature. In fact, mammal species without whiskers are actually a minority. And besides terrestrial beasts, several fish and bird species are also blessed with a crop of this stiff, functional hair. But why exactly do animals have whiskers, and how do they work?
To find out, click on and read through this gallery of wonderful whiskered wildlife.