Once you get over yourself for being human -- ergo superior -- you get to the basic truth that we share the planet with other critters who are smarter and more perceptive than we are in many ways.
Wouldn't it be great if we had the same abilities as toads? Wouldn't we feel safer?
Researchers from the Open University were studying toads in central Italy when they noticed a sharp decline in the number of animals at the site. Days later, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit, killing hundreds of people and badly damaging the town of L'Aquila.
British researchers said Wednesday that they observed a mass exodus of toads from a breeding site in Italy five days before a major tremor struck, suggesting the amphibians may be able to sense environmental changes, imperceptible to humans, that foretell a coming quake.
Researcher Rachel Grant said the findings suggested ''that toads are able to detect pre-seismic cues such as the release of gases and charged particles, and use these as a form of earthquake early warning system.'' ...NYT
Plenty of toads live around this house -- sometimes in odd places. Believe me, I'll continue to treat them with great respect, even if I have to go barefoot.
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