It’s Fun to Know: The Rat-Whisker Navigation System
by ETR (03/18/2008)
Rats have poor eyesight and live in sewers, tunnels, and other dark places. So how do they get around? MIT researchers have discovered that a rat’s whiskers are the key. When they touch something in the rat’s path, they vibrate rapidly. The vibrations are sent through the nervous system to the brain. There, the signals are processed… and the rat knows which way to move.
(Source: LiveScience )