Animals Who Actually Use Electricity
Echidnas These beautiful egg-laying animals utilise organs in their snouts called electroreceptors to discover food. They can detect electrical impulses emitted by prey like as insects and worms.
Platypus The magnificent unusual platypus can detect electricity in addition to producing eggs, having a beak, and possessing poisonous spines. The platypus, like his close relative the echidna, possesses electroreceptors on his nose that assist detect electric impulses from possible food. This trait is useful to the platypus since he frequently hunts in deep water where prey may be difficult to see.
Stargazers These little-known spiny fish have powerful peepers. The stargazer's ocular muscles have been engineered to emit an electric current, effectively stunning and immobilising his victim. It also aids in the defence against predators.
Bees Bees are drawn to flowers for a variety of reasons, including their brilliant petals and scent. Flowers frequently suffer a shift in electric charge after being visited, thus bees may determine whether a bloom is worth studying (or whether someone arrived before them) by feeling electric fields.
Electric rays Electric rays feature kidney-shaped organs that may produce electric shocks. Electricity is used by these fish to zap predators and grab food. These rays can really adjust the intensity of their electric shocks, emitting mild doses to warn curious predators and strong doses to paralyse their prey.
Geckos Have you ever thought about how geckos can climb smooth surfaces? The electrostatic pressures on the gecko's toe pads contribute to the gecko's Spider-Man skills. The charge differential between his feet and the surface he's climbing aids the small fellow in staying connected to the wall.
Elephant nose fish Despite its name, the elephant nose fish lacks a prehensile trunk. That protrusion is actually a lengthy chin, which the fish uses to detect electrical signals from prey. These fish are so good at electroreception that they can detect food even in complete darkness.
Oriental hornets The sun provides the Oriental hornet with his electric capabilities. This amazing insect has specialised yellow cells that collect sunlight and brown tissues that create energy.
Spiders Spiders wrap their webs with a unique adhesive that attracts charged particles (like flying insects). The attraction is so powerful that these dead webs will march forward to attach themselves to flying prey.
Electric eels Electrogenic cells are used by electric eels to shock prey, fight against predators, and even communicate with other electric eels. Approaching this living lightning rod would be a bad decision with a strong enough shock to cause heart failure after repeated jolts.