Animals With Strongest Sense Of Smell

Elephants Elephants are strong contenders on the list of creatures with the best smell sense. For instance, when judging two plates full of food, most of us can quickly determine which meal plate contains more food. 

Sharks Sharks are the most dangerous predatory fish alive that rely on their sense of smell for hunting food. Their smell detection is so important and decisive in their lives that the olfactory bulb occupies two-thirds of this critter’s brain!

Bears Bears are renowned for having a keen sense of smell that allows them to locate food from great distances. Their large noses have several thousand smell receptors, 100 times more potent than the human nose.

Dogs Dogs are yet another species with an amazing sense of smell. These creatures are attracted to odors that are unusual, fascinating, and unfamiliar to them. 

Snakes Snakes fall among those species that have a sharp sense of smell. They rely on their excellent sense of smell, compensating for their weak hearing ability and poor vision. 

Kiwis Kiwis are rare flightless birds with a peculiar beak that fulfills their specialized task of smelling. Despite having poor vision, they have a keen sense of smell, all thanks to their long beaks. 

Turkey Vultures Turkey vultures are the most abundant of the 23 vulture species globally. This is due to having developed the most intense ability to smell compared to nearly all other bird species.

Silk Moths If you’re curious why moths are included in this list, they are insects with one of the most excellent smelling mechanisms. A male silk moth can detect scents more than 8 miles away. 

Rats Rats outperform mice in terms of their sense of smell. They have one of the best senses of smell among all mammals. Due to their powerful sniffing abilities, these critters have a more diversified and adaptable diet than cats.

Cows These cloven feet herbivores are the finest smellers of all the large domesticated animals. These massive creatures possess 1,100 more olfactory receptor genes than humans have. This makes them the animals with the most potent ability to detect scents.