Two small, semi aquatic mammals can use their sense of smell even when underwater, according to a new study conducted by Kenneth Catania, a biologist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
The finding stems from high-speed video that shows a star-nosed mole rapidly blowing out bubbles of air and sucking them back in while foraging underwater.
The mole has now displayed equal prowess as a lightning-fast underwater sniffer, blowing and inhaling air bubbles at a rate of five to ten times a second.
On land, small mammals sniff by pushing air out and quickly inhaling, Catania said.
The air carries odors to special cells inside the nose that detect smells and send signals to the brain to help interpret the scent.