The smell of danger: Rats instinctively avoid compound in carnivore urine
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 - 16:30
in Biology & Nature
Researchers have discovered a single compound found in high concentrations in the urine of carnivores that triggers an instinctual avoidance response in mice and rats. This is the first time that scientists have identified a chemical tag that would let rodents sense carnivores in general from a safe distance.