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It’s the world’s most effective early morning wake up call. But now we finally know why a dog’s nose is so cold. And it’s probably not why you think...
That cold wet nose is the epitome of dog. But for years it seems we’ve been wrong about it’s purpose. Instead of it being a cooling mechanism for your mate on a hot day, it’s true skill is far more high tech.
Research just published in the journal Scientific Reports, shows that the nose is actually an incredibly effective heat seeking device. Extensive nerve endings are able to detect warm objects (like small animals their ancestors would have hunted) many metres away, even when concealed by grass or other camouflage.
By being so cold in the tip of the nose, the nerve endings become more sensitive to detecting warmth in the surrounding environment. Making that cold nose a heat seeking missile. It also partly explains the places that cold nose is drawn to!
Amazing huh...
