Sunday, August 16, 2009

scenting beagle

About scenting ability of all creatures other than humans. It may be that we are endowed with less ability than most if not all. Even a serpent protrudes its tongue and withdraws it to deposit scent on an area called Jacobson's organ. I would like everyone to appreciate just how well developed the scenting ability in a creature like a dog is. I marveled how my beagles would find a rabbit track and chase that rabbit for over an hour before the rabbit would tire and take refuge in its den. Usually the rabbit would be many minutes ahead of the hound and many other rabbits would hop around on the same path that the one perused was taking. Even when trailing conditions are poor as in very hot and dry conditions the hound does not give up on an older trail for a hot trail. By like token the deer being chased by a hound can run into a heard of deer and the hound follows the one it started trailing.

No comments:

Post a Comment