How animals predict earthquakes
1 December 2011 Last updated at 01:53 How animals predict earthquakes By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC Nature with courtesy of BBC Can pond-dwelling animals pick up pre-earthquake signals? Animals may sense chemical changes in groundwater that occur when an earthquake is about to strike. This, scientists say, could be the cause of bizarre earthquake-associated animal behaviour. Researchers began to investigate these chemical effects after seeing a colony of toads abandon its pond in L'Aquila, Italy, in 2009 - days before a quake. They suggest that animal behaviour could be incorporated into earthquake forecasting. “Start Quote When you think of all of the many things that are happening to these rocks, it would be weird if the animals weren't affected in some way” End Quote Rachel Grant The Open University The team's findings are published in the Interna...