American zoologists have found this out.According to the results of a recent study, elephant seals, while searching for food, can roughly estimate how much time they will need to spend on returning to their beach. And regardless of whether these animals have gone far or not. Read more about this in the article.Discuss
Pregnant female elephant seals can determine how many days it takes them to return to their beaches, according to a study published in Current Biology. At the same time, it is known that they can travel distances of more than 10 thousand kilometers to find food.
In a new study, researchers used satellite data to study when each of more than 100 female northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) returned home after foraging. It turned out that the animals made decisions about whether to go further or not, based on the distance they still need to go.
Elephant seals seem to be “programmed” to return to their original location, depending on their current location and the time it takes them to reach the beach. In addition, it is important to note that pregnant females of these animals give birth within five days after returning to the beaches. . However, it is now clear that these animals have some kind of internal “navigator”, that is, an internal perception of space and time.
Source: Scientific Russia