# Animals That Detect Electric Fields **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 16, 2004, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-detect-electric-fields/229447 "2004-02-16T05:17:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gregongie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/919ad9/32.png) [@gregongie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregongie)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-detect-electric-fields/229447/1 "2004-02-16T05:17:55Z")
I Just hit electromagnetism in Freshman Physics, and I was curious: What types of animals have sensory organs that can detect electric fields? I’m only aware of sharks, and I assume some fish too, who have a “lateral line” system that detects electric currents in the water. I also remember reading somewhere that cats can sense electric current through their whiskers. And a related question: What is up with electric eels? Thank you in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-detect-electric-fields/229447/2 "2004-02-16T05:22:27Z")
Cows can detect electric current. They jump right back if they accidentally brush against the fence. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gregongie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/919ad9/32.png) [@gregongie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregongie)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-detect-electric-fields/229447/3 "2004-02-16T05:37:21Z")
Good point :rolleyes: Maybe I should have been more explicit. I meant to say “weak” electric fields. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-detect-electric-fields/229447/4 "2004-02-16T05:39:29Z")
Here’s a nice description of [Electrosensitivity (passive and active) in fish](http://www.csuchico.edu/~pmaslin/ichthy/Snsry.html#electric). ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-detect-electric-fields/229447/5 "2004-02-16T05:42:02Z")
Sharks are the only ones I’m aware of. I’ve never heard of cat whiskers being able to detect electric fields. As for electric eels, they have a special organ that functions kinda like a large battery. Inside this organ are tiny battery-like structures all arranged in series so that they can produce a rather impressive amount of electricity, up in the range of about 600 volts if I recall correctly. They can do a high level discharge or a low level discharge. The high level discharge actually hurts the eel a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-detect-electric-fields/229447/6 "2004-02-16T05:46:51Z")
Many, probably most, fish can detect electric fields. I don’t believe that a cat’s whickers can detect electric fields, they are just hairs, and as such quite dead and fairly nonnconductive. The only mammals that I am aware of that can sense electric fields are the monotremes. Both the echidnas and the platypus have electrosensitive ‘bills’ that can pick up the electric currents from their invertebrate prey. ---
**Author:** ![gregongie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/919ad9/32.png) [@gregongie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregongie)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-detect-electric-fields/229447/7 "2004-02-16T05:52:56Z")
Maybe it was just wishful thinking about the cat whiskers. I jus want my kwitte-witty to be spwecial, is all. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-detect-electric-fields/229447/8 "2004-02-16T05:58:20Z")
Cats mainly use their whiskers to feel openings they’re exploring, to ensure they’ll fit and to maneuver in tight quarters in low light conditions. [Here](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcatwhiskers.html) is a Staff Report on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-detect-electric-fields/229447/9 "2004-02-17T06:46:03Z")
Do magnetic fields count? I understand that migratory birds find their way by sensing the Earth’s magnetic field. Electro-magnetic field, I should perhaps say. ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-detect-electric-fields/229447/10 "2004-02-17T06:52:57Z")
Ding ding ding! [http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20031215/platypus.html](http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20031215/platypus.html) You have no idea how long I waited until said knowledge would ‘naturally’ come up in conversation! ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-detect-electric-fields/229447/11 "2004-02-17T07:02:01Z")
I hate to break this to you Arrmatey!, but I beat you by two days and 3 posts. ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-detect-electric-fields/229447/12 "2004-02-17T07:09:30Z")
Teach me to post before reading… :smack: But… But… I had a cite… (walks off all pouty) ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-detect-electric-fields/229447/13 "2004-02-17T07:09:37Z")
Plus the article is erroneous. “that’s why platypuses had to recreate the electro-sensory system for themselves: their evolutionary ancestors were not aquatic, and so they had no use for electro-sensors.” All monotremes have electrosensitive bills, and he platypus is the only one that lives in the water. The electrosensing mechanism works just fine for detecting invertebrates in moist leaf litter and presumably within termite mounds. It’s believed that ancestral monotremes were all elctrosensitive going back through many ancestors. Living in the water isn’t a prerequisite and electrosensors are just as useful on dry land.