Nature · 2
Which animal can detect the Earth's magnetic field and uses it as a navigational compass during long-distance migration?
Answer
The loggerhead sea turtle
Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) possess magnetite crystals in their heads that allow them to detect both the intensity and inclination angle of Earth's magnetic field, giving them a precise 'magnetic map' for open-ocean navigation. Hatchlings imprint on the magnetic signature of their birth beach and return to it decades later to lay eggs.
💡 Did you know?
Loggerhead sea turtles can navigate thousands of kilometres of open ocean using Earth's magnetic field as a GPS — and females return to the exact beach where they hatched, sometimes 30 years later.
Other options people guess
- The monarch butterfly
- The Arctic tern
- The bar-tailed godwit
Topics
- migration
- sea-turtles
- magnetism
- navigation
- marine-life
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