Namib golden moles locate food clumps by sensing grass vibrations carried through sand

Evidence

Utilization of the seismic waves produced by clumps of grasses scattered among the sand dunes of the Namib desert have been shown to be used by the Namib golden mole (Eremitalpa granti namibensis). The grasses under a light wind emit low-amplitude vibrations that are used by this mole to orient itself toward such clumps of plants, rich in invertebrates, when it is searching for food by sandswimming a few centimeters below the surface of the sand (Narins et al. 2006). — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology, 1798

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Antlion larvae hunt prey using vibrations ants produce in the sand — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 1821; Sound functions as an ecological resource organisms track for survival — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 248; Ground and vegetation attenuate noise in complementary frequency ranges. — Donald Aylor, Noise Reduction by Vegetation and Ground, 122

Broader Connections

• Sound functions as an ecological resource organisms track for survival #exemplifies (0.85) — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology, 248
• Ground and vegetation attenuate noise in complementary frequency ranges. #qualifies (0.70) — Donald Aylor, Noise Reduction by Vegetation and Ground, 122