Animal Earthquake Behavior

The idea that animals sense earthquakes has fascinated observers for centuries. In 373 BC, historical accounts describe rats and snakes fleeing Helice days before a quake destroyed the city.

Before the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake in Italy, researchers documented toads abandoning their breeding pond about five days early. Nearly all the males vanished, returning only after the aftershocks stopped.

One theory: animals detect subtle changes in groundwater chemistry or tiny foreshocks we cannot feel. Elephants may sense infrasound through their feet. But no animal behavior has proven reliable enough for official prediction systems.