Hi Ann,

Having worked in the laboratory animal science field for over 35 years, I am not quick to dismiss your experiences/observations with respect to animal behavior. While my involvement is more laboratory related with respect to animal disease detection, I do have anecdotal experience that makes me stand up and take notice, when alerted to changes in animal behavior. More than once, our lab would be alerted by supervisors/managers of an animal facility that their animal care staff were noting changes in feeding and/or breeding behaviors. Generally, within weeks we detected the presence of some infectious agent. Now, these pre-detection behavioral changes might be expected as the animals were experiencing physical changes in response to a disease process, so this is not quite the same as changes in animal behavior predicting a natural event However, I do believe many animals have more developed senses and can detect subtle changes in their environment.

I have personal anecdotal experience with the heighten sense of detection exhibited by many animals. In my role as an EMS provider, I and my partners once responded to a call for chest pain in a middle-aged gentleman. We arrived on the scene and found the man alert and oriented complaining of sub-sternal chest pain. His wife had placed their dog in a nearby area which had one of those extendable child-gates to keep him corralled. The dog was quite calm and just sat there watching us and did not appear to be upset with us for being in his home. We had placed the patient on an EKG monitor which was normal and were continuing our examination, interview and treatment when all of sudden the dog let out this blood-curdling yelp/howl which I will never forget. Within 5-10 seconds of the dog howling, the patient went into cardiac arrest. While we were able to successfully treat the patient, I will never forget that call and how the dog knew his owner had a cardiac event before the EKG machine even registered a change.

I just saw on the news, that a new (at least new based upon the news story) earthquake detection system based upon the detection of the P wave which travels faster than the destructive S wave is being used in parts of California to give a 15-60 second alert to allow evacuation from buildings. Perhaps there are other more subtle waves that are virtually undetectable by current technology, that animals have the ability to detect. Just look at the highly sensitive sense of smell exhibited by dogs.

I would not worry about whether or not your imagination might or might not be in play. If you feel some type of early alert might be afforded by the use of a pet rat, I would go for it. At minimum, you have a pet and at best you might have an early warning alert.

Just my 2 cents-
Pete

The above listed website also offers email and text message alerts if one is so inclined.

Thanks for the post Ann.

We live in potential/active earthquake country also and I have always wondered if science could ever have the technology of being able to preemptively and accurately predict earthquakes minutes before they occur. If this was possible, there would be many lives saved as it would give most people time to evac buildings etc.

As for animals predicting earthquakes, I have only one near similar experience. In 2001, we had a small tremor which was enough to shake the house and rattle windows but not do any damage. My brother's dog who had been sleeping on the floor some distance away, all of a sudden jumped up and and got two nervous barks off before we felt the tremor. In all the excitement (and subsequent run for the outdoors and potential safety) we did not think much of the dog incident until later when we were talking about it. At the time immediately before the tremor, we were not paying any attention to the dog, we could only estimate that he jumped up maybe 3-4 seconds before us humans felt the start of the tremor.

Was it only coincidental that the dog jumped up then barked before the tremor? Can't say for sure one way or the other but sure makes one think...

I too live in EQ country. I've been through several very palpable earthquakes. Before they hit, I did hear some rumbling on the larger ones. It's conceivable that an animal might hear a low wavelength (or high) sound that a human ear wouldn't pick up. That sound might have some property that allows it to propagate faster than the audible sounds that you and I can hear. Just speculating.

HJ

I agree with signing up for getting text message alerts for earthquakes. You can customize the alerts based on magnitude, region, time of day, etc. For those of you with an "i" appliance, I also really like the QuakeWatch app. Gives up to the minute earthquake/tsunami information based on USGS, EMSC data.

I have lived in earthquake country for 33 years total. I've experienced at least 15 noticeable earthquakes at home. I even experienced the big quake of 1989 at home. It was scary, but not that scary because I was at home. Extra water, food, tools, gas, etc., that's the boring preparation you can do at home.

The big issue for me is being prepared while away from home. For example, what do I do if the bridge I'm on collapses 100 yards in front of me? What do I do if I'm in an open field and there's a big quake?

There are so many scenarios that can happen away from home that are more likely to put me into a truly dire survival situation. I definitely can appreciate the effort of the original poster!

The biggest problem with using animals as early warning, earthquake or medical crisis, is their lack of language skills. Strange behavior might have any number of explanations. Indigestion, a potential mate next-door or outside, the Big One, even a reaction to you having a bad day.

It has been noted that police dogs can often be triggered to 'alert' as a response to their handlers body language. People see this with their dag when they note that their dog likes and dislikes pretty much the same people their master does. Careful study shows that the dogs aren't analyzing the people. Rather, the dog is cluing off the masters reaction. If master is relaxed and happy the dog is relaxed and happy. If master is tense and suspicious the dog follows suit. The point being that animals often use their handlers as their main input. The results you get from your detector animal may just end up being its reaction to you.

There was Joey the budgie but of course a bird with a much wider vocabulary would be much more useful.

Warning - the second link may cause offense.

It is an interesting mental exercise.

If my dog was any judge, not all earthquakes are the same [my interpretation]. Twice, he paced and whined and fussed for no obvious reason, and both times there was a mild earthquake within a couple of days. WE HAVE AN EARTHQUAKE-PREDICTION DOG!

Then the Sylmar Earthquake hit in 1971, with a magnitude of 6.6. It destroyed two hospitals, a dam, a couple of freeway interchanges, collapsed a dozen freeway overpasses, and killed over 50 people. The dog didn't see/hear/feel this one coming at all, although he was slightly ahead of me going out the door after the fact, and he was twitchy afterward (weren't we all!).

What was the difference? Did the Sylmar quake not give warning? Or did it not give the same kind of warning that the others did?

I, too, live in the PNW, and if I somehow thought there was going to be an earthquake, leaving would be rather pointless. Everything I own is here. I would just pitch the old tent in the backyard and sleep out there, and pick up the pieces afterward.

It WOULD be nice to know, though. Right now the dogs fuss when there's a raccoon on the roof. *sigh*

Sue

Unfortunately, Paul the Octopus has passed away. He could have made a very tidy sum consulting on the earthquake circuit.