Houston Community News >> Snakes Used to Sense Earthquakes in China
12/30/2006 Nanning, China--
China has come up with an earthquake prediction system which relies on the
behavior of snakes, two days after two quakes struck off neighboring Taiwan.
The earthquake bureau in Nanning, capital of the Guangxi autonomous region in
southern China, has developed its system using a combination of natural instinct
and modern technology, the China Daily newspaper says.
Experts at the bureau monitor snakes at local snake farms via video cameras
linked to a broadband Internet connection.
The video feed runs 24 hours per day.
"Of all the creatures on Earth, snakes are perhaps the most sensitive to
earthquakes," bureau director Jiang Weisong said.
Mr Jiang says snakes, which are a popular restaurant dish in the south in the
winter, could sense an earthquake from 120 kilometers away, three to five days
before it happens. They respond by behaving "strangely".
(Contributed by Reuters)