Humans are the only species with the ability to physically map environments using their hands. Cartography is one out of many privileges that came from our dexterous ability to manipulate objects. But are other animals capable of mapping environments, if not by recording them, then at least with their senses? If so, which are the ones better at it than us? We can use the concept of umwelt, or the world as it is experienced by another organism, to answer such questions.
Obviously, many animals have the same senses we have, but some have such refined ones that it is difficult to comprehend. Take sight for instance; the mantis shrimp can see in 12 dimensions of color, which humans aren't capable of imagining. Others have far better hearing, like the elephant, which can hear the calls of others up to 6km away. Catfish have taste buds all over their bodies; they are literally mapping the environment around them with the sense of taste. Scorpions can detect the footfalls of their prey using ground sensors, while harbor seals can track fish using their whiskers- a result of tiny variations in aquatic pressure. In quieter eras, whale calls could carry across an entire ocean, presumably allowing them to navigate long distances. Birds and turtles can also navigate long distances by sensing the Earth's magnetic field. Spiders take off by sensing electric forces in the air that they can attach with. Dolphins can map the physical anatomy of most ocean creatures by using echolocation; they can literally see inside our bodies while mapping their surroundings using sound. Others can detect infrared or ultraviolet light in their surroundings. The treasure chest of natural cartography is large and seemingly magical. Imagine a being imbued with all these remote sensing abilities; you would have an organic super-being with finer detection than our most advanced satellites.
Otherwise, the range of animal sense abilities are scientifically staggering. The killer fly's ultra fast vision allows it to capture quick flying insects in the span of a human blink. It can literally slow down time, at least relative to us, allowing for a slow-motion view of the world, which might explain why their life spans are so "short". Because they see the world in slow-motion, their perception of time is dilated, allowing them to live longer in the same amount time that we would perceive.
The naked mole rat is insensitive to normal pain, like those involving acids or capsaicin. Sea otters have the most dexterous hands of any species, including humans- fascinating when you consider how this ability co-evolved with our superior brains. Many birds can detect details in songs that humans cannot perceive; it seems they hear the natural world as a symphonic mess in slow-motion. The greater wax moth hears higher frequencies than any other animal. The platypus' bill can sense both pressure and electric fields, which it might combine into a single sense best described as electro-touch. Turtles can sense multiple magnetic dimensions, not just one. An octopus's arms are partly independent; they can sense and explore the world without direction from a central brain.
I discovered all these amazing abilities reading the unforgettable book An Immense World by Ed Wong. It helped me imagine what it's like to view the world from a wider perspective. Every animal in the book is a fascinating case study in alternate perceptions that would enhance our scientific abilities if we had them. What I suspect is that some animals are better at detecting "hidden" realities behind the physical one we perceive, lending credence to possible religious or supernatural ideas that some humans might have more access to than others. The more we realize how limited our perceptions are, the more we must remember to keep our minds open. I can't recommend this book enough.
