Can animals predict the weather? This is a question that has piqued our curiosity for ages, often leading to folklore and legends about weather-predicting animals. From Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog predicting the onset of spring, to stories of cats sensing a storm brewing, the animal kingdom is rife with these seemingly meteorological masters.

This article will delve into the facts and myths surrounding 12 such animals and their purported weather-predicting abilities.

Why Can Animals Detect Weather Changes?

Experts suggest that animals, with their heightened senses and acute awareness of environmental changes, might be better equipped than humans to sense weather shifts. Their ability to detect subtle shifts in barometric pressure, humidity, and seasons could explain their seemingly predictive behavior before a storm.

Complete List of All The Animals That Can Predict Weather

Cats: The Furry Forecasters

brown Scottish fold in brown thick-pile blanket

Cats, with their superior senses, are believed to predict thunderstorms and inclement weather. Their enhanced hearing lets them detect distant thunder while their heightened sense of smell may even allow them to pick up the distinctive pre-storm metallic scent in the atmosphere.

Dogs: The Canine Climatologists

yellow labrador retriever puppy sitting on floor

Dogs, too, have been credited with predicting weather changes. Stories of dogs warning their families of impending tornadoes or hurricanes often relate to dogs reacting to environmental shifts like drops in pressure or atmospheric electricity. Their extraordinary olfactory senses might allow them to anticipate a thunderstorm before it hits.

Cows: The Bovine Barometers

time lapse photography of cattle cow under clouds

You might have heard that when cows lie down, it signifies rain. Interestingly, research affirms this old adage. As standing up helps cows lose heat, a drop in air temperature might prompt them to lie down, indicating rain.

Birds: The Feathered Forecasters

photo of birds flying up in the skiy

Birds, it’s said, can also forecast weather changes. While the folkloric belief about birds flying low indicating bad weather might not hold, witnessing unusual migrations or a large congregation of birds on power lines could suggest an approaching storm. Birds’ ability to hear infrasound – extremely low frequencies inaudible to humans – could explain their predictive behavior.

Toads: The Amphibian Augurs

toad

The humble toad is another creature reputed to have weather-forecasting abilities, particularly in relation to natural disasters. A case in point is the catastrophic earthquake that struck L’Aquila, Italy, in April 2009. Five days before the quake, a colony of toads in a nearby pond mysteriously vanished, only to reappear a few days after the event.

While the exact mechanism remains a mystery, it’s speculated that changes in the Earth’s magnetic field and fluctuations in radon gas levels in the groundwater may play a part in the toads’ prescient behavior.

Sheep: The Ruminant Rain Detectors

white sheeps on grass field

In certain cultures, sheep are believed to have weather-predicting capabilities. For instance, in Iceland, it’s thought that if sheep start urinating more frequently, rain is imminent, and that brightly colored urine is a sign of a sunny, clear day.

This anecdote’s accuracy is uncertain. However, another weather prediction method attributed to sheep is their tendency to butt heads when strong winds are coming.

Groundhogs: The Burrowing Prognosticators

Groundhogs

Of all weather-predicting animals, the groundhog is perhaps the most famous. Every year on February 2nd, throngs of people flock to Pennsylvania to witness whether Punxsutawney Phil will foresee six more weeks of winter or early spring.

Unfortunately, Phil’s track record isn’t stellar, with correct predictions only about 39% of the time. The jury is still out on groundhogs’ weather-predicting abilities. Nevertheless, the enjoyment of participating in the festivities surrounding Phil’s prediction can’t be denied!

Frogs: The Croaking Climatologists

green frog on brown surface

These small amphibians are exceptionally sensitive to atmospheric and temperature changes, particularly those related to global warming. Since frogs rely on water for survival and reproduction, they are more likely to breed successfully after a substantial rainstorm.

Consequently, you might notice frogs croaking their mating calls louder just before a good downpour, providing the necessary moisture for egg-laying.

Ladybugs: The Beetle Barometers

ladybug on green grass

Ladybugs are more than just symbols of good luck—they also seem to have an uncanny ability to predict weather changes. When weather conditions warm, these beetles emerge from their hiding spots in the garden. Conversely, as the temperature dips before a heavy shower, they seek refuge under tree bark.

Wooly Bear Caterpillars: The Furry False Prophets

Wooly Bear Caterpillars

According to legend, woolly bear caterpillars can predict the severity of the upcoming winter based on the colors of their bodies. More black than brown indicates a harsh, cold winter, while a large brown central band flanked by small black bands suggests a mild winter.

Unfortunately, this is a myth. The caterpillars’ coloration is influenced by factors like age, nutrition, and species, rather than weather patterns. Moreover, molting seasons can cause the colors to transition into new patterns.

Sharks: The Aquatic Augurs

black shark under blue sky

Sharks, too, can sense weather changes. During Hurricane Gabrielle in 2001, blacktip sharks in Florida swam into deeper waters as the barometric pressure dropped.

Sharks represent another group of animals thought to be weather-sensitive. Scientists confirmed this by observing a small population of sharks during the approach of a hurricane. As the storm neared, the sharks quickly swam into deeper water, an adaptation that would help them avoid turbulent waves. Therefore, if you ever see sharks fleeing to deeper waters, it may be a sign of an incoming storm.

Ants 

black ant on black wire

Ants’ extraordinarily sensitive antennae can detect minute chemical traces in the air as well as detect changes in the atmosphere. There’s no way to know for sure if ants can sense severe weather or not because there’s no credible scientific data to back up this claim.

Some ant species that dwell on flood plains, on the other hand, may build levees around their nests with massive mud walls roughly 24 hours before a severe rainstorm to channel water away from their colony and prevent flooding.

During floods, fire ants band together to form a ball that can float for days or even weeks on the water’s surface.

Crickets

crickets

Cricket is another weather predictor with a scientific background. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, scientist Amos Dolbear’s paper “The Cricket as a Thermometer” revealed the association between the ambient temperature and the pace at which crickets chirp.

It was published in 1857 and gave a formula for determining what those chirps signified. Count how many chirps you hear in 14 seconds, then multiply by 40 to find the approximate temperature outside.

The outside temperature is probably approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit if you hear 30 chirps. Here’s why crickets, cicadas, and other insects are so loud.

Fish 

gold fish

The BBC wonders if “trout jump high, when a rain is nigh” is true or not. Maybe a little of both. Changes in barometric pressure can be felt by both species that live underwater and those that live in the sky; it turns out.

When rain is ‘near’ or impending, low-pressure systems often occur and cause plant particles stuck at the bottom of a lake to rise.  Microscopic creatures are distributed in the water.

As a result, providing food for little fish. The smaller fish, in turn, feed the larger fish.” Many fish, including trout, increase their leaping activity when this occurs.

Butterflies and bees

marco shot photography of purple flower

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, insects, like birds, are the best weather predictors, and for similar reasons—namely, the pressure-system shifts that restrict birds from flapping.

So, if you peek out your window and don’t see the typical pollinators, you’re right to believe that climate change is lowering species diversification once again.

On the other hand, a low-pressure system may have sent these tiny fliers looking for cover ahead of a storm. If you were wondering, this is where all the honeybees go to hibernate over the winter.

Spiders 

shallow focus photography of spider web

You’re probably not thrilled to discover spiders in your home—though you should be! Not only do they catch and eat a variety of bothersome creatures, such as mosquitoes, but they can also predict the weather.

Spiders seek protection in your lovely, toasty home when the weather outside is likely to become frigid, according to National Geographic.

Black widows, on the other hand, are a reason for concern. These arachnids despise being outside in the cold, so be sure the house spider that’s taken up residence in the darkest areas of your home, such as your closet or basement, isn’t deadly.

Elephants 

elephant during daytime

Elephants have better hearing than humans and can hear sounds that we can’t. Scientists believe that if an earthquake occurs, elephants may be able to hear it from a vast distance and feel the vibrations through their huge feet.

This serves as a warning to the elephants that it is time to seek higher and safer terrain. 

Folklore and more animal forecasters

  • Bats flying late in the evening means that the weather will be pleasant.
  • Before a storm, wolves howl even louder.
  • Expect severe weather if the mole digs a hole 212 feet deep, not so severe if it digs a hole two feet deep, and mild weather if it digs a hole one foot deep.
  • Expect a frigid winter when pigs gather leaves and straw in the fall.
  • Expect a lengthy, cold winter when rabbits are plump in October and November.

Conclusion

While not all of these animal behaviors have been scientifically proven to predict the weather, they are intriguing examples of how tuned into nature many animals are. Their behaviors are often subtle, and understanding them requires careful observation, something that many of us in the modern world have lost touch with. So the next time you’re curious about the weather, consider looking around at the animals nearby. They may be trying to tell you something.