China uses snakes to predict quakes
Saturday, December 30, 2006

Here is another amazing fact.

You heard about the current earthquake disaster in Taiwan? Two people were killed and 42 injured on Tuesday when three buildings collapsed in earthquakes that shook southern Taiwan. The disaster worries neighbouring countries.

Beijing: China has come up with an earthquake prediction system which relies on the behavior of snakes, after two quakes struck off neighbouring Taiwan.

The earthquake bureau in Nanning, capital of the Guangxi, autonomous region in southern China, had developed its system using a combination of natural instinct and modern technology. 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 creatures on Earth, snakes are perhaps the most sensitive to earthquakes,” bureau director Jiang Weisong said. A snake could sense an earthquake from 120km away, three to five days before it happens. They respond by behaving strangely.

When an earthquake is about to occur, snakes will move out of their nests, even in the cold of winter. If the earthquake is a big one, the snakes will even smash into walls while trying to escape.

China is struck by frequent earthquakes, with most hitting remote rural areas.