Produced by Annette Heist, Ruth Lichtman, and Flora Lichtman

Lobsters are among the most sensitive smellers on the planet. “Walking noses,” that’s what ecologist Paul Moore calls them. Covered head-to-claw with chemical receptors, lobsters can smell and taste across nearly every portion of their segmented bodies. These animals live their lives guided by the invisible chemical signals they encounter. Smells and tastes enable them to navigate and find food, while pheromones help them attract mates. And for one-on-one communication, they take a more direct approach: a jet of urine straight to the face.
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