Rats and mice might be enhancing their strong sense of smell by using sounds unable to be detected by the human ear.

Rats use ultrasonic sounds to enhance smell, opening doors to innovations in particle manipulation and sensory research.

A specialist in the biology of sound has made an incredible observation about the "Jedi" smell-powers of mice and rats. While depicted in cartoons and films as being squeaking little menaces, the sounds mice and rats make are actually ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) that occur at way higher frequencies than the human ear can detect.

It almost seems like magic.” Scientists have known about USVs since the 1950s and previously suggested that mice may use them as a form of communication or a courtship display. The study, published in the journal Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews,