vibrissae
Cat's facial feelers
Vibrissae are the stiff, specialized hairs that serve as sensory organs in many mammals—what we commonly call whiskers.
Cats and rodents use them to detect nearby objects and navigate in darkness.
The term also applies to similar bristle-like feathers near the mouths of some birds.
Singular: vibrissa.
Of the touching sense
- proprioceptionBody's spatial self-awareness
- trigeminalThree-branched facial nerve
- nerveSignal-carrying body fiber
- sensitivityResponsiveness to stimuli
detection · receptors · touch · perception · stimulus · response · threshold · transduction
Facial sensory hairs
- folliclesHair-producing skin structures
- barbelsFish sensory projections
- setaeStiff hairlike structures
- bristleCoarse animal hair
carpal · snout · muzzle · hair · shaft · root · papilla · sinus
Small furry housepet
- rodentGnawing mammal order
- sealAuthentication stamp or mark
- otterSemi-aquatic weasel relative
- ratRodent or informer
mouse · rabbit · squirrel · walrus · manatee · pinniped · shrew · hamster
Determining position and course
- spatialRelating to physical extent
- huntingPursuing wild game
- nocturnalActive during darkness
- explorationTraveling through unknown regions
orientation · whisking · scanning · localization · foraging · obstacle · detection · prey
tactile
Of the touching sense
- proprioceptionBody's spatial self-awareness
- trigeminalThree-branched facial nerve
- nerveSignal-carrying body fiber
sensitivity · detection · receptors · touch · perception · stimulus · response · threshold · transduction · afferent
whiskers
Facial sensory hairs
- folliclesHair-producing skin structures
- barbelsFish sensory projections
- setaeStiff hairlike structures
bristle · carpal · snout · muzzle · hair · shaft · root · papilla · sinus · capsule
cat
Small furry housepet
rat · mouse · rabbit · squirrel · walrus · manatee · pinniped · shrew · hamster · beaver
navigation
Determining position and course
exploration · orientation · whisking · scanning · localization · foraging · obstacle · detection · prey · environment