Animals Working Nine-to-Five

Worker Animals

Hero Rats
Hero rats have a nose for danger! That's right; rats have been trained to sniff out explosives like landmines. Rats are easy to breed and easy to train, according to herorat.org. And rats weigh so little, they can stand on a landmine without setting it off. Given all that, don't rats deserve a little more respect?

APOPO

Sniffer Bees
Honeybees communicate with one another through chemicals. Why not put their chemical sensors to good use? Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico are training honeybees to sniff out chemicals such as bombs and illegal drugs. The researchers say the trained bees (which are housed in portable bee-detection boxes) are cheaper and easier to train than detection dogs, and the bees' sense of smell is better even than that of the sharpest bloodhound.

Leroy N. Sanchez, Los Alamos National Lab

Navy Dolphins
Undersea explosives are a potential risk for the U.S. Navy. Fortunately, the seamen have finned friends to help them stay safe. Through the Navy Marine Mammal Program, dolphins are trained to use echolocation to locate and mark sea mines, allowing naval ships to steer clear of danger. The program has also worked with marine mammals like the California sea lion, which can mark and retrieve undersea objects.

Brien Aho, U.S. Navy / Getty Images

Cormorants
In Japan, China, and other parts of Asia, cormorants have been helping people fish for more than 1,300 years. The fish-eating birds employed by humans must wear a "uniform" to work -- a narrow band around their necks. The banded birds can swallow small fish, but big fish can't squeeze past the band. Human fishermen retrieve the large fish from their feathered assistants.


China Photos / Getty Images

Truffle-Hunting Pigs
For foodies, truffle mushrooms are one of life's greatest treasures. But the fungi, which can fetch as much as $2,000 per pound, only grow in the wild, hidden in forests. To root out the delicious 'shrooms, truffle hunters in North American and Europe employ domestic pigs. The hogs not only have sensitive noses, they also have a taste for the prized mushrooms.

Fred Mayer, Hulton Archive / Getty Images

Miniature Guide Horses for the Blind
Most people have heard of guide dogs for the blind. But some sight-impaired people prefer a different kind of guide animal: miniature horses. The friendly, adorable tiny horses have been used as guide animals since 1999, and they're growing in popularity. They're great for people who are allergic to (or afraid of) dogs, or who want to bond with a guide animal with a longer lifespan, reports the Guide Horse Foundation.

Carlos Osorio, AP

Dogs
We've been breeding dogs for thousands of years, shaping them for all kinds of jobs. Border collies have a knack for herding sheep (and sometimes, human family members). Sled dogs haul sleighs over the ice and snow. Hounds and pointers help hunters track down their catch. Today, worker dogs are trying out more modern careers. A sniffer dog might work for a scientist helping to track endangered species. Sweet, friendly pups might find jobs as therapy dogs, visiting hospitals and nursing homes to comfort patients.

Tony Gutierrez, AP