A group of scientists from Nanning in the southern Chinese province of Guanxi, are claiming they can predict earthquakes just by observing the behavior of snakes.

The earthquake bureau in Nannning says they monitor snakes on a snake farm using 24-hour Internet video links. Scientists working for the bureau say the snakes can sense a quake from 75 miles away, up to five days before it occurs.

Jiang Weisong, director of the earthquake bureau in Nanning says, "Of all the creatures on the Earth, snakes are perhaps the most sensitive to earthquakes.

"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."

He told the China Daily newspaper, "By installing cameras over the snake nests, we have improved our ability to forecast earthquakes. The system could be extended to other parts of the country to make our earthquake forecasts more precise."