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| Sunday, 11 September 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Animals cooling off
Pigs and water buffaloes wallow in mud and muddy water to cool themselves. Pigs don't have sweat glands in their bodies so they cannot project heat as sweat, but by taking dips in water and covering themselves in mud, they can shield their skins from the excessive warmth. Water buffaloes may also choose to rest under shady trees. Elephants and hippopotamuses also enjoy mud baths. Elephants will take dips in water bodies and throw dust over themselves to ward off the heat. They also use their large, thin, fan-like ears to regulate body temperature. The hippopotamus, meanwhile, has a slimy, pink substance oozing from its body. This acts as a sun-screen, protecting the animal from sun burn. Have you seen dogs panting with their tongues hanging out? That is how they cool off. Although dogs do have sweat glands, since they are located on the animals' paws, no amount of sweating will cool them off. So they open their mouths, hang out their tongues, and start breathing in and out quickly to cool themselves. The panting action is used by birds too. It helps birds by evaporating water from their lungs, throat, mouth and other parts of the body. Camels are well known for being able to stand the heat. They can go for long periods without water and when they find a water source, they will rehydrate quickly. They also roll in the dirt to protect against heat. Not only creatures living on the land, but fish also have their own mechanisms to counter the heat. The lungfish, for instance, burrows into the mud at the bottom of a lake and stands upright on this hole with its nose pointing upwards. As the lake dries up, the fish releases a mucus-like substance which forms a cocoon around its body, with an opening remaining for breathing. Its heart rate will go down and it will live off the stored fat and protein. It can survive this way for about eight months. |
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What do animals do to beat the heat? As they don't have fans or
air-conditioners like we humans do, how do they counter the heat? 
