Photo by Damien DUFOUR Photographie on Unsplash
It has been a hot summer this year! Many of us have coped with air conditioning, ice cream, or swimming to cool ourselves off. Animals in the wild don’t have all of those options available to them though - so what do they do to stay cool in the heat?
Most people are familiar with dogs panting and horses sweating to stay cool on hot days, but how do other animals beat the heat? Like humans, animals use various methods of evaporative cooling to regulate their body temperatures. For example, rabbits, foxes, and elephants have thin skin paired with blood vessels near the surface in their large ears to help shed excess body heat. Bees carry water droplets back to their hives and fan them with their wings, effectively creating their own air conditioning. While some birds perform guttural fluttering, which is similar to panting, storks and vultures defecate on their legs to stay cool. It sounds gross, but it works! Similarly, kangaroos salivate on their forearms in the harsh Australian heat.
Photo by Moritz Kindler on Unsplash
How about shade? Animals will seek canopy cover or other shaded areas on hot days, but some have adapted unique ways to create shade. Burrowing animals, like ground squirrels and prairie dogs, take refuge underground on hot days. They will even build special tunnels for optimal airflow that aids in keeping their dens cool. Bushy-tailed animals, like tree squirrels, use their tails like an umbrella to create their own shade - which is adorable.
Unlike mammals, reptiles and amphibians are poikilotherms and use their environment to manipulate their body temperature. They will bask in the sun to warm up and will seek water, mud, or crevices when they need to cool down. Similar to hibernation in cold weather, some snails, worms and small mammals will go into estivation in hot weather, hiding from the heat and saving their energy.
What is your favourite way to cool off?
Guest blog by Jana Teefy.
