The Warm weather animals Adapt their mechanisms to stimulate the circulation of the air through their organism and thus to dissipate the heat.
These animals adapt their behavior to the conditions of the high temperatures in order to avoid the heat during the most suffocating hours of the day.
10 fascinating warm weather animals
1- Camels
Camels live in hot, dry deserts where high daytime temperatures are reached but experience low temperatures at night. They are very well adapted to survive in the desert. These adaptations include:
- They have large, flat feet to spread their weight on the sand.
- Their hair is thick on the upper body for shade, and have thin skin in other places to allow easy loss of heat.
- They have a large area / volume ratio to maximize heat loss.
- They lose very little water by urination and sweating.
- They have the capacity to tolerate body temperatures up to 42 ° Celsius.
- The opening of their nostrils, as well as two rows of eyelashes, help camels prevent sand from sticking into their eyes and noses.
- You can spend a week without water and months without food
- They store fat in their humps (not water as is commonly believed) and this fat is metabolized by energy.
- Camels have thick lips to eat the thorny desert plants without pain.
2- Armadillos
Armadillos live in warm habitats, usually near water. They need the heat to survive because they have a low metabolism and do not store a lot of fat in the body, making them particularly vulnerable to the effects of cold.
To avoid the hottest hours, armadillos have nocturnal habits that is the time where they hunt. During the day they sleep for many hours (they can sleep up to 16 hours in a row).
Despite their poor eyesight, armadillos are relatively well equipped to live in warm climates. They are strong and effective in digging, allowing them to carve elaborate burrows where they protect themselves from heat and protect themselves from predators. They have a very long tongue that helps them get insects out of their tunnels.
3- Worm of Pompeii
Discovered in the early 1980s by French scientists, the Pompeii worm ( Alvinella pompejana ) Is approximately four inches long (10 cm) with tentacles like gills on its red head by hemoglobin.
This species lives clinging to the smoke exits of the hydrothermal vents of the ridges of the Pacific Ocean, vents created from the chemicals expelled to 300 degrees Celsius that meet with the cold waters of the sea.
The Pompeii worm has adapted to tolerate these extremely hot (almost boiling) waters that reach a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius. The most fascinating factor of this species is its behavior of keeping the body in two different heat temperatures.
The end of the tail can withstand a climate of up to 80 degrees Celsius, while its head resists a much lower temperature of around 22 degrees Celsius and is where it feeds and breathes.
This phenomenon makes the Pompeian worm the most heat-tolerant complex animal known to science.
4- Ant of the Sahara Desert
These carrion ants are able to withstand up to 60 degrees Celsius on the surface of the desert, making them one of the most heat-tolerant insect clusters.
In the hottest hour of the day they leave their den for a few minutes to forage while their predators hide from the sun.
His periodic observation of the position of the Sun, the constant counting of his own steps and his fine nose, allow him to find his way home quickly to avoid falling victim to overheating.
5- Rhinoceroses
Thick skin, facial horns and relatively hairless bodies help rhinos to fight the heat and survive in the woods and savannas in which they live.
The combination of their sharp horns and their immense volume helps to protect themselves from other predatory mammals, while their almost complete lack of body hair prevents these immense animals from overheating in the tropical heat of their homelands.
According to the University of Michigan, Department of Zoology, five species of rhinos inhabit the world. Three species live in Asia, while the other two species live in sub-Saharan Africa.
Each species has developed unique adaptations that allow them to thrive in their specific habitats. Smaller species, for example, tend to inhabit forests, while larger species (the Indian rhinoceros of southern India and the black and white rhinoceroses of Africa) inhabit open environments.
To cope with the high temperatures of their environment, rhinos tend to rest during the heat of the day and seek food in the mornings and evenings. Rhinos need to drink large amounts of water to hydrate and refresh their bodies, so they usually live near rivers or lakes.
They can spend several days without consuming water when necessary. During dry seasons, they often travel farther than normal to find water, extending their territories to 20 square kilometers.
6- The thorny devil
In the Australian desert, water can be extremely difficult to obtain. To deal with this problem, the thorny devil has developed a skin that can absorb water as a blotting paper ("capillary action"). The way the scales of this reptile's body are structured, collect dew and channel it to the corners of its mouth, where the lizard drinks it. You can see the skin of this lizard darken while absorbing any liquid.
7- The squirrel of the land of the corporal
The Cape Ground Squirrel lives in the arid regions of southern Africa, including the Kalahari Desert. It is cinnamon colored at the top and gray below, with a white stripe that runs along each side of its body, and has a large, thick tail.
This rodent can use its thick tail as a kind of umbrella to combat the heat. The Cape squirrel almost never drinks water, being able to feed mainly on the water of the plants from which it feeds.
8- The American peccary or boar
The American peccary or boar is a placental mammal that has a specialized digestive system and a sturdy mouth that allows it to bite cactus nopal without feeling the effects of thousands of plant thorns.
As an additional advantage, consuming these cacti allows you to supplement the water intake as the spines of this plant are absolutely charged with water.
9- The bargains
This bird, found mainly in the deserts of Asia and North Africa, has specialized feathers on its belly that are able to absorb small amounts of water.
Males of the species use these feathers as a sponge to carry the water back to their nests, which they then share with their female counterparts and descendants.
10- The gazelle dorcas
The dorcas gazelle never has to drink water or urinate. Although they drink water when it is available, this small species of North African antelope can get all the water it needs from the food in its diet.
They are able to withstand high temperatures, but when the heat is extreme, they try to carry out their activities mainly at sunrise, at dusk and during the night. These gazelles feed on leaves, flowers and pods of many species of Acacia trees, as well as the leaves, branches and fruits of various shrubs.
References
- BBC Nature. (2014). Understanding our environment. 7-2-2017, from BBC Website: bbc.co.uk.
- Barrow, M. (2013). Camels. 7-2-2017, from primaryhomeworkhelp.com Website: primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk.
- Whalerock Digital Media, LLC. (2016). The life of Armadillos. 7-2-2017, from mom.me Website: animals.mom.me.
- Dickie, G. (2014). 5 Animals That Can Take the Extreme Heat-and Cold. 7-2-2017, National Geographic Website: nationalgeographic.com.
- Rohrig, B. (2013). Chilling Out, Warming Up: How Animals Survive Temperature Extremes. 7-2-2017, from American Chemical Society Website: acs.org.
- Grove, A. (2011). Survival of the Rhino. 7-2-2017, from Bright Hub Website: brighthub.com.
- Baker, C. (2014). 20 Amazing Animal Adaptations for Living in the Desert. 7-2-2017, by Mental Floss Website: mentalfloss.com.
- Hickerson, D. (2011). The Cape Ground Squirrel. 7-2-2017, from Blogger Website: mentalfloss.com.
- Fleming, D. (2014). The ant that is the hottest insect in the world. 7-2-2017, from BBCEarth Website: bbc.com.