Be Cool
African bush elephants live on savannas where temperatures average 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
The world’s largest land mammals can’t sweat like other mammals, and their skin is very wrinkly and thick – 50 times thicker than human skin.
But the heat never seems to bother them. So how do they stay cool?
Elephants control their body temperature through the intricate process of “evaporative cooling,” thanks to tiny crevices in their coarse skin, National Geographic reported.
Their outer skin is covered in papillae, small protrusions that become thicker and start to crack as the animals age. When an elephant sprays water on its skin, the water flows through the crevices using capillary action – the same way plant roots absorb water from the soil.
The crevices allow the animal to store up to ten times more water than smoother surfaced creatures can, but that’s just one part of their job.
The cracks also store mud and dust, creating a protective layer against sunburn and parasites such as mosquitoes.
Scientists hope that more research on elephant skin can help in finding better treatments for human skin conditions.
Click here to see how the big-tusked beasties stay cool.
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