Hobbies And Interests
Dissipating Heat
By reducing the insulation value of their fur or feathers, animals can transfer heat from their bodies into the surrounding environment. For instance, some animals, such as coyotes, lose their winter coats during spring to ensure they are cooler during the hot summers. Birds generally deal with heat better than mammals because their regular body temperature is higher, at 107 Fahrenheit. It means they can continue to conduct heat to the air up to a higher temperature than mammals.
Cooling Mechanisms
Evaporative cooling is the primary cooling mechanism used in both mammals and birds when exposed to high temperatures. The panting motion common in domestic dogs out in the midday sun is intended to move air over the moist surfaces of the throat, mouth and tongue, evaporating water and cooling. These surfaces contain an abundance of red blood cells. By cooling these blood cells, the cooled blood is circulated throughout the body. The brain, in particular, is highly susceptible to overheating. Sheep possess an evaporative cooling system in their nasal passages that cools a network of blood vessels to the brain, making it cooler than the rest of the body.
Water Budgeting
Water is one of the biggest constraining factors for animals in hot environments. Animals perspire far more freely in high temperatures. Water plays a key role in most of the body's chemical reactions. Water functions to transport nutrients around the body and as a medium for the dilution and removal of bodily wastes. Animals exposed to hot temperatures must carefully balance their water expenditure against the amount of water they can procure. The kangaroo rat is particularly well adapted to deal with water constraints. They consume dry, high-carbohydrate seeds, from which they procure moisture: One gram of seed produces half a gram of oxidation water. The kangaroo rat also stores seeds in its burrow. Because of the higher humidity of its burrow, the rat ensures the seeds absorb up to 30 percent more moisture. The kangaroo rat suffers little evaporative water loss, because it has no sweat glands. It loses far less liquid than most animals through its urine; its feces is five times drier than a rat bred in the lab.
Staying out of the Sun
Perhaps the best adaptation to living in environments where the temperatures are high is avoiding midday heat altogether. Even in the hottest deserts, cool microclimates exist in which animals can seek refuge from the scorching sun. Large animals, such as lions and buffaloes, will seek refuge in the shade of a tree, where the air is cooler. Birds of prey, such as the prairie falcon, may nest on a ledge facing away from the sun. Smaller animals dig burrows into the earth, where they can rest out of the sun in a cooler, more moist environment.