During a hot day, we tend to sweat. However, elephants are unable to do so. Ever wondered how do they regulate their body temperature?
Elephants are massive animals and they produce a lot of body heat. As they inhabit very hot regions, it is pivotal to have an efficient method to eliminate excess body heat. Hence, elephants are equipped with a built in solution which[ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3,5″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ] are their big, floppy ears.
An elephant’s enormous ears act as cooling devices in which they possess a complex network of blood vessels below the surface of the skin.
As an elephant heats up, it pumps hot air into its specialised veins that enables the heat to be released into the air. Furthermore, an elephant’s ears also act similar to giant fans.
The elephant create a light breeze that hastens the cooling process by flapping its ears back and forth. This act can cool its body up to a surprising 5 °C.
African elephants evolved larger ears in comparison to Asian elephants. This is because Asian elephants tend to dwell in shady forests and do not endure the harsh temperatures as their African counterparts.
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