After combing through the
evidence, a team of scientists at Princeton University has teased out
the answer: To keep them cool.
Unlike other animals
whose hairy covering helps keep them warm in cold weather, the sparse
hair of the elephant -- which tends to be found in hot climes -- helps
carry heat away from the animal's skin and into the air, a study by
Princeton University finds.
Elephants have the
greatest need for heat loss of any modern terrestrial animal because of
their high body-volume to skin-surface ratio, the report points out.
Many typical elephant
behaviors help the giant creatures keep their cool -- from ear flapping
to dust baths to water-spraying. They also lose heat through their skin
and from blood flowing through their large ears....Read...
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