Beat the Heat with Wildlife

As we enter the dog days of summer, many of us find ourselves longing for cooler temperatures and a break from the relentless heat. While we can seek refuge in air-conditioned comfort, have you ever wondered how our desert-dwelling wildlife cope with the scorching summer months?

When the mercury rises and rainfall becomes scarce, desert animals face unique challenges. Let's explore some of the fascinating ways our furred and feathered neighbors beat the heat and thrive in these harsh conditions.

Avoidance

The most common and easiest way to stay cool is to simply avoid the heat. Many animals create burrows or find shelter in the shade of trees, bushes or rock outcroppings. Also, being nocturnal (moving only during the night) or crepuscular (dawn and dusk activity) helps to avoid the highest temperatures of the desert.

Heat Conduction and Radiation

Much like we can strip off layers of clothing, animals can conduct heat from their bodies to the environment by decreasing the insulating value of their feathers or fur.  Of course many mammals can shed their fur coat, but birds have to adapt differently.  By slicking down their feathers, they can create a thinner insulating layer. Additionally, birds have the ability to dilate the blood vessels in their featherless legs, which dumps heat.

Evaporative Cooling

When water evaporates from a surface, it cools that surface. Many animals take advantage of this effect. When a coyote pants, it rhythmically moves air over the moist surfaces of the mouth, throat, and tongue and water is evaporated. This cools the surfaces and the blood vessels around them, which then allows the cooled blood to circulate throughout the body.  An owl will do this by flapping the loose skin under its throat to move air over its mouth cavity, which is known as gular fluttering.  Vultures take the cake for the most, well, unique way of cooling down.  A vulture will -eh hem- relieve itself on its own legs! This process, called urohydrosis, helps cool the bird as the “droppings” evaporate.  (Interesting fact – birds eliminate both urine and feces at the same time, through one opening known as the cloaca.) 

So, when you start to get frustrated with the long, hot, never-ending summer just remember it could be worse...just ask the vultures.