My Science School

As you sweat, the water evaporates into the air and cools the skin beneath it. Unfortunately, pigs have very few sweat glands, and the ones they do have don't work very well.

As a result, pigs can't sweat like we do. So what's a pig to do when it gets hot?

You guessed it: wallow in the mud! Rolling around in the mud helps to keep pigs from overheating when it gets too hot outside.

Some pig farmers now use water sprinklers instead of mud to keep pigs cool in warm months. Mud, however, tends to keep pigs cooler longer because the water in mud evaporates more slowly than pure water.

Just because pigs like to roll in mud, don't assume that they're dirty animals. To the contrary, pigs tend to be very clean animals.

For example, if you spend much time around a pig farm, you'll find that pigs keep their “bathroom" as far away as possible from the areas where they eat and drink.

Since they spend a lot of time outside, rolling in the mud does have other benefits. You've probably noticed that most pigs are not very tan. In fact, their light pink skin can get sunburned very easily.

To help protect their skin from sunburn, pigs use mud as a form of sunscreen. When mud dries on their skin, it forms a barrier against the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.

A good thick layer of mud also helps to protect pigs from insects. Flies, parasites, and biting insects are often drawn to the areas where pigs live since there is often food nearby. Mud helps to keep harmful insects away from pigs' sensitive skin.

Credit : Wonderopolis

Picture Credit : Google

Meerkats will stand on their back legs for a few reasons. Meerkats will use the increased height to survey their surroundings, calling out to other group members if any predators are close by. They also use this position to get extra heat and to defend their territories from other groups of meerkats.

Meerkats live in groups of as little as three members, to larger ones ranging up to 30 members. These small animals are among the few that can live in such large groups successfully. A meerkat family group is referred to as a mob, a gang, or a clan.

Many people are familiar with the upright position of a meerkat. You will either see one meerkat or a group standing together. Animals, whether big or small, have distinct behavior, and there is a reason for this. Meerkats stand to attention for a few different purposes.

Being such small mammals, meerkats are susceptible to all kinds of predators. Due to being so small, the meerkat has to search for food quickly. By searching for prey quickly, they spend much less time in the open and away from predators. Meerkats will try to get back to their burrows very quickly. The burrows protect them from their natural predators. 

The aerial predators of a meerkat are large birds such as eagles and hawks. The meerkats also need to look out for predators on the ground. There are many terrestrial predators, including animals much larger than them, such as jackals.

The meerkats know that having one or more meerkats standing guard means that they can concentrate on foraging for food.

Credit : North American Nature

Picture Credit : Google

Jellyfish are transparent and made up of 95 percent water, so you’d think there isn’t much to them. But you’d be wrong. Jellyfish are more complex than you’d think—and one of their most fascinating parts is their stinging cells. Located on their tentacles, jellyfish's stinging cells are called cnidocytes. They are small compartments that house a mini needle-like stinger. When an outside force triggers a stinger, the cell opens, letting ocean water rush in. This causes the stinger to shoot out into what triggered the action; once it’s there, venom is released. All of this happens within a millionth of a second. Though the venom of most jellyfish is not harmful, some can be deadly. For example, the Indo-Pacific box jellyfish—or sea wasp—releases venom that makes the heart contract. There is an antidote, but the poison acts fast, so someone who is stung must seek medical attention immediately.

People may come into contact with the nematocysts of a jellyfish when they are swimming in the ocean or walking on the beach. This contact can cause the venom from the nematocysts to be injected into the body. More than 150 million jellyfish stings happen in the world each year.

Depending on the type of jellyfish and how much of the skin touches the venom, the sting can cause pain or other serious health problems. Some jellyfish stings can be life-threatening. It is important to get medical help if you have severe symptoms after a jellyfish sting.

Credit : Cleveland Clinic

Picture Credit : Google