May 16, 2025
Science

When he heard why the skin of African elephants is so wrinkled: “Good luck, it’s not smooth!” you’ll say

  • September 12, 2024
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This is actually in the hot savannahs An adaptive mechanism that allows them to survive. Moreover their skin Very important information about health problems It also gives! The

When he heard why the skin of African elephants is so wrinkled: “Good luck, it’s not smooth!” you’ll say

This is actually in the hot savannahs An adaptive mechanism that allows them to survive.

Moreover their skin Very important information about health problems It also gives!

The wrinkled and cracked skin of elephants is a feature that these large animals have evolved to adapt to the harsh living conditions in the African savannahs.

African elephant

African Elephants Compared to Asian Elephants This characteristic wrinkling of the animal’s skin evolved to reduce the effects of the hot climate and aid the animal’s survival.

elephantsThanks to their large body and thick skin, they can survive for a long time even in high temperatures. However, this thickening and cracking of their skin; In fact, it contains a number of adaptive features that allow these giant animals to survive. How?

Newborn elephants have small protrusions and pits on their skin.

elephant skin

These wells, over time It becomes apparent when the skin becomes thicker and causes large cracks in the skin. These cracks are connected to each other like a channel system that extends through the skin, allowing water to spread evenly through the skin.

The cracks and wrinkles in elephants’ skin allow water to be distributed more effectively through the skin and retain more water. When an elephant enters a puddle or when he sprays water with his hose, the water moves along these fine cracks and penetrates the entire surface of the skin. In this way, the elephant’s skin can hold about 10 times more water than a smooth surface. Water slows down the evaporation of sweat that has accumulated on the skin, thus regulating the body temperature of elephants.

The wrinkled and cracked structure of the skin allows the elephant to retain dust and mud for longer.

Asian elephant.

This bottom layerIt acts as a natural protector for elephants. It offers protection from both sunlight and parasites. These features are excellent examples of the protective barriers that the skin offers to elephants.

Asian elephants The skin is less rough because the tropical areas where these elephants live are more humid and water supplies are more abundant, so such a cracked skin structure is not necessary. This clearly shows how the skin is evolutionarily different and varies between elephants depending on environmental conditions.

Sources: Tubitak, Smithsonian

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