Researchers have discovered that the mucus produced by Echidnas has two functions: first, it cleans the dirt from their snouts, and second, it helps them stay cool.
Echidnas were photographed by Curtin University researchers in Western Australia using thermal imaging as they expelled mucus bubbles from their noses. Researchers discovered that the Echidnas can execute evaporation to cool down the blood circulation under their skin when the mucus bubbles at the tip of their nose burst.
According to environmental physiologist Christine Cooper, it is a very efficient cooling mechanism. ‘We discovered that some body parts and their snout are actually 10 degrees Celsius off from one another.’
He says that this mechanism of animals in which they use their blood for evaporation is not new but finding an animal that uses snot for doing the same job was a discovery.
Dr Cooper believes that understanding how Echidnas tolerate heat is critical for their conservation
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