Taking the heat: Asian elephants simply 'ride out' high daytime heat load
Friday, September 30, 2011 - 08:30
in Physics & Chemistry
Scientists in Austria have discovered the mechanism by which Asian elephants are able to tolerate hot daytime temperatures. Heterothermy is an adaptive mechanism by which body temperature fluctuates in response to environmental temperature, decreasing at night when it is cooler and increasing gradually in the daytime.