Page 65 - One Million Things: Animal Life - The Incredible Visual Guide

5 MUD BATH 6 SHOWERING 7 PREENING FEATHERS
Hippopotamuses depend on mud baths or water In the hot African savanna, elephants visit To ensure flying is as efficent as possible, birds
to keep themselves cool in the African heat. The waterholes to drink and cool off. They use their use their beaks to preen their feathers. The tip of
water or mud also protects their sensitive skin trunks to suck up water, then squirt it into their the beak works like a comb to straighten and
from the bites of insects and other pests. If not mouths, or point it backward to shower cooling clean feathers. Preening also spreads an oily
regularly moistened, their skin dries out very water over their thick skin. Wet skin traps a layer of liquid over the feathers to waterproof them,
easily, and can crack and become infected. dust that protects against parasites and sunlight. and roots out any parasites living on the skin.

8 BIRD ANTING
Eurasian jays are among the birds that use this type
of maintenance. The bird lies on top of an ants’ nest,
provoking the irritated ants to spray chemicals,
such as formic acid, onto its feathers. These
chemicals kill irritating, blood-feeding parasites.

6

7

Flight feathers
spread out
for preening

Tail fanned out
over ants’ nest

8

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