Today, people are very sensitive to their own cleanliness. Every day we brush our teeth, wash our hands after going outside, wash ourselves, take a shower. Animals have a slightly different attitude to hygiene, but in no case do not neglect them. Which animals are the cleanest? And how exactly do they get rid of dirt and parasites? Let's find out.
Animal hygiene
Our smaller brothers do not know what shampoo or soap is. But in the wild there are many other means to keep yourself clean. Many animals carefully take care of their own hygiene, using ponds, sand, earth and other improvised materials for this.
Even the cleanest animals, as a rule, do not brush their teeth. At least in the usual way for us. There is no sugar in their diet, so the risk of caries is not great. They get rid of plaque and small food debris during meals when they chew on bones, cartilage, tree bark or grass.
The main enemies of tetrapods are parasites and dust. Licking, combing, rolling on the ground, bathing in the rain, and sometimes other animals helps to get rid of them. The ungulates that inhabit the savannahs and semi-deserts of Africa are saved from pests thanks to a starling-drag. The bird literally lives on antelopes, buffalos, zebras, eating the ectoparasites that live in their wool. In addition, animals use various secretions that disinfect the body, clean their hair and feathers and protect them from sticking debris.
Mammals and birds pay much more attention to hygiene than, for example, reptiles. So, snakes usually do not clean their covers. They do not lick themselves and do not take special baths, but they lose their skin several times a year, satisfying their hygiene needs. Like crocodiles, they often change their teeth, so they are not afraid of problems with stale breathing. Over a lifetime, they can change from a few hundred to three thousand teeth.
Pigs are the cleanest animals
Pigs have long been perceived as sloppy animals that lie all day in the mud and generally behave very untidy. They really like to swim in the earth wet from the rain and will not miss the opportunity to plunge into another puddle. However, from the point of view of nature, such behavior is considered hygiene and is widespread among our smaller brothers.
Smeared with wet clay and earth, pigs cool the body during the hot season, and at the same time get rid of parasites. Drying on the body of the animal, the dirt falls off in pieces and takes with it ticks, fleas and mosquitoes. In this way rhinos, elephants, buffalos, zebras and other animals fight with annoying parasites.
The most clean pigs can also be called due to the habit of clearly dividing their territory into zones. In their living space stands out an area where animals eat, sleep, and where they relieve themselves. Pigs strictly adhere to this and never eat in the place where they go to the toilet.
Cats
Anyone who dealt with cats may have watched more than once as they lick their fur. They do this carefully, with concentration and from a young age, which is why they have rightfully earned a reputation for cleanliness. With a rough tongue, they remove dust, hairs and particles of dead skin. At the same time, they stimulate the glands that secrete a secret, which lubricates the hair and makes it elastic.
The main reason cats wash themselves is in the way they get food. Historically, they are hunters who catch prey, quietly hiding in an ambush. In this matter, invisibility is extremely important, therefore, by licking they knock down the natural smell. For the same reason, they dig in excrement, preventing enemies from finding themselves. Caution is inherent in both wild and domestic cats, so they are all equally clean.
Dogs, for example, are less hygienic. They are also predators, but they are not used to hiding from their enemies or prey. In which case, they are always ready to fight the enemy and do not care too much about hiding their own traces.
Monkeys
Washing and combing are very fond of primates. Moreover, they are doing this collectively, caring for the wool of the "comrades". About 20% of the time, monkeys spend every day picking fleas, ticks and small debris from the body of their relatives.
Such an action is called grooming and it performs not only a hygienic, but also an important social role. Mutual combing is a peculiar way of communication and strengthening ties between group members. During grooming, the body of primates produces endorphin, which allows them to feel relaxed, get rid of fatigue, fear and stress.
Birds
Among the cleanest animals must be birds. Their feathers are a great place for all kinds of parasites and garbage. Flying, they collect a lot of dust and other small particles, so the birds need a good wash.
Some species can fully dive into ponds, ducks and swans usually lower their heads there, scooping up water with their beaks and throwing them on their backs. Swallows quickly fly over a lake or a river, moistening only the stomach and chest. Land birds prefer to plunge in puddles or shake off drops that linger on trees. Sometimes they take a shower in the rain, while fluffing the plumage. Partridges bathe in the sand in the summer, and burrow in the snow in the winter.
So that the feathers do not break, the birds grease them with a fat secret, which is secreted by the coccygeal gland. It makes the covers more elastic and prevents them from getting too wet. The tousled feathers of the bird are smoothed out with their beak or paws, and they remove the horny particles formed during molting.
Insects
Invertebrates do not often fall on the list of the cleanest animals on the planet. They are small in size, have no wool, which means there are much fewer problems with hygiene than large creatures. Nevertheless, they care for themselves and their home. For example, ants have special working individuals whose duties include garbage collection from the territory.
Serious pests for insects are fungi and microorganisms. To combat them, animals secrete enzymes with antibacterial action, many of which are also poisonous. In ants, this is formic acid, which scares away enemies. Scolopendras treat the egg masonry with antimicrobial fluid so that the young are not at risk of illness.