Monday, May 16, 2011

Why Pigs Wallow Like Mud?

A pig loves to wallow in the mud in all situations. Apparently, this is why.
As quoted from the website LiveScience, researchers from Wageningen University Marc Bracke, examined 66 research papers that review the habits of pigs silt up, and other animals who like to wallow.
Apparently, the strongest motivation why pigs like to wallow in the mud is for body temperature regulation. According Bracke, pigs have few sweat glands, fat body, and the body that store heat.
By wallowing in the mud, pigs can reduce pig body temperature to 2 degrees Celsius. Means, wallow in mud more efficiently than to have more sweat glands, or soak in cold water.
But, despite the cold weather, pigs will still be wallowing in the mud, because it is not simply a matter of body temperature regulation.
Some pig mud bath to scrape parasites attached to the body, such as lice. Pigs are also doing it to mark their territory.
However, Bracke cautioned, that the need to wallow pig mud can not be replaced by providing a cold temperature using air conditioning, as well as drug-drug anti-parasitic skin.

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