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There are more than 5,000 species mammal on the planet, and they cover a range of creatures as diverse as the 100 feet long blue whale, Australia is strangely one-eyed platypus, and the fiercely armored one pangolin. But there are a few things that all mammals have in common — most notably their warm-blooded metabolism, four-chambered hearts, complex brains and the presence of hair. Hair or fur was developed primarily as a way to insulate mammals from the cold. It is a practical necessity that aids in the already challenging task of self-regulating body temperature.
But in some animals the hair is either absent or so sparse that it goes unnoticed by the casual observer. This could be due to a skin condition, natural selection or even targeted breeding to go bald animals for use as pets. Each of these animals has a story to tell, and here are the facts behind 10 of the most fascinating hairless animals in the world.
1. Black bears: the mystery in the Leipzig Zoo
When the three female spectacled bears Bee Leipzig Zoo in Germany began to lose their hair and showed both lesions and rashes on their skin, zoologists and caretakers were at a loss. None of the men showed similar conditions, and the two leading causes of hair loss in bears – scabies and alopecia – didn’t seem to be to blame. It’s a mystery that’s never been solved, but bears going bald just seem to get bigger and bigger. Sarcoptic mange outbreak hits black bears by the American Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, and it’s a condition that can cause not only hair loss but also a fatal autoimmune deficiency. polar bears have similarly seen an increase in cases of baldness causing alopecia, and the prevailing idea seems to believe that this may be the result of declining health due to climate change destroying their habitats.
2. Raccoons: Common Victims of Mange
When a strong, hairless, six-pound creature was discovered in a… Florida suburban appearance was so bizarre and unprecedented that some whispered it could be the legendary Mexican cryptid known as a chupacabra. Without the distinctive shape, patterns and color of its fur, a casual observer would probably never guess that the animal was a raccoon. And while this racoon – Dobbie named after the Harry Potter character – unfortunately did not survive the encounter with sarcoptic mange, a similarly bald raccoon named Gizmo recovered from his encounter and healed after a treatment in 2018.
Mange isn’t necessarily more common in raccoons than in other wild animals, but the fact that they often coexist on the fringes of human settlements means people are more likely to encounter them than many other hairless animals. A study not published until 2021 indicated that the spread of mange may be facilitated by climate change, as hairless animals such as raccoons can survive longer in warmer weather and thus pass the condition more easily.
3. Sphynx: The Egyptian Cat Bred To Be Bald
One of the most famous hairless animals, the hairless Sphynx cat bears a surprising resemblance to the felines that inhabit the graves of Egyptian pharaohs, its origin is much less exotic and much more recent. The first sphynx was created in Canada in 1966 by breeding a domestic shorthair with a kitten that had a genetic mutation that caused baldness. While not the first hairless cat, this is the first to be bred with the express intention of being born without fur. Sphynxes are born without fur, but the genetic makeup of the breed can sometimes lead to cats with fur. Although not usually kept as pets, they are often still used for diversity breeding.
4. Naked Mole Rat: Bald and Really Bizarre
The fact that it is born without fur is perhaps not the most unusual feature of the naked mole rat. Found everywhere Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya, this rodents are almost complete Blind and deaf, and they forage for their vegetarian meals in vast underground colonies. These colonies can house as many as 300 of the creatures, and these communities are important because it allows them to cluster together to produce body heat — a necessity given their lack of body hair. Like most naturally bald animals, naked mole rats are not completely without fur or hair. These include whiskers for blindly navigating their underground caves and hair between their toes to aid in digging.
5. Chinese Crested Dog: A Hairless Breed With a Legendary Lineage
The Chinese crested dog is not completely bald, but the tufts of hair on his feet, tail and head only enhance the idiosyncrasy of his otherwise naked body. Thanks to the recessive genetic trait that causes this condition, both hairy and hairless puppies can occur within the same nest. As smaller dogs, they are an excellent choice for smaller homes such as apartments — and as a hairless dog, they make sense for those concerned about a dog causing their allergies. Their fragile appearance reflects the fact that they often need gentle-to-the-touch caretakers, but they are kind and mischievous dogs known to bond closely with just one person at the expense of everyone else.
6. Hairless Rat: A Cautionary Story When Breeding Unique Animals as Pets
In terms of speciation, hairless rats are just a variant of a fancy rat with a genetic mutation that prevents the thymus gland from growing properly. These hairless animals are born with hair, but their faulty immune system causes them to lose it shortly after birth. While these rats are sometimes referred to as sphynx rats and were bred intentionally to be used as pets, the major health effects of their genetic deficiency make the process both difficult and ethically questionable. But researchers are finding that these rats can reveal important knowledge for important medical research. Their lack of fur makes them ideal candidates for research into how wounds heal. Unfortunately, the health problems of this strain mean that they rarely last more than a year.
7. Skinny Pig: A Random Mutation Becomes a Pet Fad
Created by scientists by hairy and hairless species by guinea pigs in 1978, the skinny pig has since become a popular pet in both Europe and North America. Since this is solely caused by a recessive gene with no significant health complications, breeding is both easier and significantly more ethical than breeding hairless rats as pets. And if you know how? take care of a guinea pig, you should make little or no adjustments to your habits. Skinny pigs share the same personalities and habits as their more furry cousins, and they are not completely hairless. Small patches of fur appear on their feet, legs, and noses.
8. Dolphin: A Result of Reversal Through Natural Selection
Hair first appeared in mammals about 300 million years ago – but 30 million years ago, the descendants of dolphins withdrew into the water and lost the need for her. Nor are they alone. whales and porpoises share the same branch in the dolphin’s evolutionary tree – while the descendants of these mammals that remained on land retained their hair and eventually evolved into hippos, cows, giraffes, and more. These underwater mammals are all known as cetaceans and they have developed an extra layer of blubber to make up for the lack of fur. It’s a natural evolution that helps control their body heat without interfering with their ability to navigate water. Despite this, you can still see the telltale sign of hairs on the chins of newborn dolphins.
9. Babirusa: The Strange Hairless Deer Pig
Current research suggests that pigs – of which the wild babirusa is a member – could be the second closest terrestrial relative after the dolphin hippos. But there is no doubt that these animals lost their hair long after their aquatic counterparts. Despite this, the reasons seem largely similar. It seems they instead developed extra layers of fat to better insulate them from heat, and they also roll in mud to help regulate their temperature, just like other pigs. But the babirusas its most unusual feature is its imposing tusks that have earned it the nickname “deer pig”. The prevailing theory is that these tusks were not developed as a weapon, but as a defense to protect the face of men.
10. African Elephant: Made Bald by Ecological Necessity
The often brutal temperatures of the African grassland are probably the main reason why are elephants lost their hair. The sheer surface area of their massive bodies makes them particularly prone to overheating under the dire
ct heat of the open plains. It’s a theory further supported by the fact that Asian elephants have significantly more hair on their bodies to suit their milder climates. Heat dissipation is also a reason why the ears of African elephants are significantly larger than their Asian counterparts.
Scientists have long wondered why? African elephants still have patches of thin hair, especially on their heads. The strategic and irregular distribution of these hairs has the opposite effect of a typical mammal’s coat by distributing heat evenly across the body and into the air rather than acting as insulation. It’s a seemingly small example of natural selection, but it can help keep these giant mammals up to 25% cooler on the driest days.
Next one: cute snails
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