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- Hippo skin is virtually hairless and would soon burn when exposed to intense sunlight if it was unprotected. The skin secretes an oily liquid that acts as sunscreen. The secretion is colorless, but after a few minutes, turns red.
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Hippo sunscreen is actually the thick sweat that hippos produce to protect their skin from the sun. Learn why red hippo sunscreen is such powerful stuff.
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Fish, hippopotamuses, and other animals produce chemicals that protect them from the sun's rays.
On a recent beach trip I forgot to wear sunscreen and was left literally burning with regret.
But many wild animals, from fish to hippos, don’t have to remember to hit the drugstore to be protected from the sun’s powerful rays. (See "Mystery Solved: Why We Sunburn.")
To find out more, Saturday’s Weird Animal Question of the Week is taking author's prerogative to ask "How do animals make their own sunscreen?"
A recent study in the journal eLife found that some fish, birds, amphibians, and reptiles have the genes to produce gadusol, a compound that can act as a sunscreen.
"Gadusol absorbs UV radiation, particularly UVB [ultraviolet B], and dissipates it as heat," study leader Taifo Mahmud, a professor of medicinal chemistry at Oregon State University, says via email.
The gadusol produced by zebrafish, a highly studied lab species, may even help scientists create a better sunscreen for people. (Also see "Do Sunscreens' Tiny Particles Harm Ocean Life in Big Ways?")
By transferring the zebrafish genes into yeast in the lab, researchers were able to test gadusol’s activity as a sunscreen and show that it can be produced commercially.
So, can I just rub a zebrafish on my face next time I forget my sunscreen?
A bit impractical, says Mahmud, but cod and sea urchin eggs—popular sushi ingredients—can contain the radiation-absorbing chemical.
Other animals devise or produce their own brand of SPF.
Hippopotamuses produce "sweat" made of one red and one orange pigment. A 2004 study in Nature revealed that the red pigment contains an antibiotic, while the orange absorbs UV rays. So the two pigments work together to protect the African mammals from both bacterial infections and sun damage. It also explains the misconception that they sweat blood. (Read how whales avoid sunburn.)
Mantis shrimp have amino acid pigments called MAAs in their eyes that are known as "nature's sunscreen," reports a 2014 study in the journal Current Biology. However in mantis shrimp, the pigments play another role: They serve as powerful filters that contribute to the crustacean's incredibly sharp and complex vision. (Related: "Nature's Most Amazing Eyes Just Got a Bit Weirder.")
Likewise, in zebrafish, gadusol may play multiple roles, including “some functions required to accomplish embryonic development,” says study co-author Robert Tanguay, professor of molecular toxicology at Oregon State University. The team is investigating those other possible roles.
West African lungfish don't make sunscreen, but they know how to stay cool: They bundle themselves in a cocoon of mucus before burrowing themselves into the mud during the dry season.
Snug and protected, the fish then go into a period of estivation, a period of dormancy some animals go into during the hot months, like a summer version of hibernation. (Watch a video of the West African lungfish.)
May 26, 2004 · The hippo version of sweat, which is red-orange, contains pigments that can block microbial growth and some ultraviolet light.
May 26, 2004 · The hippopotamus - or "river horse" - is a belligerent creature, which puzzled the ancient Greeks by apparently sweating blood. In fact, the thick red substance, which oozes from glands all over...
Hippopotamus skin boasts a fascinating secret, harboring a natural sunscreen component that not only shields the massive mammal from the scorching sun but also gives it a distinctive red hue. This intriguing phenomenon, often colloquially termed “blood sweat,” is a misleading moniker.
May 27, 2004 · The hippo’s sweat acts like a sunscreen, protecting the animal’s skin from damage. Chemists may someday use their new knowledge to make medicines or sunscreens. You won’t be seeing bottles of hippo sweat at the cosmetics counter anytime soon, though.
Dec 6, 2023 · The skin of a hippopotamus is especially interesting to scientists. It secretes a thick red liquid that is often called “hippo sweat.” The liquid acts as a sunscreen and also kills bacteria.
