Wildlife Stories: Dress Code - Survival | Free Documentary Nature

During their lives, animals spend tons of time taking care of their personal appearance. They scratch, lick, powder themselves, or comb their feathers, and take baths for hours every day. This personal hygiene not only prevents illnesses and parasites, it also helps them to defend themselves, to hide, or to heighten certain smells. It can even establish incredible frameworks for relationships, sometimes creating lifelong friends. Getting dressed up is so essential that all wildlife feels an impulse, an instinct, just like hunger or fear, that regularly drives them to clean themselves up in order to survive. Many people are disgusted by snakes, which is completely ridiculous. Snakes are always clean, to the point that we could even say their skin is polished. What's more, they don't have any fur or feathers that could hide any dirt or grime. It's logical enough to be afraid of snakes, since a few are poisonous, even very poisonous. Like this pit viper from Uruguay, whose bite is potentially lethal. Nonetheless, it's not logical to feel disgusted by it. This snake is in the middle of the shedding process. That is, it's changing its old skin for a new one. Unlike ours, snake skins don't have pores, not even sweat glands, so they can't release any sort of bodily fluids like others can. Their skin doesn't have any micro-perforations in it, but rather is a sort of one-piece sheath. The disadvantage is that it doesn't grow along with the animal, so the animal has to change its skin as it gets bigger. And snakes never stop growing for as long as they live. We could say that snakes are clean because they have no choice. Although more than a case of dressing for life, this is really a case of undressing for life. Keeping feathers immaculate is absolute madness. They have to be cleaned one by one. And that means first washing, then drying, and finally combing them. Thanks to their beaks, birds are really obsessed with this method. Birds that live near water have especially dense plumage. For example, ducks have an average of between 10,000 and 12,000 feathers on their bodies. Swans have 60,000 on their necks alone. And they too have to wash them, dry them, fluff them up, and comb them one by one every day. On the other hand, they don't have to brush their teeth, nor wash behind their ears. The great-crested grebe is a terrific diver, but it should not be confused with a duck. The grebe is a carnivore, while ducks don't eat fish. A great-crested grebe has some 11,500 feathers, but if one of them doesn't lie exactly where it should... 11,499. In general, aquatic birds don't just comb their feathers. Grebes hardly ever fly, and almost never step on land. They spend weeks or even months in constant contact with water, but don't get squishy. Their skin doesn't get wrinkled. What's more, it's completely dry. Despite the fact that they're continually diving underwater, their covering of feathers is marvelously waterproof. Grebes have some special glands near the cloaca that produce oils and water-repellent waxes. They use their beaks to spread these substances all over their bodies, especially between the feathers on their bellies. And once they've applied this water-resistant layer, it's hermetically sealed, and they're ready to go hunting underwater. Because the great-crested grebe's diet consists entirely of fish. Eating fish implies a serious sanitary problem. How do you get rid of the mucus that covers their scales? Because you can't wash that stuff off with water alone. Herons also eat fish, and they too get themselves dirty with the fish's secretions, just like the grebes. But these birds have developed a special cleansing agent specifically designed for fish slime. After they eat, herons clean their feathers with an innovative dry-cleaning system, because in this case, water is neither the most efficient cleanser nor the best one. It may seem paradoxical that the wading birds that live in swampy ecosystems like the Brazilian marshlands don't always just turn to fresh water to bathe in. Now, actually, those wetlands are full of reasons not to do that. Reasons loaded with teeth. But the main reason is that the epithelial mucus of fish is made up of lipids, which logically aren't soluble in water, and herons don't have soap. Nevertheless, thanks to evolution, they have developed a very efficient alternative, an extremely innovative sanitary product that prevents goop from getting stuck between their feathers. As a matter of fact, when they grind up certain of their feathers with their beaks, the feathers turn into a very fine absorbent powder. It acts a lot like talcum powder, which absorbs oil. To dust their necks with it, which is the area most likely to get dirty with bits of food, the herons use the long toes on their feet like a comb. Once they have finished combing themselves with the powder, they let it act for a few minutes. Meanwhile, they take advantage of the time to clean other parts of their bodies. When the powder is completely dry and has absorbed all the lipids, the herons get rid of it by energetically shaking their feathers with those combs, thus removing every bit of greasy fat from among their feathers. An added bonus of this cleaning method is that it not only gets rid of the grime, but also keeps the bird from stinking like rotting fish. Dry blood, as it decomposes with heat, can end up smelling as bad as rotten bits of fish. And if your skin stinks, it's not just disagreeable or a handicap when you need to use your sense of smell. A leopard cub must not smell of blood so as not to attract the attention of predators. Having little bits of food in its whiskers or in its claws might easily reveal its presence. And around here, some folks have a pretty keen sense of smell. Licking yourself with your tongue while you eat is fairly useful, but it's not enough. A young and inexperienced leopard is still very vulnerable. And even though its mother tries to keep it in sight at all times, it's essential that the smell of carrion not give it away when it wanders from her side. The leopard's spotted fur, as well as the way it moves and its behavior, tends to hide the cubs, but only visually. Carnivores, above all those that eat carrion, are often guided by their sense of smell to find food. And they could detect any little leopard that wasn't clean enough. After eating, this cub is going to behave in a way that has very rarely been observed. It's rolling on some very aromatic plants that are going to help it to disguise its body odor, so that nobody's nose can detect it. Although little leopards don't consciously choose the plants with the strongest perfumes, they do seem to be the ones that they use most often for this chemical camouflage. Spotting it among the vegetation is harder and harder, except from above. Its mother has climbed a tree, either to keep an eye on her little one or to find a new prey of her own. Keeping predators from locating your children is a crucial task in the wild, especially for those species that don't have many offspring. Mother impalas raise just one baby per breeding season. They've invested a lot of time and energy in each one of these youngsters, so they're very valuable. They need a lot of attention, and apparently all their affection in the form of kisses. Female impalas live in herds led and attended to by just one male, the strongest male in the area. All the offspring are born more or less at the same time of year, and that's why they're so similar in size. Which, when you add to that that they are all half-brothers and sisters from the same father, makes it a little difficult to tell one kid from another. And it turns out that it is indispensable that each mother recognize her own child, because mother impalas refuse to suckle any fawn except their own. It's nothing personal, it's just something that's in their genes. All that licking going on between mother and child at that age helps to remove parasites. But even more importantly, it allows them to recognize each other by their smell. The scent of each impala's saliva is like a fingerprint. It's unique. This healthy habit goes well beyond mere personal hygiene. Nevertheless, too much of that scent in one place could become a deadly trap. Too many babies together smell like, well, babies. And impalas keep all their offspring together in a nursery. It's true that their youngsters spend a large part of their time lying in the grass to minimize the chance that anyone might spot them. But predators keep more senses on the alert, and the sense of smell is the one they use the most in the forest. Here, however, it doesn't smell like anything. The saliva of impalas has a rare quality. It works like a deodorant and doesn't smell like anything to anyone who isn't an impala. Their saliva allows the fawns and their mothers to recognize each other, and yet to still go undetected by leopards. Although it's not perfect, their lotion doesn't work as a mosquito repellent. Those bothersome insects are a dangerous vector for the transmission of illnesses, although they in particular dedicate more time than even humans to their personal hygiene. Their legs are usually covered with a series of thick and fine hairs or sharp protuberances. Their extremities have turned into brushes and combs, similar to high-tech surgical instruments designed to clean up every last little corner. Insects have their own parasites, and a good going over with the right tool is the only remedy to keep them under control. Antennae require special attention, since they are used to find food, to communicate with other insects, and to detect a potential mate's hormonal state. Keeping all one's weapons and defenses in perfect working order is fundamental both to hunting and to avoid being hunted. Dirt or grime could destabilize or mess up a maneuver, and a lack of precision, no matter how small, means death. The preying mantis was holding all the winning cards, and it wasn't just a question of cleanliness. The preying mantis is one of the most immaculate insects. After eating, when it finds itself in a place it likes, if it feels absolutely safe and calm, and the air is still, and the temperature is just right, it starts to clean itself, very meticulously licking itself. It seems to be concentrating, gradually becoming lost in little insect thoughts and relaxing. More and more. It's almost as if it goes into a cleaning trance, as it goes over each microscopic patch of its anatomy. The purifying frenzy of insects. Cleaning themselves gives them pleasure. Although insects are actually very clean, it's not a good idea to let them live on you. Lice, bedbugs, fleas, flies and mosquitoes, however, have specialized in colonizing the hair of mammals. They lay their eggs on us and feed on our blood. Fly swatting tails are one of the most efficient strategies to fight them off, and that's why almost all mammals have one. The truth is that those lashes of the whip, or twitches of the skin, provide instant but not lasting relief. Some bugs are killed. Many more are scared off. But in order for it to be moderately effective, you have to move your tail constantly and tirelessly. And frankly, that's no way to live. When you're talking about insects, even the strongest of the strong end up surrendering. Zebras not only have fly swatters, but their stripes are also one of the most ingenious anti-parasite systems, something that was only discovered very recently. Zoologists had been arguing about the purpose of the zebra's stripes for centuries. One hypothesis says that the zebra's barcodes make it difficult for predators to distinguish where each individual zebra begins and ends. Another one contends that the alternating black and white stripes are a way to reduce the zebra's body temperature by producing microcurrents of air between one stripe and the next. All that is true and has been scientifically proven. Above all, the theory about temperature control. Since the white stripes are cooler than the black ones, the air moves from one to the other, generating a cooling little breeze. But it also appears that these stripes don't reflect horizontally polarized light as a completely dark-colored horse would. And what attracts horseflies, especially horseflies, what identifies their target is the type of polarized light that bounces off dark brown or black colors. Zebras, thanks to their white stripes, don't attract this kind of blood-sucking fly. The design of their stripes is also a revolutionary sanitary system. And on top of it all, it looks pretty sharp. The dik-dik is dun-colored. If it were white, it wouldn't attract so many flies. But then it would attract lions. There are times when no system against insects works. In order not to attract many mosquitoes, the World Health Organization recommends wearing light-colored clothing and avoiding giving off strong smells. But African buffalos wear dark coats and smell so strong you can almost cut the odor with a knife. They've been traveling in search of good pastures through half the dry season. And the dust from the path has stuck to their sweat and built up on them. The awful smell of the herd announces its coming two kilometers before it arrives. Maybe their black hides protect the buffalos against ultraviolet radiation. But between their color and their perfume, their immense bodies, weighing almost a ton, are a powerful magnet for whole legions of botflies, gnats, mosquitoes, and all kinds of other flies. The only chance they ever have to dodge just for a little while that unbearably buggy company that never leaves them is when they run across ponds or muddy pools. But as we've seen, taking a bath is a pleasure reserved for a select few. And here, only for a short time. Underneath the surface of the water, hidden dangers may be lurking. And they needn't necessarily be crocodiles, either. The multitude of aquatic parasites and infectious microorganisms to be found there can be much worse. And this is hot, stagnant water. The least you could get here is a monumental case of typhus. To take a bath safely, it's essential to find a place that is guaranteed to be healthy. But finding clean, fresh water isn't easy in the wild. These toucans have discovered something that's very rare in the jungle. They've been very, very lucky. Few tree trunks become a water tank like this one, hidden more than 30 meters above the ground. Cleaning yourself with water is delightful, especially if there are no crocodiles around and the water is still pristine. Although other complications are still possible. These cranes are arriving in temperate Spain from northern Europe. But they find that the water is covered with ice. They've traveled thousands of kilometers in search of a warmer climate. But winter is winter, even in sunny Spain. Although the ice isn't very thick, it would have to be several centimeters thick to resist the crane's deep desire for a bath. Any animal that makes a long trip gets tired. And the longer the journey, the greater its yearning for a chance to wash up. And if it makes the trip on its own, that is, thanks to the strength of its own muscles, then the need for a good scrubbing increases exponentially. In addition to the dangers presented by crocodiles, aquatic microbes and frozen water, there's the problem of the scarcity of water. That's why dry cleaning has a lot of devotees. Above all, if you live someplace where the only available water comes from the occasional rainstorm. This odd form of personal hygiene, which looks more like getting dirty than cleaning up, has the same aim as the heron's talcum powder. It's cruder and more primitive, but just as effective. The grease and grime is absorbed by the dust. And this is eliminated with vigorous twitching movements. What's more, dust baths are also good for getting rid of parasites. They turn out to be the best remedy against bird lice. Dust and dirt baths are also used by certain mammals with little or no hair. Although it may not look like it, the skin of an elephant is very delicate. Its epidermis is very thick and extremely wrinkled. Actually, more than wrinkles, what it has are deep crevices, the perfect place for parasites of all kinds, both animals and fungi. Elephants do have a few thick, scattered hairs, but we could pretty much consider them to be absolute baldies. Elephants, more than skin, have a problem. And that's why they use their great intelligence and all their evolutionary abilities to take care of it. They teach this form of personal hygiene to baby elephants. And that's how they learn to make the dust that they need to create a layer of anti-fungus powder, which also repels insects and protects their skin from ultraviolet sunlight. This must also stimulate the production of tears. Or maybe it helps to grow longer eyelashes. Whatever the case, the dust shouldn't be applied to the skin before putting on a good foundation. Mud is that base layer. Mud, in fact, is the perfect primer. Wrapping yourself up in a protective crust several millimeters thick is a very effective defense against the blood-sucking mouths of insects. Thanks to this inert covering, the buggy little vampires can't reach the capillaries. This muck also feels refreshing and holds the water in, moisturizing the skin when the rays of sunlight are cracking everything else. And although mud may seem quite the opposite, it has antiseptic properties. Covering wounds with mud is very beneficial, actually, because it keeps them from getting infected. And when we watch elephants giving themselves these wild baths, it's obvious that they have a lot of fun and enjoy cleaning up with mud. In the busy life of a belligerent warthog, flopping down to rest for a while in a mud puddle is a genuine treat. They really know how to relax. Although a lion could always drop in on the spur of the moment. No, this time it was a false alarm. It was just another warthog who was also looking for a spot at the spa. As they are a very territorial species, when two males run into each other, they often turn hostile. But here, everyone appreciates a bit of peace and quiet. And they may even act like friends, like buddies. No doubt, sharing a bath with several other warthogs diminishes the probability of being ambushed by a predator. Or perhaps they simply enjoy it so much that their levels of testosterone and cortisol drop. Although warthogs have a little more hair than elephants, they don't exactly sport a thick head of hair. And that's why they need the mud. And since they also lack long legs to scratch themselves with, they use a tree for that. These wild pigs, which are saddled with a rather uncomplimentary name that suggests that maybe they're not the cleanest characters on the savannah, in fact, use tools to stay clean. We used to think that only the smartest animals were able to use tools. Monkeys and apes are the cleverest of all the animals. They not only know how to use tools, but they have turned the very healthy habit of removing fleas into a way to make friends. One of the things that monkeys, apes and people have in common is that we all have parasites in our hair. Above all, lice and fleas. And we're a lot alike in many other things. In our hands, our fingernails, in how we scratch ourselves, even in how hard it is for us to reach that spot in the middle of our backs. That's why we also share a code of conduct among friends. You get my back and I'll get yours. Monkeys take social relationships much more seriously than mere hygiene. It's true that maintaining a certain level of bodily cleanliness in a place where there are so many parasites is indispensable for survival. But for primates, the most psychologically evolved zoological order on the planet, this business of cleaning each other has expanded beyond its original purpose. These sanitary habits have become a matter of diplomacy. A protocol that strictly observes the group's hierarchy. The emotional relationships within each tribe and each family maintain their order thanks to this grooming behavior. The dominant individuals and babies are the ones who receive the most attention of this kind. If someone were to try to jump above their established rank, violence would ensue and the one who broke the norms would end up grooming his superior to calm the waters, thereby demonstrating his submission and his acceptance of his place in the pecking order. Personal hygiene protects the health of each individual. But among simians, hygiene has become a form of communication, of relating to one another and to obtain pleasure. That's how our concept of society began to take shape. The normal thing is to have relationships with members of your own species. But sometimes in nature, a friendship emerges between animals as different as a bird and a giraffe. If we ever establish contact with aliens someday, it would be a good idea to kick things off by grooming them. These birds have specialized in offering their cleaning services in exchange for being allowed to eat in peace the parasites that torment their hosts. Oxpeckers feed exclusively on the insects that live on the skins of large mammals. A buffalo can only use mud or its tail to repel its parasites. And let's be honest, there are parts of the body where it would be quite disagreeable to wear a layer of dry dirt. Scientifically, true symbiosis is only considered to take place when both species involved in the relationship benefit from it. The contribution of these birds goes beyond grooming, as they even warn their traveling companions of the presence of predators when a threat appears. There are few cases of symbiosis like this. And the symbiosis between hippopotamuses and oxpeckers goes even further. The oxpecker's beak is very strong and has razor-sharp edges. It's a scalp-like pincer that is very efficient for digging in its host's tough skin and removing pustules or ticks. This kind of grooming is so highly valued by their enormous hosts that they even reward the oxpeckers by allowing them to make small wounds in their skin, to the point of bleeding. The fresh red blood attracts flies and other insects, which the oxpeckers can then catch easily and abundantly. The grateful oxpeckers spend most of their lives on the body of the same hippo. And sometimes even take a long time to leave them after they die. They say that oxpeckers even dare to clean the teeth of crocodiles. These big reptiles actually have pretty clean teeth. However, the cleanser isn't a bird, but the sun. Taking a sunbath for your teeth or your skin is also a kind of grooming. The strong rays of ultraviolet sunlight kill both bacteria and fungi, although they also represent a big risk. Too much sunlight can give you skin cancer. The hippopotamus' huge back is very exposed to the sun, but it doesn't have scales like its reptilian neighbors, so it needs some very effective sunscreen. Because of their tremendous weight, these animals live almost all their lives submerged, but only partly submerged, and so their backs receive a dangerously high amount of ultraviolet radiation. To keep from developing melanomas, hippopotamuses secrete a protective lotion that contains two terrific sunblocking pigments. One is reddish, hippocidoric acid, while the other is orangey, nor-hippocidoric acid. The color of these two substances gave rise to the legends that say that hippopotamuses sweat blood, but actually it was just sun cream. As regards the strictly sanitary needs of hippopotamuses, well, things get a bit complicated. The waters they live in are pretty dirty. Hippocidoric acid has powerful antimicrobial properties, and that protects their skin from pseudomonas and other bacteria. But the water is really, really dirty. And worst of all, it's the hippopotamus' own fault. If they can avoid it, hippopotamuses don't get out of the water to eat nor to poop. And they are really big eaters, as you can see from their svelte figures. So they also soil everything an incredible amount. This means that those waters are very rich in plant nutrients, which is fundamental for the ecology of their habitat. Many fish and invertebrates depend on the hippopotamuses' grungier customs for their survival. But you have to admit that some customs are just unbearable. With the sole exception of one species, no other living being on the face of the Earth needs to use toilet paper after going to the bathroom. Animals' anal sphincters are designed so that nothing gets dirty. This fact clearly separates us from the rest of the beasts. And what's more, it's a perfect example of how much more efficient it is not to get things dirty in the first place than to have to clean up afterwards. Maybe we can't live without getting anything dirty, but we should try to dirty things as little as possible. Nature is very well conceived. Rain is able to change the water, even for hippopotamuses. In some parts of the world, it rains a lot, almost every day. In other latitudes, years can go by between thunderstorms. Sometimes the water falls in a downpour. Other times it's just a light shower. It can rain in a thousand different ways. Rain cleans the world and its inhabitants. But it's not infinite. Water will be the most sacred natural treasure of future civilizations, which will be judged by how clean they keep their environment.