How do echidnas stay cool in the heat? They blow snot bubbles

January 17, 2023 8:09 PM

How do echidnas stay cool in the blistering heat? They blow snot bubbles and perform belly flops. The furry and spiky pointy-beaked critters perform some out-of-the-ordinary behaviours to avoid overheating, researchers from Curtin University find.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries (13 comments total)

Great job, echidnas! I'm loving the tactical thermal imaging that shows their snouts are "really quite cold" thanks to the judicious use of snot bubbles.
posted by grobstein at 9:19 PM on January 17, 2023

> Echidnas can also use their bellies and legs to flop down on or press against cool surfaces

My dog does the same thing! He's yet to discover the snot bubble trick, though...
posted by Pitachu at 10:16 PM on January 17, 2023 [4 favorites]

Hard same, echidna. Hard. Same.
posted by prismatic7 at 11:20 PM on January 17, 2023 [3 favorites]

Echidnas can also use their bellies and legs to flop down on or press against cool surfaces

sploot!
posted by away for regrooving at 11:30 PM on January 17, 2023 [2 favorites]

Monotremendous!
posted by rhizome at 11:40 PM on January 17, 2023 [10 favorites]

And I try this ONCE at my desk and my BOSS wants to have A CONVERSATION about my PROFESSIONAL DEMEANOUR
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 1:23 AM on January 18, 2023 [12 favorites]

I don't remember this level from Sonic Adventure.
posted by Servo5678 at 4:56 AM on January 18, 2023 [1 favorite]

Echidnas: They’re just like us!
posted by Mchelly at 5:26 AM on January 18, 2023

Rhizome, please accept your trophy and take a victory lap.
You have won the internet.
posted by BlueHorse at 8:58 AM on January 18, 2023 [2 favorites]

haha I first read that as Enchildas and wow that certainly put a funny image in my head
posted by tarantula at 2:32 PM on January 18, 2023

I plan to echidna next summer, I have a tile hallway and....(cue music) I'm forever blowing bubbles
posted by winesong at 2:36 PM on January 18, 2023

My dog does the same thing! He's yet to discover the snot bubble trick, though...

Dogs have their own amazing tricks. They use the tongues as evaporative blood conditioning units.
posted by srboisvert at 8:16 AM on January 19, 2023

Here is an example video of an echidna cooling itself in a dish of water
posted by aniola at 11:39 PM on January 21, 2023 [1 favorite]