Keeping the Caribou Warm
By: Donna M. McDine
Think about when you bundle up to play in the snow. You cover up as much as possible. A hat, gloves, scarf, jacket, snow pants, and boots keep you warm. But since caribou don't wear clothes, their bodies are built to keep them warm and dry.
A caribou has two coats of fur, which help keep heat in—just like your warm winter jacket. How does hair keep you warm, you ask? The air cells within the top layer of fur create heat. This acts as insulation (in-soo-lay-shun). Insulation is something that keeps in heat.
The first layer of fur is crinkly and fine. It's closest to the skin and warms the caribou’s body like thermal underwear. The thick, outer coat called “hollow guard hair” pushes water and snow off the animal’s body. This keeps the caribou dry. Think of it as a raincoat that keeps you dry as you run between the rain drops.
Their small bodies, short ears, and tiny tails also keep the caribou warm. Because of these smaller parts, less heat escapes through its skin.
The hollow guard hair makes caribou wonderful swimmers. The hair helps them float. This lets them swim across wide stretches of open or fast moving water during their travels.
Next time you curl up under your favorite blanket or slip your swimsuit on, think of the caribou. Isn't it amazing how Mother Nature keeps a caribou warm?
Photograph Copyright © 2009 Courtesy of Wikipedia
Copyright © 2009 by Donna M. McDine