Whales studied in the Sea of Cortez, off the west coast of Mexico, were also found to suffer from severely sun-blistered skin. The fact that whales can get sunburn should not surprise us. Like humans, whales and dolphins have smooth, fur-free skin (seals and their relatives, on the other hand, have thick fur).
All animals can suffer from sunburn. Some breeds and colours of pets are more predisposed. Animals with white hairs and pink skin are more likely to get burnt because less melanin is produced than in darker coloured skin.
So, do animals ever get sunburned? Yes. "Marine mammals, and specifically cetaceans [whales, dolphins and porpoises], are an exception because they don't have fur; they don't have scales," said Acevedo-Whitehouse, who has been studying sunburn in whales for over five years.
The fact is that all animals, including reptiles, can get sunburned. However, reptiles have some protection against the dangers of UV light. In fact, UV light actually prevents a serious condition in bearded dragons.
Without a protective coating of feathers, fur or scales, pretty much any animal with exposed skin can get a sunburn; luckily, most animals have adapted methods of avoiding the sun and mitigating the damage.
Fish can suffer from sunburns just like we can. And whether in caged environments or garden ponds, they aren't always able to get away from strong sunlight. “I have visited some sea cages and seen fish with lesions,” says Lynne Sneddon, a bioveterinary scientist at the University of Liverpool in England.
It is primarily UVB that poses a potential danger to amphibians (and sunburned humans), because UVB has the energy to cause damage to cells and organisms.
Well, scientific research has concluded that birds (and the condors are very BIG birds) have reptiles in their family history. Their skin is not the same as ours because we are mammals (don't forget your sunscreen) so therefore they do not sunburn.
However, recent scientific evidence shows that black skin is not completely impervious to sunlight. Both clinical and -experimental data have reported sun-induced effects on black skin. Black skin can warm, burn and peel when -exposed to the sun.
1) Can sharks get a sunburn? Sharks can get a sunburn if they stay close to the surface for a long enough time, but it's not very likely that they would. Sharks do sometimes get a suntan.
Pigs that are unaccustomed to direct sunlight may be sunburned if not exposed gradually to their outdoor environment. The white or light-colored breeds are more severely affected. Although suckling and weanling pigs are most likely to be affected, all age groups are susceptible.
Melanin helps block out damaging UV rays up to a point, which is why people with naturally darker skin are less likely to get sunburned, while people with lighter skin are more likely to burn.
“Compared to a sunburn, sun poisoning is a more serious medical condition,” explains Dr. King. It results from longer exposure to direct sunlight, and might feel like a common sunburn at first.
Did you know that dolphins can get sunburned? Humans are not the only mammals to suffer from the effects of the sun. Researchers are finding the same problem with whales and dolphins in the wild.
Hippos can stand in the hot sun all day without getting a sunburn, and now researchers know why: a red-colored glandular secretion known as "hippo sweat" contains microscopic structures that scatter light, protecting the hefty mammals from burns.
Giraffes have dark tongues which prevent it from getting sunburned while reaching up in the trees to eat! The first thing some elephants do when they get outside is cover their bodies in sand and soil. They do this to protect their skin from bug bites and also to prevent sunburn.
How animals like hippos, elephants and whales protect themselves from the sun. The fur coats of animals can serve as protection against sunburn, but any animal with areas of exposed skin can get burned.
With the arrival of summer when animals become more exposed to ultraviolet light, cases of photosensitization can occur. In ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats), many causes can be caused by ingestion of certain plant species.
Clothing, scarves, and shade were early methods of protecting skin from the sun. However, applying products to the skin for additional protection also started thousands of years ago. Early civilizations used a variety of plant products to help protect the skin from sun damage.
While any horse can get a sunburn if left out unprotected, certain ones are more vulnerable to the sun's damage. For example, pink-skinned animals are more susceptible because their skin lacks melanin, the pigment that helps to protect from the ultraviolet (UV) rays.
Do frogs croak more before a rainstorm? Scientists would probably say no, that a frog's croak is a mating call and not related to the weather. Folklore says the opposite, so we'll let you decide for yourself.