Hot heads and cold noses - February 06, 2008
Who knew that penguins have hot heads and sloths have cold noses? Some quirks of animal body heat have now been captured in a strangely compelling set of photos taken at London Zoo.
The pictures were taken by Steve Lowe, described in the press release as an amateur photographer, although I don’t know many of those who carry around thermal imaging equipment (well, there’s the serial killer in Red Dragon, but he hardly counts). They are quite cool, and the UK press has welcomed the opportunity to put more cute animals on their pages (Guardian, Telegraph, Times, BBC).
“While these amazing pictures may be more reminiscent of something from the Tate Modern, they give us a unique perspective on how animals regulate their body temperatures,” says David Field, zoological director. “Thermal imaging technology can also be used in veterinary diagnostics such that infected areas will sometimes appear very hot.”
They can also reveal why animals indulge in some of their more laughable behaviour, he says in the Independent: “Everyone makes fun of flamingos standing on one leg, but you can see that it's a brilliant way of staying warm while staying upright.”
Full photo gallery from London Zoo
All images: courtesy of Steve Lowe.
Top: Mexican red-kneed bird eating spider
Middle left: sloth (with cold nose)
Middle right: South African black-footed penguins
Bottom: flamingos