Meet Sunwise Animals

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Elephants

Elephants use dirt and hay as a natural sunblock – they spread it on their backs to cover their skin.  Elephants keep cool by snuffing up trunks full of water and spraying themselves. 

Koalas

Koalas spend most of the day sleeping in a eucalyptus tree.   In addition to providing a food source for koalas, the leaves of the tree protect koalas from the sun’s strong rays.  Koalas are nocturnal animals – they sleep during the day when the sun’s rays are the strongest and are awake in the evening and at night when it’s cooler.  

Hippos

Hippos secrete a pinkish colored oil that helps keep their skin moist in the hot sun and acts like a  sunscreen to protect their skin from sunburn.

Pigs and Warthogs

Pigs and Warthogs do not have sweat glands.  They wallow in mud to keep cool and protect their skin from the sun’s harmful rays.

Meerkats

Meerkats have black rings around their eyes to absorb  the sun’s rays, protecting their eyes from sun damage. 

Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees avoid the peak hours of the sun.  Most of their   activity is in the early morning and late afternoon hours. 

Tortoises

Tortoises have a shell that protects them from  many dangers in the environment, including predators, rain, and the sun’s strong rays.  

Rabbits

Rabbits are nocturnal animals.  This means that most of their activity is in the evening or night and they rest during the day when the sun’s rays are the strongest.  

Camels

Camels have bumps over their eyes that act as built-in    sun visors to help keep out bright sunlight. 

Rhinos

Rhinos use mud as a natural sunblock. They roll over in the mud to make sure they have a thick coating on their skin to protect it from the sun.

Gorillas

Gorillas avoid the peak hours of the sun.  Most of their activity is in the early morning and late afternoon hours.

Polar Bears

Polar Bears have special eyelids that act like sunglasses, shielding against the blinding glare of the sun’s rays hitting the snow.

Giraffes

Giraffes have a dark-colored tongue that prevents it from   becoming sunburned.