Do Animals Use Heat As Defense Mechanism

By: NDTVNewsDesk

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Yes, animals use heat as a defense mechanism in several ways, from actively generating extreme heat or collective heat.

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This helps them manipulate heat signature to confuse predators or use high body temperatures as an inherent defense against pathogen.

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These tactics involve either creating dangerous heat, using heat as a deceptive signal, or relying on high internal temperatures for survival.

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When threatened, bombardier beetles spray a mixture of hot, noxious chemicals from their abdomen, deterring attackers.

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Japanese honeybees swarm invading hornets and vibrate their bodies to generate intense heat, essentially cooking the invaders.

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California ground squirrels warm their tails to create a larger "heat image" for heat-sensing rattlesnakes.

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Warm-blooded animals use their naturally high internal body temperatures as a defense against many environmental fungi and pathogens.

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Animals like snakes use heat-sensing organs (pit organs) to detect prey, but this same sense can be tricked or exploited by prey.

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