Question

Evaporative water loss (EWL) is a combination of cutaneous water loss (CWL) and respiratory water loss (RWL). What are ways that animals reduce amounts of evaporative water loss? Why does evaporative water loss vary among animals in a manner consistent with metabolic scaling?

Answer 1

The methods by which animals reduce amounts of evaporative water loss are-

• To avoid water loss, animals tend to stay at cooler places during daytime. They hide themselves even in burrows , holes, beneath trees etc to avoid EWL.

• Many animals have thick fatty layer to avoid extra water loss from their body.Thick hairs are also kind of adaptation to avoid direct contact of sunlight on body cells.

• Few of them have adapted themselves to excrete less water through urine and stool to avoid adding up to water loss that they usually having.

Evaporative water loss varies among animals in a manner consistent with metabolic scaling because higher metabolic rate leads to having a higher cutaneous water loss.Since smaller animals have higher metabolic rates, hence they require more energy. To carry out that much production, there is also going to requirements which will lead to high water loss.So the loss vary depending upon the metabolic activites of the animals.

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