June 2, 2004

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  Hippo sweat explained

  
  

  The secret of a hippopotamus's 'magic' sweat has been revealed.

  
  

  The sticky reddish substance that acts as a sunscreen was enough to make the ancient Greeks think hippos sweated blood, saysBBC Online.

  
  

  But now a team from Kyoto Pharmaceutical University in Japan says the substance is made from two unstable pigments, one red and one orange.

  
  

  They tell Nature magazine that the red pigment also has antibacterial properties.

  
  

  These work to protect the hippo from certain pathogens and accelerate its recovery from wounds.

  
  

  Scientists say the sunscreen element of the sweat is a useful survival technique.

  
  

  Hippos, who usually forage at night, sometimes have to come out from the water in the day to top up their feed. The sweat protects them from the baking sun.

  
  

  "The sunscreen property of the sweat was first suspected because albino hippos are often observed - and they seem healthy," said Kyoto's Kimiko Hashimoto.

  
  

   

  • 11:17 pm
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