nickbaker.tv

[Paul Dunham]

If drinking water is essential for the survival of animals on this planet and it is said we will die quicker without drinker water than food.
How do mammals such as Dolphins, Whales and Seals survive without any drinking water at all?

[Scott]

Their food is full of fresh water. They dont need as much input since they dont sweat and have very efficient kidneys.

[Paul Dunham]

Thank you Scott.
I kinda figured that would be the answer, but thought it was a little simplistic and wondered whether there was a more complexed reason.
I always understood freshwater & saltwater fish had oposite physiologies in dealing with water, ie freshwater fish constantly expel freshwater from their bodies, whereas saltwater fish are constantly converting and absorbing fresh water into their system. If this is true then it's amazing how species such as Eels & Salmon can switch their bodies to deal with both environments.

[Mazzy]

Dolphins don't need to drink any more... like Scott said they get everything they need from their diet...
But I've learned a couple of other things from a few documentaries about this too... apparently dolphins in captivity will drink fresh water if they're given it but they think it's like food so they wont eat anything...and another documentary says that a whale and dolphins kidney is specially adapted to expel salt water.



I might have got a little muddled but that's my grasp of it XD
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[Paul Dunham]

Thanks Mazzy
Thats very interesting about the kidneys and the fact they feel full up after drinking fresh water. It would nice to know a little more about the specifics of it. For example is their main source of water from what they eat or from what has been filtered by their kidneys? Is this some kind of biological reverse osmosis?

[Scott]

I suspect its a case of simply the freshwater inherent in things like blood plasma and cellular interstitial fluid, much like desert animals.

There's nothing special to the act of drinking 'freshwater'. Animals would drink seawater if the water didnt come packaged with nigh toxic levels of sodium and other minerals.

[brogen576]

I'm wondering if there are any groups about saveing all animals as if they all die then chance are we all die and although that sounds quite selfish (sorry can't spel) i love animalsand i want to see them happy in the wild, is there anything that we can do that will help alot? i always pick up other people rubbish and stuff like that but it seems like that doesn't do anything, can anyone help me?

[Mazzy]

[brogen576]

Thanks, it does help, it reasures me thatthere is still other people that are trying, thanks for letting me know that, i'll be looking forward to that being a proper rule for everyone. Thanks again =]

[Paul Dunham]

Hi brogen576,

It's great to see people who are genuinely interested in saving animals and want to do something. Mazzy's right, one person cannot do it on their own and it would be better to join a club, group, society who work together towards an end. It's great to see people saving individual species, but probably the most important thing to do is save the environment in which these animals live.
I feel we should be looking to nature as an indicator of the health of the planet. Just like a canary down a coal mine. When the environment become's too toxic for the smaller animals to live, then it's our turn to die.

[Scott]

People fall prey to social norming. If they see people pick up trash, and they're reminded to pick up trash, and they're shamed when they dont pick up trash, they'll start picking up trash.

[brogen576]

I'll be movinig to Great Yarmouth for september (school starts) and i'm wondering if theres a group up there, does anyone know about any? it'd help a lot,thanks for anyone who knows anything =]