On a cold wet winter day in Maine, this young buck whips his body around to shake water away. It’s a method used by many furry mammals to dry themselves. It’s a matter of survival in cold climates! Cold wet fur causes animals to lose heat very quickly. By shaking water off, animals reduce the amount of energy they have to spend carrying it in their fur and waiting for it to evaporate.
We were lucky we got to marvel twice at this buck’s technique - how and where the motion originates in his body, and the centrifugal force seen in the water spraying from his core then neck, head, and past his one antler!
Shivering isn’t as grand to watch, but it’s a similar kind of bodily reflex and response to cold. When skeletal muscles begin to shake (contracting and expanding in small speedy movements), the expenditure of energy creates heat, which helps raise body temperature.
I’m shivering a little right now, just watching the buck in the freezing cold rain!