Book 11, Question 1
Why Do Mammals Have Fur or Hair?
Mammals have fur or hair because it works like a built-in blanket! Hair traps a layer of air next to the skin, which keeps body heat in. Some animals grow thick coats, and some grow thin ones, depending on where they live.
More fun facts
- Hairs are an important part of a mammal's sense of touch, like tiny sensors all over the body.
- Otters have thick, waterproof fur that traps air and helps them float.
- Fur can make cooling down harder, because sweat evaporates at the surface of the fur instead of the skin.
- Some mammals have evolved hair so sparse and fine that it does not do much at all.
- Scientists are not sure exactly when hair first appeared, because hair rarely turns into fossils.
Sources: Scientific American, National Geographic, Scientific American
Questions kids ask
Is hair different from fur?
Not really. Mammals just have many different normal lengths for their hair or fur.