Urohydrosis

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Urohydrosis (sometimes misspelt "urohidrosis") is the habit in some birds of releasing feces or urine onto the scaly portions of the leg as a cooling mechanism, using evaporative cooling of the fluids. Storks and New World vultures exhibit this behaviour.[1][2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Sibley, Charles G. & Ahlquist, Jon E. (1991), Phylogeny and Classification of Birds: A Study in Molecular Evolution, Yale University Press, pp. 513, ISBN 0-300-04085-7, <http://books.google.com/books?id=cfjAvuxL-9wC&pg=PA513&dq=urohidrosis&sig=f-pfL13cKlDrBiw-VjW6PM82mgU>. Retrieved on 9 September 2007 
  2. ^ California Condors Cool Facts (html). Retrieved on 2007-08-14.
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