Have you ever seen your dog or your pet cows wallowing in mud? If yes, you may be asking the same question I am asking before.
Why do these animals love to wallow in mud? Animals love to wallow in mud for many reasons. Mud has benefits for animals, that is why they love wallowing in mud. Mud helps animals to cool down their temperatures and protect them from sunburn.
However, there is much more to learn! That is why today we are going to talk about different animals that wallow in mud and the deeper reasons why animals wallow in the mud.
These Are The Animals That Wallow In Mud
To give you a summary, let me give you this list of animals that wallow in the mud. These are the animals that wallow in mud:
- Buffalos
- Cattles
- Pigs
- Rhinos
- Elephants
- Hippopotamus
- Cranes
- Hyenas
- Deers
Buffalos
Most buffalos live in plains, but some buffalos love to live in forests. Buffalos can be found mostly in Asian and African countries. They can grow up to 6 to 7 feet long and can weigh up to 2,000 pounds!
Buffalos have hairs on their stomachs, and they also have other hairs around their bodies. They are living in plains where the sun is directly pointing at them.
Why do Buffalo wallow in mud? Buffalos love to wallow in mud to keep them cool during summer, especially if they are living in plains. Buffalos also love to wallow in the mud because it removes different biting insects and pests living in their hairs.
Cattles
Cattles can be distinguished into two types: Cows and Bulls. Cows are female Cattle and Bulls are male Cattle. Cattles love to eat, and they always chew every minute! They have a stubborn life because after they eat, they will lie down for 14 hours.
Cattle are commonly raised as food for humans or a supply for dairy products, which dairy Cows do. Also, they are used to make leather, and they are a good companion for humans because they can be ridden, and they are built for tough jobs on farms.
Cows are easier to train because they are more submissive and less aggressive than the Bulls. Many people love to keep Cows as pets because of the benefits it gives to its owners.
Why Cattles wallow in mud? Cattles wallow in mud to clean themselves after their duty on the farm. They usually lie down on mud for 14 hours to relax and to keep themselves cool. Also, they wallow in mud to remove insects that irritates them.
Pigs
There are many types of pigs around the planet and they can be seen anywhere, but mostly in provinces with farms. Pigs are one of the smartest animals in the world because they have good memories.
Newborn piglets can recognize the voice of their mothers, and they can recognize their names two weeks after they were born. Even though pigs are fat, they are incredibly fast. They also don’t sweat and they are considered the cleanest animal in the world.
Pigs also love to wallow in the mud, but why do Pigs love to wallow in mud? Pigs love to wallow in the mud because it keeps their body temperature cool, especially during summer. Also, Pigs love to wallow in the mud because it will make themselves clean and to remove certain insects that bite.
Rhinos
There are five species of Rhinos in the world, and they are all huge. Rhinos have horns, and they are strong, but they have an unclear vision. They communicate through honks and sneezes. Rhinos can be found in India, Nepal, Africa, and the Islands of Sumatra. They live in grasslands and floodplains.
Rhinos also love mud, and they love to play. Even though they are solitary animals, they sometimes can be seen in groups, called crashes. All Rhinos love mud, and this is why.
Why do Rhinos love to wallow in mud? Rhinos jump into the dirt and cover themselves with mud and let it dry. They use mud as their sunscreen to protect their skins from the heat of the sun. They rub their bodies through tree trunks or grass to remove parasites.
Elephants
Elephants are the largest land animal on Earth, and they love to live in groups because they believe that it will help them to survive if they live in groups. They have trunks, and their tusks are their teeth. Elephants are smart and adorable animals.
Elephants can be seen in any part of the world but inhabit mostly across 37 countries in southern, easter, western, and central Africa. They live in wetlands, forests, grasslands, savannas, and deserts.
Elephants love mud as well. Why do Elephants love to wallow their bodies on mud? Elephants are always exposing to the sun. That is why they need some cooling effect of the dirt to regulate their body temperature. Mud also protects their skins from the sun.
Hippopotamus
Hippos can be found on rivers, swamps, and lakes. They are considered the second-largest land animal in the world. The male Hippos can grow up to 1.5 tall and can weigh 3,200 kg. They are as heavy as three cars!
Hippos don’t have sweat glands, and they have very thick skins called hide. That is why they love to spend their time splashing waters on rivers to keep them cool. Hippos special gland called secrete a red fluid which created a myth that Hippos sweat is blood.
Hippos also love to wallow in the mud. They also rely on mud to keep their body temperature cool. You will see some Hippos splashing in the dirt with their fellow Hippos or with their young ones.
Cranes
Cranes love to live in savannas, grasslands, wetlands, marshes, and deserts. They are powerful flyers, and others are so skillful that they can fly over the Himalayas. Cranes are monogamous animals, which means they form a lifelong relationship.
Cranes occasionally wallow in mud, especially if it’s summer. They do this to protect their feathers from the sun and to remove insects that irritate them.
Hyenas
Hyenas are known as the mortal enemies of Lions. They are widespread and can be found in many habitats. Spotted Hyenas are living in all habitats such as savannas, grasslands, woodlands, forest edges, sub deserts, and mountains.
Hyenas are adept hunters, and they are carnivores. Female Hyenas are great mothers to their young ones, and they defend their young ones until their last breath. Hyenas know if someone is missing from their young ones because they know how to count.
Hyenas will sometimes wallow in the mud to cool themselves up, especially Hyenas living in hot habitats. Also, they do this to swat away different insects that bite them.
Deers
Deers are found in many different habitats including wetlands, forests, grasslands, rain forests, and mountains. They can also make themselves comfortable when humans get too close to their habitats.
Deers love mud as well. They love to jump in the mud and stay there for a while. Deers wallow in the mud to cool themselves and to remove parasites. They also love eating dirt because it is yummy for them.
Why Do Animals Wallow In Mud?
Now that you have known the different animals that love to wallow in mud, let us know the various reasons why they love to wallow in the mud.
To Take A Bath
Animals love to wallow in mud to take a bath. Yes, mud indeed looks so dirty for human eyes. But it is different for animals. They don’t need soap anymore because, in muds, everything is complete!
Animals wallow in mud to clean themselves. They also put their babies in the mud, and they clean them using their tongues, and trunks for elephants. Female animals lick their babies while in the mud to remove various dirt from them.
To Keep Cool
Animals that live in hot places like the desert or are always exposed to sunlight will often jump into the mud. Why? To keep their temperatures cool, especially during summer. They wallow in mud to reduce their body temperature.
Rhinos and Elephants living in hot places will often jump into the mud and cover their bodies with mud. The other reason why they cover their body with mud is to protect their skin from sunburn, and it is the next on our list.
Protection Against Sunburn
Animals will also wallow in mud and cover themselves with mud to protect their skins from sunburn. Animals like Elephants who love to travel during the hot day will first cover themselves with mud before proceeding.
Remove Biting Insects
Animals who love to wallow in mud also have a purpose why they love doing it. Wallowing in mud will remove every biting insect and parasite that lives in them. They will jump in the mud and remove every parasite from their bodies.
Cure Their Wounds
Yep, the mud cleans their wounds. Even though people think that mud will infect the wound it is vastly different for animals.
Animals with wounds will jump through the mud and will stay there for hours. If their scar has not gone away, they will come back again into the mud the next day.
Animals That Live In Mud
Below are the different animals that live in mud. They just don’t wallow in mud for a short time, but they live in mud most of their lives.
Worms
Worms live in mud and any dirt or soil. They can be seen anywhere even inside our house as long as there is dirt. Worms live where there is food, oxygen, and favorable temperatures.
Worms can grow so long, and they don’t have arms, legs, and eyes. There are 2000 plus kinds of worms living on our planet.
Bivalvia
Bivalvia is a type of animal that belongs to the class of mollusks. They all have two shells, and their shells are sturdy.
The Bivalve foot is used for digging. Most of them love to live on the bottom of shallow water, and they sometimes bury themselves in sand or mud.
Anemones
Anemones are animals belonging to the group of Cnidarians with the Jellyfish and corals. They live under the ocean, and they have fascinating methods of reproduction.
However, some anemones are also called burrowing anemones, that love to bury themselves in sand, mud, or gravel of the sea. They do this to protect themselves from predators.
Brittle Stars
Brittle stars or serpent stars are animals belonging to the echinoderms, and they are closely related to the Starfish. They crawl using their flexible arms to go anywhere they want.
They also use the spines on their arms for digging the mud under the ocean. They can also regenerate their bodies when it gets cut.
Cockles
Cockles love to live in muddy and sandy areas. They love to bury themselves under the mud to protect themselves from predators.
They can be easily seen during low tides, and when you try digging the sand on the shore, you can also see them.
Crabs
Crabs are one of the furious animals under the Crustaceans family. They can walk in all directions, and they usually walk sideways. Crabs are decapods, which means they have ten legs. Because of their ten legs, they are very fast when moving.
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Crabs may occupy some burrows in the intertidal zones. However, most adults live in areas below the low-tide mark, and they bury themselves in the mud during the daytime. They bury themselves under the mud to avoid people and other predators that are awake during the day.
Clams
Clams are one of the animals that have the lifestyle every man will dream of because there are only two goals they should achieve: 1. To have sex and 2. To eat. Clam has no brain, so they do not feel any pleasure from sex.
Clams burrow down in the mud or sand to protect themselves from various predators using their feet. They can dig down more than 11 inches.
Animals That Eat Mud
If there are animals that love to wallow in mud, and there are animals that live in mud, of course, there are also animals that love to eat mud. Let us go and check them!
Elephants
Yes, Elephants love to wallow in mud and they love to eat mud. Why do elephants love to eat mud?
Elephants love to eat mud because it is yummy for them, and the soil contains minerals such as calcium, sodium, and iron.
Deers
Deers wallow in mud, and they eat mud at the same time. They are herbivore animals that love to eat soil, plants, fruits, and vegetables.
Deers also eat mud and dirt for purpose. They believe that mud and dirt combat plant toxins and make their stomach healthy.
Apes
Apes love to eat soil and mud, and they might do it every time. But why do Apes eat mud? Apes eat mud and soil to activate-malarial plants. Also, eating mud or soil can have health benefits for them because it will give them minerals, and can help prevent diarrhea.
However, Humans don’t love to eat dirt even though we are part of the Apes. We are a higher class of Ape, and dirt won’t benefit us.
Birds
Birds love to eat mud and soil also. Why do Birds love to eat soil? Because it is a natural detox treatment for them. When there is a shortage of food, soil or mud could help them eat toxic plants without being poisoned.
Bats
Not all Bats love the taste of mud. Only fruit-eating Bats are considered to eat mud. They eat mud to intake large amounts of minerals and to detoxify the secondary plant compounds they ingest in fruits and vegetables.
Worms
Yes, Worms live in the mud or soil, and they also eat it. They get much of their nutrition from eating mud or soil, and their nutrition comes from things in the soil such as decaying roots, and leaves.
However, they also love to eat nematodes, protozoans, rotifers, bacteria, and fungi living in soil or mud.
Final Words
Mud can look dirty for people, but it is very different for animals. Animals love mud and they love to wallow in the mud for purposes. They enjoy wallowing in the mud alone or with their friends and young ones.
Whatever we think about the mud, it is still beneficial for animals. They are so cute when they wallow in mud, especially the Pigs!
Every Animals with hair have high chance to wallow in mud. However, we only feature nine animals because they are the animals that are famous for wallowing in the mud. Even Dogs can wallow in mud but only few Dogs do it.
I hope you learned lots of new information today! If you want more of this, just click the “Fun Facts” on the main menu!
