Just the Facts

I'm sure you've noticed that it's been mostly fun facts for the past week. The boy really likes them. He's been asking for them instead of jokes. I've tried to sneak a few jokes in, but he always asks for a fun fact the next day.

It should come as no surprise that today's doodle is a fun fact. I think it's a pretty weird one.

The fact is slightly incorrect as the hippos don't have to be upset and it's not technically sweat. However, I left it the way it is to keep it simple for the boy. 

Here's the truth, according to Scientific American:

"Hippos secrete a reddish oily fluid sometimes called "blood sweat" from special glands in their skin. But the fluid is not sweat. Unlike sweat, which some mammals (including humans) secrete onto their skin, where it evaporates and therefore cools the body, this fluid functions as a skin moisturizer, water repellent and antibiotic. It appears red when exposed to full sunlight, which led the first European discoverers in Africa to call it "blood sweat."




Another fun fact: because of this, hippo milk is also pink.

Hope your week is off to a great start!