Types of Animal Insulation: Feathers, Blubber, Wool and Fur

Introduction

There are many types of animals in the world today; therefore there are just as many types of insulation for these animals. They range from fat/blubber for polar bears to feathers for snowy owls. Although different in type and texture, all animal insulation provides some type of protection from the cold and/or hot weather conditions that surround their place of residence. Without these there is a great chance that most animals would not survive in the areas in which they live. Most insulation as you will find with in this document serve more than one purpose and at times work together with other aspects of an animal’s body to further assist then in protection from harsh weather temperatures as well as assistance with the functions of their lives.

Winter is a season where animal’s insulation is very much needed. This is especially true when it come to arctic animals like the walrus, harp seals, snow goose and the penguin to name a few. In most cases it is their primary way of keeping warm during the cold conditions they must endure. The Walrus which is found in the Arctic Seas of Alaska has body that contains blubber which is a layer of fat about two to three inches thick. This acts as insulation and protects them against both the cold water and weather that surrounds them.

In the case of the Harp Seal, they inhabit the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans mostly in Canada and the Gulf of St. Lawrence and they to have a body with blubber for insulation. They also have front and hind flippers which together with the blubber help heat transfer in harp seals. “The temperature is sustained by the blubber and at a depth of some 50mm

(about the thickness of the blubber); the temperature is nearly at body core temperature.” (Schmidt-Nielson, 1972)

Penguins are extremely different and unique due to their lack of the common types of animal insulation. Where most have fur and feathers the penguin has only thick skin and an excessive amoundt of fat to substain warmth in cold water. Their thick skin contributes with locking heat in their body making habitation in water comfortable and durable.

Fur is a protective over layer that in most cases seals heat so animals are warm in colder weather conditions. The Artic Hare have two types of fur, one short thick and warm which is a under fur. The other being longer and silky on the top fur, which protects the under fur, so in this case the same type of insulation served more than one purpose when put together. Along with fur their fat which also adds more insulation for the Arctic Hare.

The Polar Bear has fur as its insulation, which like most land mammals resides outside the skin surface. However, this animal’s fur loses insulation effectiveness in water so it must rely on its blubber to make their semi-aquatic lifestyle possible. This is due to the significant amount