Bear with me, this is actually science. Chinese softshell turtles (Pelodiscus sinensis) spend a certain amount of their life in extremely brackish waters. So much so, in fact, that their kidneys can't handle all of the salt that would accumulate if they processed the water in the usual biological method (peeing uses up water, so they'd have to drink more salty water to rehydrate, and all of a sudden you die from kidney failure). So to compensate, they have an alternative. Instead of passing the ammoniac urea out their hind end, they dunk their heads into a nearby pool, and gargle. They're not drinking, you see-- they're using the water to rinse out the concentrated urea that they're secreting into their mouths.
Scientists are very excited about possible medical implications for people with kidney problems. People with kidney problems are telling the scientists not to bother. Ew.
Primary Source : http://jeb.biologists.org/content/215/21/ii.full
No comments:
Post a Comment