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"It’s still unclear how ubiquitous this behavior is among pandas" ... "And if the idea pans out, it would be a bit baffling, Dr. McShea said. Pandas, like other
by acqq 6y ago
"It’s still unclear how ubiquitous this behavior is among pandas" ... "And if the idea pans out, it would be a bit baffling, Dr. McShea said. Pandas, like other bears, have very thick coats of fur. “They are adapted for cold weather already,” he said."
- wahern 6y agoJust because they're biologically adapted doesn't mean they're not uncomfortable. The hypothesis is that it makes them feel warmer, similar to how drinking alcohol makes you feel warmer in a blizzard. I imagine the sensation (if true) might be maladaptive to the extent they forgo other behaviors that protect them from the cold, but humans have gotten really far tending to our physical pleasure while often ignoring their unhealthy causes. EDIT: A better example: by all accounts (laymen, primatologists) wild chimpanzees apparently hate rain. If chimpanzees had the choice, all things being equal (e.g. safety, access to food, mobility, etc) a chimpanzee would always choose to sleep under a roof in rainy weather. Yet as far as we can tell they're otherwise well adapted to the rain, including to sleeping in the rain.