sunburned

[uyu7ndrci8be]

what are the only two mammals that get suburned

[Alphil_72]

Whales and humans.

[RogerK]

How about pigs and hippos? Horses with white noses need to be careful as well!

[jills]

LOTS of animals do, there's certainly not "only two".  eg white cats are notorious for getting skin cancer due to sunburned ears etc. 

[New Forester]

Many domesticated animals get sunburn, because they are often bred to be partialy or wholly white, when they may have pink, unpigmented skin.  In many the fur protects their skin, and they are then only affected in thin-furred areas such as around the eyes and muzzle -- for example a white cat I had eventually got skin cancer on his ears and nose.

 

It's most noticeable in pigs because the commonest modern breeds have been bred to have sparse hair and pink skin.  They can get sunburn all over, like pale-skinned humans.  Of course, wild pigs have dark skin and thick fur, and many traditional pig breeds are black-skinned and often quite hairy too.

 

As RogerK says, horses with white in thin-furred areas can get it -- but grey horses (white all over) generally have black skin and aren't affected.  Hippos do have partly pink skin, but it seems their oily skin secretion has sunscreen in it -- presumably they can burn if this gets rubbed off.

 

Alphil_72 is only partly right -- of course the majority of humans do have proper skin pigment which largely protects them (though I believe even quite dark-skinned people tan darker in the sun).

 

So I guess the expected answer is "humans and pigs" -- but I think it's really an example of wrong trivia, like those dratted quacking ducks.  The real answer is probably "any mammal which has pink skin and no natural protection".

 

Our cattle are white-furred, generally with black skin beneath, but some have pink patches in the black.  In sunny weather, on those (such as the bulls) which have thin fur you can actually see and feel that the pink areas are raised with the inflammation from sunburn.  Ideally we try to breed for all-over black skin.

[TracyJ]

I know pigs for definite cos a farmer friend of ours used to rub diesel into them to stop them getting burnt!?!

[New Forester]

Diesel is toxic and should certainly not be used for that!

[apricot2]

Pigs and baby elephants

[Clanad]

It's important to understand that one in five cases of diagnosed melanoma (the most serious type of skin cancer)  worldwide are in Asian or African populations.  Black skinned people sunburn (and tan).  The darker shades appear to have protection equivalent to a sunscreen  of SP45. A close friend has to be careful in the spring when he begins to work outside without his shirt, else he burns.  sometimes quite painfully...

[Sproutstick]

TracyJ why would your friend rub diesel on pigs?!??  That sounds utterly cruel to me.  I am no farmer, but I cannot see how that would help stop them from getting burned.  As New Forester rightly points out, diesel is a toxic substance and could surely only cause harm!??

 

I think your 'friend' needs reporting to the RSPCA by the sounds of things!!!!

[Sproutstick]

...and think how horrible the bacon will taste!  Yeuch!!!

[peanut]

how funny i didnt know any of the above mentioned animals were classified as MAMMALS

[peanut]

accept for whales of course

[New Forester]

Peanut - all the animals mentioned (and come to that all the posters) are indeed mammals, with the possible exception of the diesel farmer.

 

The definition is broadly a vertebrate animal which has hair or fur and feeds its young on milk.  What did you think mammals were?

[peanut]

i never really gave it alot of thought. i was under the impression that it was like whales and some other aquatic creatures. silly me