Why the goose comes out of the water

Animals

Why the goose comes out of the water

Not everyone knows, but often used in speechthe proverb "Like water from a gusher" is based on very real facts related to the natural properties of the feathering of this bird. Goose fat can push water away, simply not letting the goose get wet.

Water, by an amazing coincidence, is notOnly does not penetrate the feathers of geese, but also gathers large drops, sliding along the body of the animal. However, if the bird is first dipped into warm and then cold water, the plumage loses its mysterious properties, this suggests the existence of some kind of lubricant that does not allow water to penetrate through the firm "armor" of feathers, because the molecules of water and fat are not able to interact with the usual way.

Curiously, geese worse than females dive and swim, most of their life they spend on land.

Bold secret

A special layer of fat covers the skin and allIntermediate space of a bird, Fat is produced by glands located in the tail of a bird over the spine, this is the so-called secret of the coccygeal gland. The secret goes out through the special tubules, when the bird presses on them with a beak. By the way, the secret has a rather unpleasant smell, which is familiar to everyone who has ever plucked a goose. Sometimes one can observe how geese perform amusing actions with a beak, similar to stroking, at this moment the bird independently covers the feathers with the above-described substance, creating a dense fat layer, preventing the wetting of feathers when it comes into contact with the water surface. By themselves, feathers do not have similar hydrophobic properties.

Protective properties of fat

The secret also allows you to make the plumage of a goosemore elastic and less brittle due to fats, wax and glycerides contained in it, and under the influence of the sun it also turns into vitamin D, so necessary to the body of the bird, thanks to the 7-dehydrocholystyrene substance that geese absorb during daily procedures. Thus, at a sufficient level of light, birds are able to independently synthesize and provide their body with an important element. It is interesting that nature also awarded many other birds related to the waterfowl category, because it allows ducks and geese to stay so confident and ply on the water, but herons and cormorants can not boast such an effective work of the gland.