Pee: we all do it, and so does pretty much every other creature on the planet. But not all urination is created equal. Across the animal kingdom, pee comes in many forms – sometimes it’s sprayed, other times it’s stored for long periods, and occasionally it’s even launched into the air (or onto a mate). It can play a fascinating role in survival, communication, and even romance. Here are some of the best ways animals pee in the wild.
Animal pee facts
Nearly all mammals take the same amount of time to pee
A 2014 study showed that all mammals weighing more than 3kg empty their bladders over about 21 seconds. Rats, goats, cows and elephants were among the subjects. Small animals vary significantly here though, with rats urinating in a fraction of a second. The study was undertaken by Patricia Yang, a PhD student in mechanical engineering, and three colleagues, whose findings were published in the journal PNAS.
Learn more about how to identify different animal poo here.
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There’s a breed of dolphin that pees into the air
In order to pee, the Amazon river dolphin (also known as Botos) flips onto its back and pees into the air – a behaviour known as “aerial urination”. Researchers observed this behaviour in the Amazon river dolphin, noting that the urine stream would flow into the air in an arc-shape and land near their heads.
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Desert tortoises can store over 40 per cent of their body weight in urine
Desert tortoises are accustomed to surviving in extremely dry climates, making the most of any rainwater they might be able to source. They dig depressions in the earth to catch rainwater, and can then store water in their urinary bladder, which significantly increases their body weight after a rainstorm.
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When a male porcupine finds a mate, he sprays her with urine
Once a dominant male porcupine finds a prospective female mate, he will approach her and spray his urine on her. The chemical reaction that takes place allows the female to be sexually receptive. This process will take place in the trees, but the pair will then descend to the ground to mate. During sex, porcupines will tighten their skin and hold their quills flat, to avoid injuring one another.
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To defend themselves, Siberian chipmunks cover themselves in snake urine
Siberian chipmunks are known to gnaw on snake skin, urine, faeces and anal sac excretions and apply these gnawed items to their body repeatedly, to disguise their scent from potential predators. They will then rub their bodies on nearby wood stumps and branches.
This is known as SSA behaviour, a shorthand for snake-scent application. It is believed to be a method of defence and communication, either to disguise their own scent or perhaps also as a warning to other chipmunks about the presence of snakes in the area.
Bird pee is actually what makes their poo white
You might have heard of the cloaca – the fascinating bird anatomy that allows urine and faeces to pass through it. As a result of this mixing, bird droppings contain a mix of materials from both urine and faeces, and it is the presence of urine in it that gives its faeces its white colour. This is because the urates contain white crystals of uric acid. Technically, therefore, birds don’t actually pee or poop – they produce a mixture of both, which is what produces the white splatter we see on car windows so often.
It’s not just land animals that pee: fish pee too
Fish are able to excrete unwanted compounds via their gills, diffusing it into the water around them. Freshwater fish are able to flush their kidneys out with large quantities of water, so they wee constantly, but marine (sea) fish have to excrete the excess salt and are limited to the water they acquire from food and the surrounding sea water, so their urine is highly concentrated. It might seem surprising, but fish pee just as we do!
Researchers in Hawai’i captured footage of a humpback whale urinating
Researchers tagged a humpback whale calf, which was nursing and staying below its mother, which we then see pee on the footage captured. Whale pee is rich in nitrogen, phosphorous and other nutrients. Watch the video of the humpback whale peeing.
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Top image: A cheetah stops to spray during a rainstorm in the Maasai Mara, Kenya (credit: Getty Images)