Vultures cool themselves down by urinating on their own legs.

Vultures and storks utilize a physiological process called urohydrosis to regulate their internal temperature. When the liquid waste evaporates from the bird's scaly legs, it draws heat away from the blood vessels close to the skin surface. This mechanism is vital for species like the Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), which often inhabits regions where temperatures exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit.Beyond cooling, this behavior serves a critical sanitary purpose. Vultures frequently step inside the ribcages of decaying animals to feed, exposing their legs to dangerous pathogens like anthrax, botulism, and cholera. Research published in journals such as 'Nature Communications' highlights that vulture digestive systems and waste products are exceptionally acidic, with a pH level near zero.This extreme acidity effectively sterilizes the bird's legs by neutralizing harmful microbes found in carrion. Ornithologists have noted that this dual-purpose adaptation is a key reason why vultures can consume rotting meat that would be fatal to other scavengers. By combining thermoregulation with chemical disinfection, vultures remain one of nature's most efficient and resilient cleanup crews.