Are humans the only animals who are ‘burned’ by the sun?
In: Biology
No, we are not.
Most animals have the majority of the skin covered with fur that protects the skin. If you would shave for example a dog they have a high risk of getting sunburn.
If you look at animals with no or very little fur like Pigs, Warthog, Elephants, Rhinoceroses the use roll in mud or dust. It is in part a way to protect the skin from UV light.
A hippopotamus secretes a reddish oily fluid that in part functions as a sunscreen.
So mammal skin insensitive to UV light and need to be protected in some way.
No.
Sphinx cats (those furless ones) can get sunburnt and even get skin cancer from prolonged exposure, so most likely any cat or indeed any animal could get burnt without their fur to protect them.
I imagine other mammals without a thick fur to protect them would be vulnerable; in particular the domestic pig.
No, but we are the only ones stupid enough to do it on purpose.
Elephants and Hippos in particular will suffer pretty bad sunburn if there’s a drought.
People here made some great points. There’s also the fact that most animals live where they evolved to live. An animal with minimal protection against sunburn is likely to live in an environment with little to no exposure to sun. Likewise, animals that live in very hot and sunny places tend to have adaptations to deal with the heat.
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