Japan is a "water country" blessed with rain. Abundant water is essential for life, but it can be a little frustrating when clothes don't dry easily or when you have to deal with humidity. It would be great if there was a fabric that could alleviate such problems, but there are also creatures whose bodies have adapted to water. The popular and soothing capybara.
With the exception of a few species such as whales and dugongs, mammals known as "beasts" (furry creatures) instinctively dislike getting wet. When water evaporates from a wet body, the heat of vaporization takes away body heat, wasting energy, and in the wild, this could be fatal. Mammalian fur not only protects the skin from external stimuli such as direct sunlight and injury, but also plays an important role in keeping body temperature constant by insulating the air between the fur and the skin.
Well, the capybara is an oddball who, despite being an animal, loves water. Although it doesn't have flashy star quality, it is popular enough to be featured in character merchandise, with people saying that its "laid-back, relaxed appearance is soothing."
At the zoo, you can often see capybaras relaxing in the water. Capybaras are creatures that live near water, eating aquatic plants, and are so used to water that they even mate and defecate in the water. They even have webbed feet between their toes.
So, you might think that their bodies would be soaking wet after being completely submerged in water, but after getting out and shivering like a dog, they are completely refreshed. In fact, capybaras have a mechanism for quickly draining water from their bodies. The secret lies in their fur.
Contrary to expectations, capybaras feel hard and stiff to the touch. This is because capybaras' hair, which is about 5cm long, is as hard and thick as a scrubbing pad. A scrubbing pad drains water well, and just shaking it quickly removes the water and dries it, but capybara hair also works like a scrubbing pad, and because the hair is elastic, it repels water even more. In addition, the hair is low in density and highly breathable, making it easy to shake off water from the skin and quicker to dry.
Meanwhile, humans have learned to adapt to the weather by wearing clothes, which has made up for the loss of body hair and allowed us to cope with rain, snow, cold and ultraviolet rays. As people who live in a "country of water," we can look forward to further evolution of fabrics that will allow us to live comfortably.
Animal Encyclopedia: Capybara
Their Japanese name is Oni Tenjiku Nezumi, and they are the largest rodent in the world. They live in groups near water in South America, and contrary to appearances, they are also fast on land. They do not like getting wet in the rain, and can be seen taking shelter from it at the zoo. They are weak to the cold, and recently at the zoo they have been seen relaxing in hot springs in the winter. They drain water well, and as they do not have sweat glands in their skin, they do not sweat and do not get cold from the bath.
Sweat-absorbing and quick-drying material
The structure of the yarn and fabric, as well as the special processing, quickly absorbs moisture such as sweat and disperses it to the outside, allowing it to dry quickly. It is a dry material that is ideal for hot summers and sports.