Lesser flamingo lake natron5/17/2023 ![]() ![]() Just like Alcolapia, when they're in Lake Natron, the flamingos' favorite thing to eat is Arthrospira. They can drink the salty, alkaline water of Lake Natron because of salt glands in their heads, which filter out the excess minerals through their nasal cavity and pass clean water to the rest of their body. Flamingos also prefer their water fresh - but when it's not available, the lesser flamingo can adapt and overcome. However, they found it more likely that the structure supports the bird's head as part of its peculiar upside-down style of feeding. And while they couldn't determine exactly what it did, they did have some hypotheses, including that it could act as a heat exchanger of some kind. In a 2006 study, scientists found an unusual structure in the flamingo's head. How's that for a tacky lawn ornament? They have even been observed drinking boiling water from geysers with little to no ill effect, although they prefer water at reasonable temperatures when they can find it. ![]() The high temperatures don't seem to bother them, either - they can submerge their heads in water that's so hot, it's almost boiling. These flamingos have tough skin on their legs to prevent burns from the caustic water. Like Alcolapia, Lesser Flamingos are specially adapted to take advantage of everything Lake Natron has to offer. Despite their name, there's nothing inferior about these birds. Lake Natron is also the breeding grounds of the Lesser Flamingo. But that also means that these fish can't survive anywhere but in Lake Natron and places like it. Because they live in a place that's so difficult for other organisms to tolerate, they can thrive without competition from other fish. These fish have adapted to live in an incredibly specialized ecological niche - a.k.a. These fish are adapted to live in alkaline lakes, and only alkaline lakes. But as you may guess, there's a trade-off here. That means they don't need to spend as much energy protecting their internal pH from changing because of the environment they live in. Alcolapia have also evolved a higher internal pH compared to most fishes. And that allows them to survive in waters that have been shown to kill other similar species of fish within an hour. So Alcolapia have evolved an enzyme that lets them convert ammonia to urea without using too much energy. The problem is, when it comes to freshwater fish, it doesn't take a lot of ammonia to be toxic- just half a milligram in a liter of water can start to cause issues. And some saltwater fish have similar adaptations. Land animals can usually process ammonia by converting it to urea, which is less toxic, but this process takes up a lot of energy. For example, alkaline lakes are full of ammonia, which is toxic to many forms of life. Lake Natron, and other alkaline lakes across the region, are home to a genus of fish called Alcolapia, which have evolved unique adaptations to withstand the toxic environment they call home. They're the basis for the lake's very own ecosystem. The lake is home to a genus of brilliant red algae called Arthrospira, which loves salty, alkaline water. First, the lake has a distinctive, bright red color, and it gets that from a flourishing community of algae. Because of that, it's hard to imagine that anything can live in this lake. Any animal corpses unfortunate enough to land in the water end up mummified in a coat of minerals, and touching it is seriously painful for humans. The lake's temperature has been known to hit sixty (60) degrees Celsius. Depending on the conditions, its pH can be higher than 10 - that's a thousand times more basic than pure water. The water is alkaline - sometimes very alkaline. Tanzania's Lake Natron isn't exactly a pleasant place for a swim. Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet? Ashmore, Piya Shedden, Sam Lutfi, Charles George, Christoph Schwanke, Greg, Lehel Kovacs, Bd_Tmprd Kevin Bealer, Jacob, Katie Marie Magnone, Charles Southerland, Eric Jensen, Christopher R Boucher, Alex Hackman, Matt Curls, Adam Brainard, Jeffrey McKishen, Scott Satovsky Jr, James Knight, Sam Buck, Chris Peters, Kevin Carpentier, Patrick D. Huge thanks go to the following Patreon supporters for helping us keep SciShow free for everyone forever: ![]() Support SciShow by becoming a patron on Patreon: SciShow has a spinoff podcast! It's called SciShow Tangents. But some creatures have evolved amazing adaptations that help them survive and thrive in this alkaline lake. With its caustic red waters, Lake Natron doesn’t seem like the ideal place to call home.
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