Weird fact: Some monkeys wash their hands and feet in urine! 

How do animals wash or clean themselves? Do they clean at all? Hard to tell. For our pets, we take those decisions ourselves to maintain hygiene at home. We bathe them regularly and even clean their feet after their outside excursions before they step into our lovely homes. But for those in the wild, we can’t say. We have seen bigger animals such as hippos, elephants and buffaloes lying lazily in the water. But do animals really take water as a way of cleaning themselves? Let us take an interesting example, that of monkeys. If research is to be believed, many monkey species rinse their feet and hands in their own urine waste. Eww, now that sounds really weird! But scientists have figured out why exactly they do so. Let us also find out the reason.   

Washing in urine to get comfort  
Scientists have been busy finding out reasons that exactly lead many species of monkeys such as mantled howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys and a few species of capuchin monkeys (a species found in South and Central American forests) wash themselves with their own urine. All kinds of explanations have been suggested from helping these primates cool down to improving their grip on branches. One of the more accepted theories for the urine rinse is that it offers them comfort.  Interestingly, researchers have found that urine-washing lowered  the levels of stress hormone cortisol, suggesting pee rinses might help the capuchins soothe themselves.  

Triggers behind the weird pee rinse 
This observation makes sense with the monkeys wanting to calm down in case they are faced with aggression or even in a reverse scenario like being solicited by females. 

When scientists studied this angle more deeply, they noticed that after most of the fights or aggressive incidents, the loser of the battle washed in urine, may be seeking attention. In another study, the scientists found that males doubled the rate of their urine washing when solicited by females. Urine washing may be a way of social communication, encouraging females to continue paying attention. However, weather or climatic conditions rarely show any effect on the urine-washing habit of monkeys, regardless of how warm or cool or humid their environment is. According to researchers, they are at least not using urine to control their body temperature. They also do not urine-wash more to help mark territory off against strangers.  

Interesting monkey facts  

• Groups of monkeys are known as a mission, tribe, or troop. 
• Monkeys sleep while sitting on trees, often upright! 
• Pygmy Marmosets are the world's smallest monkeys.  
• Mandrills are the world's largest monkeys. 
• The colour of a Bald Uakari's face may reveal its health. 
• Howler monkeys are the loudest of all.