![Smithsonian Channel Pick of the Week artwork](https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts4/v4/b6/92/06/b692062f-e4f1-7267-b54b-27a4326e1db6/mza_4405527230069516574.jpg/100x100bb.jpg)
Why Do Giraffes Have Patches?
Smithsonian Channel Pick of the Week
English - October 03, 2016 16:00 - 1 minute - ★★★★ - 31 ratingsTV & Film wildlife monkeys jungle baboons birds goshawk photography high speed photography fish leopards Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Previous Episode: How to Unroll a Dead Sea Scroll Without Destroying It
Next Episode: Laser Scientists Are Developing Star Trek's Phaser
The dark patches on a giraffe's body hide an intricate network of blood vessels and glands. These allow blood to flow through them, releasing heat and cooling the body.