Jan 8, 2025, 08:02 PM IST

These animals have thickest skin, their most effective defence against danger

Vaishali Shastri

Some wild animals who are more prone to dangers like hostile environments and deadly predators have evolved to protect them against these. Their thick skin has different strengths to fight various dangers. Here’s a list of animals with the hardest skin.

Their skin has scutes, which are covered by keratin and osteoderm, bones beneath the skin which are almost impossible to penetrate. Their skin is their protection against even the hardest bullets.

Crocodile

They are one of the animals with the toughest skin which is two inches thick on average. Their skin is made of collagen and has many layers.

Rhinoceros

The thickness of their skin is one inch which protects them from the sun and insects' bites as also against predators.

Elephant

Their skin can tolerate extreme cold and heat, and protect against insect bites, and predators like wolves and mountain lions.

Bison

Their bodies are shielded from predators by the bony plates known as a carapace. The armadillo's thick, armor-like shell allows it to defend itself by rolling into a tight ball. It can twist and move to avoid predators because the skin beneath the armor is still tough and thick, giving it considerable flexibility.

Armadillo

Its skin protects it from the harshness of the ocean and is upto 13.5 inches thick. This thick skin protects against the teeth of predators like sharks and orcas.

Sperm Whale

The largest fish in the world, Whale Shark has skin with a thickness of four inches. It is covered in denticles, a small toothlike structure. The skin is a barrier against physical harm and parasites

Whale Shark

At almost two inches thick, the hide serves a variety of purposes, including providing protection from predators and the scorching African heat. When the hippo is submerged for extended periods of time, a natural pink material secreted by its skin protects it from sunburn.

Hippopotamus

Next: 10 most dangerous fish in the world