Many animals thrive in their near-nakedness.

Elephants, rhinos, and hippos don't have fur. They all live in hot places, where the trick is to keep cool. Being practically hairless is one way these animals deal with the heat. They use mud, dust, and water to protect their skin from sunburn.

Whales spend all of their time underwater. Their body fat keeps them warm, so they don't need fur coats. Naked mole rats live entirely underground, where the temperature stays warm year-round. No need for hair there!

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Text by David George Gordon
Photographs by Sharon Maritz/Age Fotostock (hippopotamus); Michael Nichols/National Geographic Image Collection (rhinoceroses); Estock photo/Picturequest (elephant skin); K & K Amman / Bruce Coleman, Inc. (elephant)