Final answer:
It is true that Turkey Vultures excrete on their legs to cool themselves through evaporative cooling. Different animals have adopted various strategies to manage body heat, including behavioral changes and physiological adaptations like vasodilation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement about Turkey Vultures excreting on their own legs as a form of evaporative cooling on hot summer days is true. Birds and other animals have developed various mechanisms to cope with heat. In mammals, one common method of cooling down is through sweating, which relies on the evaporation of sweat from the skin to remove excess body heat. However, not all creatures sweat. For example, dogs mainly pant to facilitate cooling as the evaporation of water from the tongue and other moist surfaces in the mouth cools the body. In the case of Turkey Vultures, they excrete on their legs, and as the moisture evaporates, it cools the skin on their legs.
Other methods that animals use to manage body temperature include behavioral adaptations like adjusting the timing of daily activities, seeking shade, or huddling together. For instance, an American alligator may increase vasodilation to cool down if it gets too hot after basking.