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Do larger animals take longer to pee? - David L. Hu

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4,081 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

A cat’s bladder can only store a golf ball’s worth of urine. For humans, it’s a coffee mug and for elephants, a kitchen trash can. An elephant’s bladder is 400 times the size of a cat’s, but it doesn’t take an elephant 400 times longer to pee. So, how does this work? David L. Hu digs into what scientists call the “Other Golden Rule.”

Explain how animals may have evolved a 21 second urination time. What are the advantages or disadvantages of having a long or a short urethra?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator David L. Hu
  • Director Anton Bogaty
  • Narrator Jack Cutmore-Scott
  • Sound Designer Weston Fonger
  • Special Thanks Marc Smith, Patricia Yang
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Editorial Producer Cella Wright
  • Script Editor Emma Bryce
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma

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