Fur: Difference between revisions

'''[[Guard hair]]''' ('''overhair'''<ref>B. J. Teerink. ''Hair of West European mammals: atlas and identification key''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.</ref>) is the top—or outer—layer of the coat. Guard hairs are longer, generally coarser, and have nearly straight shafts that protrude through the layer of softer down hair. The [[Anatomical terms of location|distal]] end of the guard hair is the visible layer of most mammal coats. This layer has the most marked [[pigmentation]] and [[Gloss (optics)|gloss]], manifesting as coat markings that are adapted for [[camouflage]] or display. Guard hair repels water and blocks sunlight, protecting the undercoat and skin in wet or aquatic habitats, and from the sun's [[ultraviolet]] radiation. Guard hairs can also reduce the severity of [[Wound#Open|cuts or scratches]] to the skin. Many mammals, such as the domestic dog and cat, have a [[pilomotor reflex]] that raises their guard hairs as part of a [[threat display]] when agitated.