Short answers, pulled from the story.
Only the smooth tip of a cat's tongue touches the water, then the tongue snaps back so quickly that a column of liquid rises into the mouth, which closes to secure it. A canine instead shapes its tongue into a ladle and scoops the water into its mouth.
Elephants draw water up into their trunks and then squirt it into their mouths. This method is unique to elephants among the animals described.
The USDA recommends a daily total water intake of 3.7 liters, about a gallon, for an adult male and 2.7 liters, about three-quarters of a gallon, for an adult female, counting water from food and other beverages. Evidence-based experts say the actual amount depends on temperature, activity level, body size, and sweat rate, and that drinking when thirsty keeps hydration within about 2 percent of the needed level.
Overconsumption of water can cause water intoxication, which dangerously dilutes the concentration of salts in the body. Overhydration shows up among athletes and outdoor laborers and can also signal disease or damage to the hypothalamus.
Dehydration is a decline in total body water, signaled by thirst that the hypothalamus regulates in response to changes in electrolyte levels and blood volume. Left unchecked it leads to death by hypernatremia, and it is managed through assisted drinking or oral rehydration therapy.
Saltwater fish drink through the mouth as they swim and purge the excess salt through their gills. They take in plenty of water and excrete only a small volume of concentrated urine, while freshwater animals absorb water through the skin by osmosis and do not need to drink.
Evidence of fermented drinks in human culture goes back as early as the Neolithic Period, with the first pictorial evidence found in Egypt around 4,000 BC. Heavy alcohol consumption is linked to cirrhosis, gastritis, gout, pancreatitis, hypertension, and various forms of cancer.