• Interesting Facts about Amphibians (3)
• Interesting Facts about Birds (22)
• Interesting Facts about Fishes (9)
• Interesting Facts about Mammals (48)
• Interesting Facts about Reptiles (16)

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• Z

Fruit Bat

The verylarge fruit trees that are common to the Okavango Delta are also home to thePeter's Epauletted Fruit Bat. These bats favour the fruit off the Sycamore figand feeding by night they add to the night sounds, their squeaks & whistlesechoing through the dense canopy. During the day the fruit bats hang upsidedown from the canopy. Here they remain silent, waiting in anticipation for thenights feeding. The bats are often forced to fly as they are very oftendisturbed by both baboon & vervet monkey who like to eat them. Gordo, amale ocelot, is believed to be one of only about 100 left in the U.S. DallasZoo researchers are working with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Department tosave the endangered ocelot cat from extinction.

Gar

DESCRIPTION: Gars are distinctive fish with longcylindrical-shaped bodies and heads with elongated jaws and needle-like teeth.Bony plates known as ganoid scales cover their bodies. SIZE: Ranges from 0.76-4 m; depends on species.The alligator gar is one of the largest of all freshwater fishes, with onemeasuring 3 mlong and weighing 127 kg. FUN FACTS: This ancient family of fish has severalprimitive features, such as a skeletal system that contains a great deal ofcartilage instead of bone. Also, their vertebrae are opisthocoelous (anteriorconvex, posterior concave), which is a characteristic seen in reptiles. Thistype of vertebrae is found in no other fish species except those in theSemionotiformes order. Finally, gars have a swim bladder connected to theiresophagus, which acts like a lung. This allows gars to breathe air in stagnantwaters with little oxygen. The rareganoid scales of the alligator gar are so hard that humans have used them forbreastplate armor, arrowheads, luggage, and even to cover the blades of woodenploughs.

Gecko

DESCRIPTION: Greenish gray lizard with gray andorange-brown spots covering body; body is slender with a large head; eyes areprominent in all species; broad fleshy toes with inner folds FUN FACTS: Nearly all geckos have a voice, rangingfrom a small squeak to the deafening whistles of the African whistling gecko. The gecko sticks its eggs to walls orrocks near cracks or holes. More than one female may use the same 'nest'. Theeggs are soft-shelled at first with a very sticky surface. They harden soonafter they are laid. Tokays have padded toes with stickingpower, which has long been the obsession of scientists. However, knowing whatresearch has found, it's not surprising. Each of its four feet has five toes.Each toe has fine hairs 1/10 mm long, packed at 5,000 hairs per sq mm. Each hair has 400-1,000 branches that end in aspatula-like structure about 1/50,000 inch long. Each hair is strong enough tosupport an ant's weight. One million hairs can support a small child! Tokay Geckoes are solitary creatures,only encountering the opposite sex during the breeding season. They areterritorial and will defend their space against intruders of the same speciesand of other species, ensuring less competition for food. These geckoes can inflict severe bitesif they are sufficiently threatened. Their nose is used for breathing andalso for detecting scents. A large number of sensory cells on a membrane in thenostrils and the Jacobson's organ help tokays to hunt. Their tongue is used tocarry scent particles to the holes in their palate. These particles are thentransported to the Jacobson's organ, which tells their brain about theenvironment (smell and taste). They have folds of skin that preventthem from casting a shadow while resting on a tree. By opening up the skin foldcompletely, it allows them to blend in with the tree bark. Another important feature of the tokayis its ability to cast off its tail in defense and later regenerate a new one.The cast off part will continue to move for several minutes, giving the geckotime to escape. It takes approximately three weeks for these geckoes tocompletely regenerate a new tail although it is usually never as long as theoriginal tail. Inparts of Southeast Asia, tokays are regardedas bringers of luck, good fortune, and fertility.

Gharial

DESCRIPTION: Crocodile-like in appearance with adistinguishing long, narrow snout and up to 110 razor-sharp interlocking teeth. SIZE: Males range between 5 to 6.5 m. Females are smaller,ranging between 3.5 to 4 m WEIGHT: Adults weigh between 159 to 181 kg FUN FACTS: Gharials have between 106 and 110interlocking, razor-sharp teeth, which help them catch slippery fish. The long,narrow snouts of gharials have low resistance, increasing their speed throughwater. Salt-excreting glands on the tongues ofgharials help them tolerate saline (salty) environments. Of all crocodilian species, gharialshave the largest eggs, weighing about 160 g each. Gharial eggs are temperature-dependent,meaning the gender of the hatchlings is dependent upon the temperature in whichthey are incubated. In general, males are produced with warm temperatures andfemales with cool temperatures. Hatchlings weigh 75 to 130 g and measure 32.5 to39.2 cm. Unlike most crocodilians, femalegharials are unable to assist their hatchlings to water due to their unique jawstructure. However, they do protect their young around the nesting area forseveral weeks after hatching. Adult male gharials have a roundedgrowth on the tip of their snouts, called a ghara. It enhances vocalcommunication by acting as a resonator that prdouces a loud buzzing call. Theghara is also a visual stimulus for females during the breeding season andhelps with the production of bubbles during courtship displays. Males begin todevelop their gharas around 10 years of age. Like all reptiles, gharials areectothermic, depending on external heat sources to regulate their bodytemperature. Very agile in aquatic environments,gharials have flattened, muscular tails and webbed feet that help propel themthrough water. Gharials frequently bask in the sun toincrease their body temperature, resulting in better mobility and digestion. Gharialshave a structure at the back of the eye, behind the retina, called the tapetumlucidum, which enhances their night vision. This mirror-like structure reflectslight (that has not already been absorbed by the eye) back into the eye asecond time to help produce a brighter image. The tapetum lucidum causes theireyes to glow at night, when a light is shone on them.

Giraffe

The Giraffe(Thutlwa) is the tallest of the African mammals standing at around 5 meters. Giraffe use thisheight to great advantage, as there is no other real competition for their foodsource - leaves - apart from perhaps the elephant. Even thoughthe giraffe is the tallest of the African mammals it still only has seven neckvertebrae, the same as mankind. DESCRIPTION: Giraffes are the tallest of the landanimals. It is a hooved mammal with short, wiry hair that varies in colorsamong the various races. The background coloring is cream with borders of goldto orange and the splotches are brown to black. FUN FACTS: Giraffesstrip leaves from thorny acacia trees, sometimes colonized by ants, with their 45 cm (18 in.) long, prehensiletongues.     Bull giraffes forage higher in treesthan cow giraffes which reduces food competition between the sexes. Long-legged giraffes walk with thelimbs on one side of the body lifted at the same time. This gait is called apace and allows a longer stride which saves steps and energy. A mother giraffe often gives birthwhile standing so that the newborn's first experience outside the womb is a 1.8 m (6 ft.) drop! For the first four to five months,calves congregate in nursery groups called creches to rest and socialize whilemothers forage in the distance. Giraffes have seven elongated vertebraein their neck unlike most mammals, an adaptation for feeding high in the trees. Giraffes are the tallest mammal. Theyare often called the watchtowers of the Serengeti, keeping track of predators.Their extreme long-range vision enables visual communication with othergiraffes over several miles. Because their necks are shorter thantheir legs, they must spread their front legs wide in order to reach the waterto drink. Their neck veins contain valves and a network of tiny veins toconstrict blood flow to their brain when they lower their head to drink inorder to prevent blackouts. Each has unique markings, whichdistinguish it from others, much like a human fingerprint. Giraffe markings allow them to hide amongtrees. A giraffe's tongue is purplish-black andcan extend almost twenty inches! This adaptation is thought to keep the tonguefrom sunburn during their all-day feed. Giraffes are one of the few species ofmammal to perceive color, and their visual field approaches 360 from theirtremendous height. Theyare quite agile and can run up to 35 mph, and have been known to jump 1.8 m (6 ft).

Gray Whale

DESCRIPTION: This species of whale has short baleen,a proportionally small head when compared to other baleen whales, and no dorsalfin. Instead of a dorsal fin, they have 9-13 bumps or "knuckles" fromthe midpoint of the back to the tail flukes. They are, of course, grayish incolor. Their throat grooves number from 2-4.As with other baleen whales, adultfemales tend to be slightly larger than the adult males. SIZE: Newborn calves average 4.9 m. Male gray whales average 13 m, Female gray whales average 14.1 m. A maximum length forthem is about 15 m WEIGHT: At birth, a gray whale is about 500 kg. The maximumweight for a gray whale is believed to be around 35,300 kg.Females may weigh almost 32,000 kg DIET: A gray whale's diet consists largely of sandcrab-like crustaceans called amphipods. FUN FACTS: The gray whale is the only livingmember of the baleen whale family Eschrichtiidae. The gray whale differs fromthe other two baleen whale families primarily in its feeding behavior - it is abottom feeder. Gray whales are predominantly bottomfeeders and forage along the ocean floor. Turning on its side, a gray whalegulps great mouthfuls of silt, strains out water and mud through its baleen,and swallows bottom-dwelling invertebrates. This whale species has the leastamount of baleen-approximately 130 baleen strips on each side of jaw. Thereduced number of baleen reflects the fact that they are bottom feeders. Females give birth to 4.9 m calves in the warm,shallow lagoons of Baja. While in the lagoons, some gray whales are unusuallyreceptive to the attentions of human who travel to the lagoons to see them.  They are believed to be able to dive upto 120 m and swim up to 15 kph.  Graywhales are known to migrate more than 10,000 km eachway-that's the longest known migration route of any mammal

Great Barracuda

DESCRIPTION: Silver cylindrical body with darkblotches and lighter side bands. Mouth is a prominent feature with its obviousconical teeth and large underslung jaw. Dorsal fins are widely separated.Slightly centrally cleft (emarginate) caudal fin SIZE: 45.7-91.4 cm avg; 200 cm max WEIGHT: 50 kg (110.2 lbs) max

Great Horned Owl

DESCRIPTION: The great horned owl is a large owlwith ear tufts and barred feathers on the underside of its body. It has abright white patch at the throat, which expands during vocalization. SIZE:   Approximately 45-63 cm; wingspan up to 1.5 m. Females usually are larger than males WEIGHT: Approximately 0.9-1.8 kg FUN FACTS: Greathorned owls may be active during the day or night, but are mostly nocturnal.During the day they only cover about 1 square mile, so it is rare to spot themin daylight.          Less than 3% of all bird species areactive at night, half of those are owls. Most owls have unique, comb likefeathers that allow for silent flight. The leading edge is "fringed"so that the feathers, when moving, do not make noise when rubbing together. Itis rare for the prey to hear an owl swooping in. Great horned owls have the mostidentifiable call, which sounds like: 'who-who-who-who'! If discovered during the day by smallbirds, it is not uncommon for the smaller birds to mob and chase away the owl. It is a myth that owls can turn theirhead all the way around. Owls have 14 neck vertebrae, allowing them to movetheir head 270 degrees. Although these birds have excellenteyesight, they are also capable of catching prey using only their sense ofhearing. They have binocular vision and a hooked beak so as not to interferewith their vision. Owls' eyes look forward in a fixed position and cannot movefrom side to side, as the human eye can. In order to see peripherally, the owlmust turn its entire head. Researchers learn about the diet ofowls by looking at castings, or pellets of indigestible material such as bonesand fur that are regurgitated. Owls are considered good luck in somecultures, but in others, they are feared as a sign of approaching death. Great horned owls are one of theprimary predators for skunks in North America.They have an opposable outer toe, which increases their ability to catch prey. Theseowls do not build their own nest; rather they utilize an old nest of a hawk,eagle, or any other large bird species.

Great White Shark

COMMONNAME: Great white shark, white shark,white pointer, white-death, mango-taniwha. DESCRIPTION: Large-sized, predatory shark with rowsof serrated, triangular-shaped teeth. Generally darker on dorsal region andwhitish below. MALE: External claspers located on the far undersideof the body - forward of the caudal fin - distinguish males. SIZE: Average4.3-5.5 m.The largest great white ever documented, caught off the coast of Cuba,measured 6.4 m. WEIGHT:Average680-1,800 kg HABITAT: Great whitesharks favor temperate waters worldwide, primarily along coastlines.Additionally, they may be found in tropical and sub-tropical waters FUN FACTS: Although itis not the largest of all sharks, the great white is the largest predatoryshark. Some relatively harmless sharks, like the whale shark, are much largerthan the great white. Scientists can easily identify theteeth of a great white shark. The upper teeth are large, broad, and triangular,while the lower teeth are slightly more slender. All the teeth are serrated.Like other sharks, a great white continually looses its teeth and replaces themwith new ones. Though great white attacks on humansare well documented, they are generally rare. Recent studies suggest that greatwhites may find humans unpalatable. Attacks probably occur when a sharkmistakes a human for a seal or sea lion, the great white's principle prey.

Grey Turaco

DESCRIPTION: Medium-sized gray bird with a long tailand tall crest feathers. This species has a short, dark bill and dark eyes. Thebody is slightly counter-shaded and the legs are gray. The tail is long andmeasures about the same length as the body. SIZE: From beak to tip of tail 47.5-50 cm WEIGHT: Less than .45 kg FUN FACTS These gray birds are characterized by avery distinct "G'way" call, giving them their nickname, grey go-awaybird. They use this call to warn the other birds in their flock of impendingdanger. Turacos are the only birds to possesstrue green and red pigmentation. When you look at most birds, the color thatyou perceive is a function of the feather structure and refracted light. Thegreen pigments are produced by substances that are rare to other birds. The redcolors are produced by pigments (porphyrin) that are unique to the animalkingdom. (In fact, if you stirred a glass of water with a turaco feather, thewater would turn color.) Turacos possess semi-zygodactyl feet (3toes in front and one toe to the side). The toe that points outward can berotated to the front or back. These birds have a beautiful set ofcrest feathers that can reach a height of about 5 cm during periods ofexcitement. Turacos live in large flocks of up to30 individuals. They are monogamous in breeding. During courtship, the maleturaco will feed the female. Together, they build their nest, with female andmale taking turns incubating the eggs. Once the eggs have hatched, other flockmembers help the female care for the chicks. Chicks can fly at 4 weeks of age.They may leave the nest at 6 weeks of age (or decide to stay with the flock). Theyuse their long tails to maintain balance and their feet are well adapted forgripping branches. These birds seem to enjoy running along horizontal branches,rather than hopping or flying.

<< [Первая] < Предыдущая 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Следующая > [Последняя] >>

List of Animals English Globe