Category: Animals
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Pink sea urchins have self-sharpening teeth
Pink sea urchins house five teeth, each supported by a separate jaw in a circular arrangement at the center of their spiked spherical bodies. But researchers at Northwestern have discovered that the teeth of pink sea urchins are specially equipped to self-sharpen themselves. The tooth enamel breaks off regularly to sustain precision, like a knife…
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The African Dung Beetle navigates Earth using the stars
Not sure what’s more amazing about the African dung beetle, one that it rolls immaculate balls out of other animals’ dung or that it navigates from home to manure piles and back via celestial cues. “These clever insects use the polarized light of the moon to navigate in a straight line,” writes Popular Mechanics. “Their…
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Attenborough’s fan-throated lizard
Attenborough’s fan-throated lizard (Sitana attenboroughii) is a species of fan-throated lizards endemic to India, primarily found in the state of Tamil Nadu. The males flaunt their colorful dewlaps — loose skin on their necks — to woo potential mates during mating season. The males also flash their fan-structured throats to ward off rivals in their…
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Extreme close-up of a Wolf Spider
Let’s hope this animal doesn’t upset your sleep tonight. Below is a close-up facial expression of the Wolf Spider (Lycosidae). If you don’t think the energy the creature gives off is weird enough, look more closely at the additional four more little eyes near the mouth. The Wolf Spider has a total of 8 eyes…
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Say hello to the swimming pigs of the Bahamas
The uninhabited island of Big Major Cay in the Bahamas is populated entirely by swimming pigs. Known as the Swimming Pigs of Exuma, the feral pigs swim freely in the shallow, clear-water ocean and play amongst themselves on the beach. How the pigs got on the island is still a mystery. Some believe that they…