Tag: 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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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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Draco volans: The flying dragon lizard
Draco Volans are real-life flying lizards from Southeast Asia. These mini flying creatures have developed the ability to glide up to 26 feet, often from one tree to another, over thousands of years. They use their wing-like extensions that form from the skin flaps on their ribs. So, they don’t actually “fly” like the dragons […]
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How the Honduran white bat converts large leaves into tents
Some of the most bizarre wildlife exists in the Honduran rainforest. Take the Honduran white fruit bat (Ectophylla alba), for example. The size of a golf ball, these tiny fluffy creatures love to snuggle together in leaf plants like peas in a pod. They are also polygamous; each little colony houses up to six females […]
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Deadly scorpions invade southern Egypt after freak thunderstorm
If you thought the plagues were over, think again. Thunderstorms in southern Egypt forced hordes of scorpions out of the desert into Aswan, killing 3 and sending more than 500 people to hospitals with stings. Sources say the black scorpions entered everywhere from people’s homes, cars, and buildings to inject them with deadly venom. The […]
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The cassowary is living proof that birds are living dinosaurs
The cassowary is further proof that birds are living dinosaurs. Native to Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia, the flightless Cassowary bird can grow up to a whopping 7 feet tall and weigh as much as 120 pounds. It’s the third-tallest and second-heaviest living bird. But even more dinosauric are the cassowary’s razor-sharp talons that […]
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Olms, the eyeless baby dragons of Europe
Olms are underwater cave-dwelling salamanders found in Europe. The neatest part about these unique, entirely aquatic amphibians is that they have long bodies, heads, and no eyes, unlike their relatives of axolotls. They also can live up to a century and go a decade without food due to their low metabolism. In Slovenian folklore, the olm […]
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The giant crowned flying fox is a human-size bat from the Philippines
Here’s a creature from the Philippines that will stop you in your tracks. The giant golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus) grows as large as 3 feet with a 5-6 feet wingspan. For the record, that’s also wider than Danny DeVito is tall. It is quite simply one of the largest bats in the world. You’d think that […]
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The bearded vulture lives exclusively off bone
The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is the only known animal that lives on a diet of bones. That’s right — this intimidating-looking bird avoids the meat and specializes in feeding on bone marrow. This bird of prey is so desperate for bone it’ll fly a dead carcass as high as 500 feet into the sky and release […]
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Say hello to the Vampire Crab
Here’s an animal made for Halloween: say hello to the Vampire Crab. The recently discovered species of the genus Geosesarma dennerle is a tiny, semi-terrestrial crab that resides on the Sulawesi Island in Indonesia. They get their name from their fang-shaped mouthparts, spooky eyes, and pinchy claws. The super-colorful purple vampire crabs are native to […]
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Valais Blacknose sheep from Switzerland
Strange-looking but cute — if you can even see their faces — the Valais Blacknose sheep is a type of mountain-breed sheep from the Valais region of Switzerland. These fancy-looking lambs are called ‘luxury sheep’ for their magical faceless features, shaggy coats, and spiral horns. Although they’re used for their wool and meat in Switzerland, the […]