Strange Animals - The Kiwi Bird
The Kiwi bird, of the order Apterygiformes-Ratitae, occurs only in New Zealand. Although primarily a bird of New Zealand’s native forests, kiwis also live in scrub and native grasslands. Because the kiwi is a semi-nocturnal, secretive bird, few New Zealanders have seen their national bird in the wild.
The kiwi is the sole survivor of an ancient order of birds including the now extinct moas. A flightless bird about the size of a domestic fowl, the kiwi has coarse, bristly, hair-like feathers. Females are larger than males.
Kiwis grow to about the size of a chicken and weigh between three and nine pounds. They have no tail and tiny two inch wings which for all practical purposes, are useless. Despite its awkward appearance, a kiwi can actually outrun a human and have managed to survive because of their alertness and their sharp, three-toed feet, which enable them to kick and slash an enemy.
Continue Reading »
Bumblebee Bats are the world’s smallest bat, in fact they are the world’s smallest mammal. They are between 29 and 33 mm (1.1 - 1.3 inches) in length, they have no tail, they have a wingspan of approximately 170 mm (6.7 inches) and they weigh 2 g (0.07 oz).
The olm (Proteus anguinus) is a species of blind amphibians endemic to the the deep underground caves of the Dinaric karst of southeastern Europe. The unusual appearance of the olm is the result of extensive adaptations to its habitat. Olms inhabit deep underground lakes and pools, where they spend their entire lives in almost complete darkness. As a result, the skin of these animals is devoid of pigment, making it resemble human flesh. The local name of the creature is “Čovečja Ribica,” which means “Human Fish”.
Readers of science journals know a good deal about bisexual aphids, “homosexual” gulls, and “transvestite” fish, species in which the male adopts the coloration and movements of the female to trick other males. Some researchers argue that every expression of human sexuality has some sort of analogue in the animal world. But even jaded followers of animal sex studies will have to admit that a Harvard team has now discovered something really new: “lesbian” lizards that copulate like males.
An anglerfish is a fish in the order Lophiiformes. This order encompasses a wide range of fish in an assortment of families, but all of them share some very distinctive traits which have made them quite famous. Unfortunately for the anglerfish, one of these traits is extreme ugliness; anglerfish are among the most bizarre looking organisms in the sea which can be seen by the naked eye, and an encounter with one is not easily forgotten.
If there was a “Guiness Book of Bird Records” the kakapo would be a star!
At first glance the Solenodon is an unremarkable fellow. He looks like a big Shrew, with an enormous head, a great big nose, a bit of a clumsy demeanour, all in all a bit of a shambles… consequently he is often stopped by Japanese tourists in the mistaken belief that he is British Royalty. Asides from his rather unfortunate manner he really is the most magnificent beast. You see it is his downright dimness that sets him apart from the other Mammals, perhaps not that unrelenting dunce the Slow Loris, but we’ll get to him too.
The term “strongest animal” can be misleading, but most often it refers to how much an animal can lift relative to its own weight. Let’s see the world’s strongest animals in terms of different standards :
Jonathan the tortoise and Mischief the cat may have hit the headlines for their longevity, but there are plenty of other creatures giving them a run for their money in the age stakes.
The Awashima Marine Park in Shizuoka, south of Tokyo, was alerted by a fisherman at a nearby port on Sunday that he had spotted an odd-looking eel-like creature with a mouthful of needle-sharp teeth.