Category Animal Records

Should our focus be only on species teetering on the edge of extinction and whose numbers are plummeting? Come, let’s find out.

Do the names Sudan, Martha, and George ring a bell? And, what is common to them? Sudan, a male northern white rhinoceros; Martha, a passenger pigeon and George, a Hawaiian tree snail were all the last of their kind (none of them is alive today). Thankfully, the world has been alive to the concerns of extinction for a while now. Which explains concerted conservation efforts globally to ensure we do not forever lose species as an unfair consequence of our own actions. Population decline in several species has been reversed, while some have been stopped from going extinct. But should our focus be only on species teetering on the edge of extinction and whose numbers are plummeting? Come, let’s find out.

Nature is limitless. Or, is it? Even as recently as the 19th Century, extinction at sea was deemed impossible. “given the reproductive capacity of marine organisms and the impracticality of overfishing”. Species such as the passenger pigeon, the northern cod (a type of fish), the plains bison, the American chestnut (a deciduous tree), and the eastern white pine were once considered super-abundant, and their decline/disappearance, inconceivable. But the reality in all these cases has been different. And points to the fact that common species face decline and extinction too.

It’s wise to remember that several species on the brink of extinction started off as abundant or common. Abundance offers only a “partial buffer” against extinction, and the focus should be on the rate of decline because abundant species “are not immune to decimation”. For instance, a study of North American birds uncovered that “three billion birds on this continent within the past two generations” were lost. The focus on common species is as important as on rare ones because “the shifts in abundance of common species can translate into sizeable shifts in ecosystem functioning”.

 Take the case of birds. Given the amount of “insects they eat, the flowers they pollinate and the seeds they disperse”, a sudden and drastic decrease in the population of a common species can spell disaster in an ecosystem. Apart from this, studies show that encounters in the natural world-even a butterfly in a garden- improve the mental health of humans. When common species go, so will our chance of such encounters.

While rare species do require the attention they get,” the extinction of Commonness” should be prevented. And this can be done when we “monitor nature closely, guard against complacency and invest for the long term.”

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What is ZSI?

The Zoological Survey of India is responsible for exploring, surveying and monitoring the faunal diversity of different States and protected areas in the country.

From time to time, we come across news about researchers of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) discovering new species of fauna. But do you know what ZSI is and what its functions are? Let's find out.

A premier organisation in the field of zoological research and conservation, the Zoological Survey of India was established in July 1916. In fact, it began as the zoological section of the Indian Museum in Calcutta in 1875. Headquartered in Kolkata, its main objective is to conduct research and surveys on the fauna of the country and document the rich animal diversity found in different States and protected areas in the subcontinent.

It is the ZSI which is responsible for the classification, categorisation, and description of new animal species, and maintaining a database of all species found across the country. It makes a periodic review of the status of the threatened and endemic species and comes up with conservation strategies for the endangered ones.

The ZSI carries out surveys in different ecosystems, including forests, wetlands, mangroves, backwaters, and coastal areas with the aim of documenting the distribution and abundance of different animal species. These surveys are crucial as they not only promote understanding of the status of the varied species but also help identify areas where conservation efforts are required.

The apex organisation for zoological studies has taxonomists and researchers who identify new animal species, group them into categories, and provide descriptions about them. Every year, the ZSI consolidates information about new fauna in the country and publishes it under the title "Animal Discoveries". It has also published pictorial handbooks and guides to generate interest in people like us to understand and appreciate the fauna of the country.

Did you know that the ZSI also publishes the Red Data Book on Indian Animals? This book contains a record of all the endangered species of animals endemic to the subcontinent. It was first published in 1983.

The ZSI comes under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. It has 16 regional centres spread across the country and over 300 scientists. Dhriti Banerjee is currently the Director of the Zoological Survey of India. In 2021, she became the first woman to take charge as director of the ZSI in its over 100-year history.

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2022 up-close: species in the news

While the arrival of cheetahs from South Africa certainly dominated headlines in 2022, several other species too were in the spotlight in our country for various reasons. Let’s take a look at a few of them

Tiger

As a keystone species, the tiger continues to get national attention, and rightly so. Our country is home to over 50 tiger reserves, and this year, two more got added to that list. The 52nd tiger reserve is in Rajasthan-Ramgarh Vishdhari, spread across Bundi, Bhilwara, and Kota districts over an area of more than 1,500 sq.km. The State’s fourth tiger reserve – after Ranthambore, Sariska, and Mukundra, it is expected to be a major corridor connecting tigers of Ranthambore and Mukundra reserves. The country’s 53rd tiger reserve is in Uttar Pradesh-the Ranipur Tiger Reserve in Chitrakoot district, spread over nearly 530 sq.km. This is the State’s fourth tiger reserve after Dudhwa, Pilibhit, and Amangarh. The new reserve in the Bundelkhand region is just 150 km from the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.

Elephant

While Project Tiger is perhaps the most popular in the country, there are other projects looking at protecting specific species. One of them is Project Elephant. Set up in 1992, the initiative has been pivotal in the creation of several elephant reserves across the country. In October, the newest addition to the list – Terai Elephant Reserve at Dudhwa-Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh – was approved by the Union government. When it becomes a reality, it will be the country’s 33rd elephant reserve, and according the government, “will help in conserving trans-boundary migratory elephant population”.

Dugong

The year 2022 is seen as a watershed moment in the conservation of a vulnerable marine species-the dugong. Tamil Nadu notified India’s first ever dugong conservation reserve in the Palk Bay area of the Gulf of Mannar, which lies between Sri Lanka and the southern tip of India. The move, though seen as long overdue, is vital for the animal as much as it is for the local communities. Keeping with dismal global records, India’s dugong population too has been declining. It is believed that there could be just around 200 dugongs left in our waters. These marine mammals, also called sea cows, can be spotted in our country near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and off the coast of Tamil Nadu in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay. It’s in the Palk Bay, on approximately a 450-sq km. area, that the reserve will come up.

Turtles

It’s not just large creatures that were in the news in 2022. Even smaller ones such as tortoises and turtles got global attention. To be precise, at the 19th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP 19) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) held at Panama City in November. According to the Union government. “At CoP 19, India’s proposal for induction of fresh water turtle Batagur kachuga eamed wide support of the parties in CoP 19 of CITES It is said that CITES also recorded the works done “in the area of conservation of tortoises and fresh water turtles and efforts made in combating wildlife crime and illegal trade of turtles in the country” At the event, India “reiterated its commitment regarding conserving tortoises and fresh water turtles in the country”

Great Indian bustard

The one bird species that’s often in the news in our country is the great Indian bustard. It was no different in 2022. Though the news about the bird is often worrisome, this time around it appeared to offer some hope for the species, and consequentially, conservationists. One of the reasons for the bird’s fatality is through overhead power lines hit. The Supreme Court had initiated many steps to protect the species, including setting up a three-member committee to assess the feasibility of laying high-voltage underground power cables in Rajathan and Gujarat, States where the birds are sighted today. In such a scenario, late in 2022, the country’s top court asked the union government why it should not consider the idea of establishing Project Great Indian Bustard on the lines of the country’s successful Project Tiger.

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How many ants are there for every person on Earth?

There are 2.5 million ants for every human on earth. A new study has estimated that the total global population of ants is a mind-blowing 20 quadrillion (20 by 15 zeroes) or approximately 2.5 million ants crawling around for every human.

The combined biomass of all ants on Earth amounts to 12 megatons of carbon. Biomass is the total quantity or weight of organisms in a given area. This exceeds the combined biomass of wild birds and mammals (2 million tons) and equals 20% of human biomass.

There are more than 12,000 known species of ants, generally black, brown or red in colour. Ants are most abundant in tropical and subtropical regions; they can be found nearly everywhere, except Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland and some island nations.

Ants serve as key ecological players for nutrient cycling, decomposition processes, plant seed dispersal and the agitation of soil. “Think about the amount of organic matter that 20 quadrillion ants transport, remove, recycle and eat. In fact, ants are so essential for the smooth working of biological processes that they can be seen as ecosystem engineers. The late ant scientist E.O. Wilson once called them ‘the little things that run the world’,” says entomologist Patrick Schultheiss, co-author of the study.

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Which is the smallest known mammal, by mass, that still exists?

The Etruscan shrew is the mammal having the smallest mass. It weighs only about 1.8g on average. It is also known as the Etruscan pygmy shrew or the white-toothed pygmy shrew and are characterized by very quick movements. These animals exhibit very fast metabolism and can eat about 1.5-2 times their own body weight per day. Their heads are relatively larger than their bodies.

Etruscan shrews are usually found in warm and damp habitats that are covered by shrubs. They use these habitats to hide from potential predators and often avoid open terrain such as grasslands and scrubby deciduous forests due to the threat of being hunted. They are mostly found in Europe and North Africa, all the way till Malaysia. They have also been located in the Maltese islands in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. They arrange their nests in various natural shelters, crevices, and abandoned burrows of other animals as they themselves cannot dig burrows very skillfully.

These animals are solitary and territorial. They use chirping noises and signs of aggression to protect their territories. They live rather interesting lives as they are constantly in motion when they are awake and not hiding, and when they are not eating, they constantly groom themselves. They hide from their predators very often, but such hiding periods are short and usually only last less than half an hour. When they move, they make clicking sounds, which stop as they rest.

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Why is the cheetah known as the fastest mammal on land?

Cheetahs are the fastest mammals that live upon the planet and can run at speeds as high as 113 km per hour in short distances.

Their bodies are designed with a lot of agility. They can make quick turns while running at high speeds. Their spines are extremely flexible, giving them the ability to have long strides. Their slender limbs and hard footpads are also excellent tools that aid their agility and speed.

Cheetahs are covered in bold black stripes all over their body and each cheetah has a unique pattern over its skin. They have a tear-like pattern that runs from the inner corners of their eyes down to both sides of their mouths. The ends of their tails have black rings as well. These cats have great eye sight, making them dangerous predators.

Their unique coat is also a great way to blend with the tall, dry grass of the plains and helps them remain hidden during the hunt. The cheetahs live in a range of habitats across eastern and southern Africa, but they are usually found in open grasslands. At one point, they were found throughout Asia and Africa, but they are currently facing extinction due to loss of habitat. Their lives are threatened by the declining number of prey due to the destruction of the natural environments.

Although cheetahs are considered to be among the big cats, they are unable to roar- they can only purr. Like the other big cats of the family, they also usually prey on small- to medium-size animals such as hares, impalas, wildebeest calves, and gazelles.

The cheetah chases its prey at only about half of its maximum speed and often has to rest for at least half an hour before it can eat so as to catch breath. The pronghorn, also called the American antelope, is the fastest long-distance runner in the animal kingdom.

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WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON SPECIES OF BEAR?

Brown bears! They are found in Europe, Asia and North America – where they are called grizzlies. Mostly solitary animals, brown bears are good hunters, able to run at speeds of up to 48 km per hour; they also swim well.

One way to identify a brown bear is by the hump at the top of its shoulder. The hump is made of muscle and helps the bear dig a den. No other extant species of bear has this hump. Adult bears have short tails and sharp teeth with curved lower canines. Their skulls are heavy and concave.

Brown bears claws are large, curved, and blunt. Their claws are straighter and longer than those of black bears. Unlike the black bear, which readily climbs trees, the brown bear climbs less frequently due to its weight and claw structure.

You might guess from their name that brown bears are brown. However, these bears can be brown, red, tan, cream, bicolored, or nearly black. Sometimes the tips of their fur are colored. Fur length varies according to the season. In the summer, their fur is shorter. In the winter, some brown bears’ fur can reach 4 to 5 inches in length.

Brown bear size is highly variable, depending both on subspecies and food availability. Males are about 30% larger than females. An average-sized bear might range from 5 to 8 feet in length and weigh 700 pounds, however, much smaller and much larger specimens occur. On average, polar bears are larger than brown bears, but a large grizzly and a polar bear are comparable.

Habitat and Distribution

The brown bear’s range includes northern North America and Eurasia, including the United States, Canada, Russia, China, Central Asia, Scandinavia, Romania, Caucasus, and Anatolia. At one time, it was also found throughout Europe, in northern Africa, and as far south as Mexico in North America.

Diet

Although brown bears have a reputation as fierce carnivores, they actually obtain as much as 90% of their calories from vegetation. Bears are omnivorous and naturally curious about eating nearly any creature. Their preferred food is anything abundant and easy to obtain, which varies according to the season. Their diet includes grass, berries, roots, carrion, meat, fish, insects, nuts, flowers, fungi, moss, and even pine cones.

Bears that live near people may prey on pets and livestock and scavenge for human food. Brown bears eat up to 90 pounds of food per day in autumn and weigh twice as much as when they emerge from their dens in the spring.

Adult brown bears face few predators. Depending where they live, they may be attacked by tigers or other bears. Brown bears dominate gray wolves, cougars, black bears, and even polar bears. Large herbivores rarely threaten the bears, but may fatally wound one in self-defense or protecting calves.

Behavior

Most adult brown bears are crepuscular, with peak activity in the early morning and evening. Young bears may be active during the day, while bears living near humans tend to be nocturnal.

Adult bears tend to be solitary, except for females with cubs or gatherings at fishing spots. While a bear may roam over a huge range, it tends not to be territorial.

Bears double their weight from the spring going into winter. Each bear selects a protected spot as a den for the winter months. Sometimes bears will dig out a den, but they will use a cave, hollow log, or tree roots. While brown bears become lethargic in the winter, they do not truly hibernate and can be easily woken if disturbed.

Reproduction and Offspring

Female bears become sexually mature between 4 and 8 years of age and come into heat once every three or four years. Males typically begin mating a year older than females, when they are large enough to compete with other males. Both males and females take multiple mates during the mating season, which runs from mid-May to June. Fertilized eggs remain in the female’s uterus for six months, implanting in her uterus while she is dormant during the winter.

Cubs are born eight weeks after implantation, while the female is sleeping. The average litter is 1 to 3 cubs, although as many as 6 cubs may be born. Cubs nurse on their mother’s milk until she emerges from her den in spring. They remain with her for about two and a half years. Males do not aid in rearing. They will engage in infanticide of another bear’s cubs, presumably to bring females into heat. Females often successfully defend cubs from males, but may be killed in the conflict. In the wild, the average brown bear life expectancy is around 25 years.

Credit : Thoughtco.com 

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WHAT SPECIES ARE ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION?

Can you believe that at least one in five reptile species in the world are threatened with extinction? Yes, that is what the first major global assessment of the world’s cold blooded creatures reveals. Let’s look at the findings.

At least one in five reptile species are threatened with extinction, including more than half of turtles and crocodiles, according to the first major global. assessment of the world’s so-called cold-blooded creatures.

Catastrophic declines in biodiversity across the world are increasingly seen as a threat to life on Earth- and as important as the interrelated menace of climate change.

Threats to other creatures have been well documented. More than 40 percent of amphibians, 25 percent of mammals and 13 percent of birds could face extinction. But until now, researchers did not have a comprehensive picture of the proportion of reptiles at risk.

HOW MANY SPECIES ASSESSED

In a new global assessment. published in the journal Nature, researchers assessed 10,196 reptile species and evaluated them using criteria from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of threatened species.

They found that at least 1,829. 21 per cent were either vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. “It’s just overwhelming the number of species that we see as being threatened,” said co-author Neil Cox, who manages the IUCN-Conservation International Biodiversity Assessment Unit and co-led the study. “Now we know the threats facing each reptile species, the global community can take the next step…. and invest in turning around the often too under-appreciated and severe biodiversity crisis.”

TOOK 15 LONG YEARS

Young said the reptile assessment. which involved hundreds of scientists from across the world, took around 15 years to complete because of a lack of funding.

“Reptiles, to many people, are not charismatic. And there’s just been a lot more focus on some of the more furry or feathery species of vertebrates for conservation,” he said. Researchers hope the new assessment will help spur international action to halt biodiversity loss. Almost 200 countries are currently locked in global biodiversity talks to try to safeguard nature, including a key milestone of 30 percent of Earth’s surface protected by 2030.

“Through work like this, we advertise the importance of these creatures. They’re part of the tree of life, just like any other and equally deserving of attention,” Young said.  AFP. Crocodiles and turtles were found to be among the most at-risk species, with around 58 percent and 50 percent of those assessed found to be under threat respectively.  Crocodiles are killed for their meat and to remove them from human settlements. Turtles are targeted by the pet trade and used for traditional medicine. The Komodo dragon of the Indonesian islands is threatened with extinction, researchers say.

WHERE ARE THEY FOUND?

Threatened reptiles were largely found concentrated in Southeast Asia, Western Africa, northern Madagascar, the Northern Andes and the Caribbean. Reptiles restricted to arid habitats such as deserts, grasslands, and savannas are significantly less threatened than those in forest habitats, the study says.

THE KING IS IN DANGER

Another well-known species at risk is the fearsome king cobra, the world’s largest venomous snake. It has been classified as vulnerable, indicating it is very close to extinction”, according to the research. “It’s a real iconic species in Asia and it’s such a shame that even widespread species such as this are really suffering and in decline”. Logging and deliberate attacks by humans were among the biggest threats to the snake.

WHAT ARE THE THREATS THEY FACE?

Agriculture. logging. invasive species and urban development were found to be among the threats to reptiles, while people also target them for the pet trade or kill them for food or out of fear.

Climate change was found to pose a direct threat to some 10 per cent of reptile species. Longer-term threats such as sea level rise, or indirect climate-driven dangers such as fire, and from things like disease also have an impact.

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HOW MANY GRAMS IS THE WORLD’S HEAVIEST STRAWBERRY?

A strawberry weighing 289 grams has been declared the world’s heaviest by the Guinness World Records. The strawberry was picked on a family farm near the city of Netanya in central Israel. The berry is 18 cm long, 4 cm thick and 34 cm in circumference. It is of a local variety of strawberries called Ilan, known for their larger than usual sizes. The berry’s size is due to multiple berries that grew and fused together to form one large strawberry.

The size of the world’s biggest strawberry was put into perspective when Ariel weighed it after weighing an iPhone XR. The iPhone weighed 194 grams, almost 100 g less than the massive strawberry.  The Ilan variety of strawberry was originally bred by Dr. Nir Dai, a researcher from the Israel’s Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), at the ARO Volcani Center in Bet-Dagan, near Tel-Aviv. The Ilan variety of strawberry is known producing large fruits. “During this strawberry season in late January and early February it was particularly cold,” explained Dr. Nir Dai, who was one of the witnesses during the strawberry’s weigh-in. This meant that multiple berries grew and fused together to form one large strawberry. The cold weather conditions described by Dr. Nir Dai led to a bumper crop of strawberries for Ariel’s fruit farm, producing not just one, but four sizable strawbs. However, the heavyweight champion weighed in at 289 g (10.19 oz) – or 299 g with its stem.

The previous record for world’s heaviest strawberry was 250 g (8.82 oz). The berry was grown by Koji Nakao (Japan) and was weighed in Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan, on 28 January 2015. The strawberry was a Japanese variety called Amaou.

Credit : Guinness world records

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Why is the camel exceptional?

If you are a fan of survival shows, the sturdy and dependable camel might interest you.  This remarkable animal has several adaptations for extreme survival that would make Bear Grylls (the famous British Adventurer) go green with envy! For instance it can go for nearly 2 weeks without food or water. It stores extra reserves of food as fat in a hump on its back. It has double eyelashes to keep dust and dirt out and a slit-like nostril which can be closed during sandstorms.

Camels are wide-hoofed with spreading toes on each foot to help them walk in the desert sand. They have the ability to regulate their body temperatures as required and the capacity to rehydrate quickly by drinking more than 100 litres of water in 15 minutes! To top it all they can walk up to 185 kms at a stretch and are able to run at a top speed of 65 km/h.

There are two varieties of camels found in the world – the dromedary or Arabian camel with one hump on its back and the Bactrian camel or the Asian camel which has 2 humps on its back. While the one-humped camel is found in hot desert regions like Africa and the Arabian peninsula, the two-humped camel is found in cold desert regions like Mongolia and Leh. The dromedary is the tallest camel in the world, growing to an average height of around 6.6 feet at its shoulder.

Camels and humans have had a long association, one that goes back nearly 4,000 years! In fact dromedaries have been domesticated for so long that they have not occurred naturally in the wild for nearly 2000 years. They were used for farming and travel and also for their milk. Did you know that camel milk is one of the most nutritious foods in the world? It is supposed to be beneficial in managing autism, preventing cancer and even good for diabetes patients. In India, camel milk is available in powdered and liquid form.

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Which is the tallest animal?

No prizes for guessing the tallest animal in the world. The giraffe – with its incredible long neck – is quite literally ‘head and shoulders’ above the rest.

If you thought LeBron James, the famous basketball player was tall, think again. Male giraffes grow up to 14 feet in height. The legs of a giraffe alone are 6 feet long. This means that a basketball player would be able to walk easily under a giraffe! Additionally its neck also measures an additional 6 feet. If you can picture two LeBron James’ standing one upon the other – that’s how tall a giraffe is!

They can run at speeds of 56 km/h, but these sleepy-eyed giants are peaceful by nature. They spend their days browsing on acacia leaves, tall shrubs and hanging fruits. They use their long blue tongues to pluck off leaves and buds from trees. They do not eat short grasses. Can you guess why?                                                                  

This is because bending its head is not an easy job for the giraffe. It will only drink water once in a few days due to this. It must spread its legs and bend its long neck down to get at the water which makes it vulnerable to predators. However, it’s not just being vulnerable from predator that makes drinking water a tricky business for the giraffe. Its body must also regulate its blood pressure so that the act of bending does not cause its head to explode. Why? Keep reading…

A giraffe’s heart has to pump blood so that it reaches its brain – which is very far away! For this, the giraffe’s heart (which weighs about 11 kg) has to pump a powerful beat to keep sending blood into the brain. Consequently a giraffe’s blood pressure is very high – nearly twice as high as a human’s.

With such a high blood pressure when the giraffe lowers its head the sudden change in blood pressure would cause its head to explode! The giraffe prevents this by regulating the blood flow into its brain (and heart) while lowering its head and lifting it back up again with the help of ‘elastic’ veins and thick heart muscles. These unique adaptations have been studied by NASA to design space suits. Looks like science still has a long way to go to catch up with nature!

These incredible and gentle animals are threatened by poaching, climate change and habitat loss. They are listed as ‘Vulnerable’ in the IUCN Red List but are already extinct in many countries in Africa.

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How fast does the Thomson’s gazelle sprint?

The Thomson’s gazelle is named after Joseph Thomson, a British explorer and geologist. It is found in Kenya’s Masai Mara region and Tanzania’s Serengeti region. It is one of the fastest runners in the world along with the cheetah, the pronghorn and the springbok. It reaches a top speed of around 90-100 km/h.

It is a small-sized, elegant antelope which weighs around 25 kg and stands about half a metre tall. It has white rings around its eyes and black stripes down its face and across its flanks. Its horns curve backwards. Males have longer and stronger horns than the females. It prefers open plains and grasslands and feeds on fresh grass, seeds and scrubs. Mothers are very protective of their young. They will headbutt predators like jackals or baboons if their fawn is threatened. Mothers will often hide their fawns in the tall grasses of the savanna to protect them from predators till they are big enough to feed on the grass.

Its major predators are cheetahs but the Thomson’s gazelle can outlast a cheetah in a long chase. It can take turns while running fast and will zigzag to frustrate the pursuer. It also demonstrates pronking or stotting – leaping high in the air to display strength and to warn predators.

This slender and swift antelope is hunted for its meat and horns and faces additional stress from habitat loss. Fortunately its population in the wild is still stable and it is listed under ‘Least Concern’ in the IUCN List.

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Which is the fastest animal on land?

No prizes for guessing which is the fastest animal on land. You must have seen images of this iconic creature featured in advertisements of sports bikes and cars. Not surprising, as the cheetah can reach speeds of 112 km/h in just 3 seconds! That’s faster than most sports cars in the world today!

Cheetahs are found in sub-Saharan Africa and much more scantily in Asia and Iran. They are medium-sized spotted cats with slender long legs and a dark stripe on both sides of their faces. They have a long tail, a big chest, a narrow waist and large nostrils for greater oxygen intake while running.

The aerodynamic body of the cheetah is built for speed, not stamina. After catching its prey, it needs half an hour to catch its breath before it can eat. This is because the high energy consumption due to running at such a high speed, heats up its body to dangerously high levels. This makes it crucial for the cheetah to rest and cool down after a high-speed chase.

Did you know that the name cheetah comes from the Hindi Word ‘chita’ which means spotted one? A single cheetah needs a huge range to operate in and due to human encroachment into its territory and excessive hunting, it is greatly threatened. Due to the alarming decrease in its populations in the past few decades, it is listed as ‘Endangered’ in the IUCN Red List. One could say that the cheetah is sprinting fast towards extinction!

In India the cheetah became extinct in 1952, but thankfully there is still hope. Plans are afoot to reintroduce these iconic cats back in the country in the forests of Madhya Pradesh. Fifty cheetahs from Africa will be reintroduced in India over the next five years. Hopefully, this animal superstar will soon roam our country again.

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Why is the eastern gorilla special?

The eastern gorilla is the largest living primate, with the average adult male weighing around 160 kg and standing at 1.7 metres. This gorilla has a large head broad chest and long arms. Its fur is black and adult males have a silvery streak down the back. As the gorilla gets older, the silvery streak turns white; much like a human being turns grey. Older males are called ‘silver backs’ because of this.

The eastern gorilla has two subspecies – the mountain gorilla and the eastern lowland gorilla. Both species are found in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa but the mountain gorilla is found in Rwanda and Uganda as well. These gorillas eat a lot of foliage in the form of leaves and plants since fruits are not abundantly found in their habitat.

They do most of their foraging in the mornings and late afternoons and prepare nests to sleep in the night. These nests are usually made of leaves laid in a hollow space on the ground. These gorillas live in stable family groups which are led by a dominant male silverback.

Females give birth to young only once in three or four years, as they have to care for the infants for around 3 to 4 years after they are born.

The eastern gorilla is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ due to large-scale habitat destruction and the introduction of diseases from contact with humans. According to the IUCN, its numbers have reduced by about 70 per cent due to the ongoing political instability in areas that the eastern gorilla lives in and it is difficult for their numbers to pick up once again.

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Which is the largest amphibian?

The Chinese giant salamander can grow up to 1.8 metres in length and weighs 50 kg on average, making it the biggest amphibian in the world. This lumpy, dark brown ‘living fossil’ has been around for a very long time roughly 170 million years! So long in fact, that it has even seen the dinosaurs come and go!

It is a nocturnal and secretive creature and is very difficult to spot in the wild. It lives underwater and camouflages itself in the rocky beds of streams. It has many loose folds of skin covering its lumpy body; and short stubby limbs. It has no gills and breathes through its skin, which is why it prefers fast flowing mountain streams for better oxygenation.

It preys on fish, frogs and insects. Its eyes are not very effective and it detects prey mainly by vibrations in the water. During the breeding season, the female lays many eggs in an underwater den which is guarded by the male till the young hatch out.

This salamander is sometimes called ‘baby fish’ because its cry sounds like a baby crying. These creatures remained relatively unharmed till the 1970s but rapidly reduced in number after the Chinese started hunting them for meat and medicinal purposes.

Today thousands of salamanders are bred in farms across China to meet the market demand for these products. However, this practice is detrimental to the salamander, as farming introduces new diseases in wild populations. The Chinese salamander, which has survived big extinction events, may finally be wiped off the face of the earth due to human greed. They are currently listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ in the IUCN Red List.

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Why is the ostrich exceptional?

As birds go, the ostrich is an exception. For starters it does not fly; it has a rumpled, ‘un-streamlined’ body with untidy, soft feathers; and two toes on each leg instead of the usual four. It reaches heights of up to 3 metres and weighs around 145 kgs making it the world’s largest bird.

It is native to the continent of Africa and is typically found in Africa’s savannas, woodlands and plains. The ostrich is an omnivore and eats plants as well as small insects when available. These huge birds have three stomachs. Since they do not have teeth, they swallow pebbles and stones to help digest their food. These stones are stored in one of their specialized stomachs called the ventriculus where the food gets broken down to make it easier to digest. So, the average ostrich rattles around with a belly full of stones!

That’s not all. An ostrich egg is the biggest egg in the world weighing about 1.5 kg (that’s 23 times the size of chicken eggs). It has the largest eyes of any land animal. It is also called the ‘camel bird’ because, like a camel, it has a long neck, prominent eyes, sweeping eyelashes and a jolting walk. Additionally, the ostrich can tolerate high temperatures and go without water for long periods of time.

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Which is the largest land animal?

You probably already know that the elephant is the largest land animal found on Earth, but did you know that some species of elephants are bigger than the others? The African bush elephant or African Savannah elephant is larger than its Asian counterpart and has the distinction of being the largest (and heaviest) land animal on Earth. Adult males reach a height of 4 metres and weigh up to 6000 kg!

African bush elephants prefer open savannah or grasslands and are found in southern and eastern African countries like Botswana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Namibia, Zambia and South Africa. They are easily distinguishable from Asian elephants by their larger, fan-shaped ears and front legs.

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Which is the largest land carnivore?

Adult male polar bears stand tall at an average length of 3 metres! They also pack quite a punch at 700 kgs! These features make them the largest land carnivore in the world. The only other close competitor is the Kodiak bear, a sub-species of brown bear found in Alaska.

Did you know that unlike other bears, polar bears are considered marine mammals! This is because they spend most of their time in the freezing cold waters of the Arctic Ocean hunting, swimming and playing. For this reason, they are also called sea bears or ice bears. They are only found naturally in 5 countries – the United States, Canada, Greenland, Russia and Norway.

Polar bears are excellent swimmers. They can swim for hundreds of kilometres at a stretch. They have huge paws, which helps them to swim effortlessly. Their high body fat count also helps to keep them afloat and stay warm in the freezing Arctic!

If you thought polar bear fur was white, you would be mistaken. Polar bear fur is actually colourless and translucent. It allows light to pass through it and appears to be white due to the reflected white light around it. This is a great adaptation as this bear does most of its hunting by night.

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WHAT ARE THE FUN FACTS ABOUT QUOKKA?

The quokka is a mammal about the size of a cat, native to Australia. The quokka is a marsupial of the macropod family, and is similar in appearance to a small type of Wallaby. Quokkas are herbivores and they tend to be most active at night (nocturnal). Quokkas are believed to be one of the first mammals in Australia to be seen by Europeans, who described them as looking like wild cats. They were later mistaken for large rats. Rottnest “Rotte nest” Island was given its name because of this mistake, as this translates to ‘rat’s nest’. The quokka is considered to be a vulnerable species today.

Quokkas are marsupials and macropod family members, just like wallabies and kangaroos. Quokkas can weigh as much as 11 pounds and their bodies can reach 21 inches plus a tail of almost 12 inches long. The quokka is the only land mammal on Rottnest Island. The only occupy a small portion of Australia and are generally found in the southwest portion of western Australia.

The first European to describe the quokka was Dutch captain Willem de Vlamingh in 1696. He described them as ‘a kind of rat as big as a cat.’ Quokkas are often described as being the world’s happiest animal. Despite this common reputation, they have sharp claws and it’s not uncommon for children visiting Rottnest Island to be treated for bites. Quokkas do not tend to fight with their own over food or mates, and are generally peaceful in their groups.  Quokkas move about by climbing trees, crawling, and hopping. The average lifespan of a Quokka is 10 years. Quokkas do not need a lot of water to survive. Quokka mothers do not give birth to more than two babies a year. One is more common. Quokka babies gestate in the womb for only one month and then move into the mother’s pouch. The baby lives with the mother for several months and at a year they are ready to mate. Baby quokkas are called joeys. If a quokka mother is threatened by a predator she will often throw her baby on the ground to distract the predator and save her own life. Quokkas are smart and will do anything for food, even learning tricks to get tourists to feed them. Although tourists like quokkas many locals that must live with them do not. Quokkas are bold and will enter buildings such as homes and restaurants. Quokkas have sharp teeth and will shriek if cornered or attacked or if they feel threatened or provoked. The quokkas lack of fear of humans and the small size of their natural habitat makes them vulnerable to becoming endangered as a species.

Credit : Soft schools 

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What animal has fingerprints extremely similar to humans?

Considering they are our relatives, it’s no surprise that chimpanzees and orangutans have fingerprints that are similar to ours. But someone completely unrelated to us also has fingerprints shockingly similar to ours – koalas! Apparently, this is what is called convergent evolution – “different species developing similar traits independently from each other. Well, as one report rightly worried, we can only hope investigators at a crime scene do not mistake a koala fingerprint for a human’s and set out on a hunt that can never have an ending!

In 1975 police took fingerprints from six chimpanzees and two orangutans housed at zoos in England. They weren’t just looking for a unique souvenir; they were testing to see if any unsolved crimes could be the fault of these banana-eating miscreants. While these primates ended up being as innocent as they seemed, the police did determine that their fingerprints were indistinguishable from a human’s without careful inspection.

A few years later, in 1996, a different type of mammal came under police suspicions: a koala! While it makes sense that orangutans and chimpanzees would have fingerprints like us, being some of our closest relatives, koalas are evolutionarily distant from humans. It turns out that fingerprints are an excellent example of convergent evolution, or different species developing similar traits independently from each other.

For koalas, it’s not really so different. They are incredibly picky eaters, showing strong preferences for eucalyptus leaves of a certain age. It seems that their fingerprints allow them to thoroughly inspect their food before they chow down. Police aren’t exactly worried about koala bank robbers, but it is possible that koala fingerprints could be found incidentally at a crime scene and be mistaken for a human’s, making it pretty difficult to find a match.

Credit : MC Gill

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What animal has a 32 brain?

Leech has 32 brains. Well, not exactly, but sort of Here’s the thing. A leech is an annelid. which means it has a segmented body. It has 32 segments in all The creature’s brain runs through the length of its body, and exists in each segment as a ganglion (a structure containing nerve cells: plural ganglia). The first few segments together form the head ganglion, the next 21 form the mid-ganglia, and the remaining, the tail ganglion. Why these are seen as separate “brains” is because each ganglion has the ability to control the segment it is located in.

Leeches are brown or black-colored worms having a segmented body (34 segments). They possess a special sucker on both ends. In majority of the species, the mouth encloses three jaws, each equipped with small teeth. Leeches move from one place to another by walking in a looping manner.

The largest leech recorded till date measures about 16 inches in length. On an average, the size of leeches is between 7-80 mm. Like earthworms, leeches are hermaphrodites, meaning that a single leech has both male and female sexual organs. Leech bite is painless, which is due to the anesthetic present in their saliva secretion. Leeches have the ability to feed in large amounts (about 5 times their body weight) and store nutrients for future use. Many species can survive for about one year after having a blood meal. They use the preserve food for survival. Some species (e.g. hirudo) lay their young ones in cocoons, while others (e.g., Amazon leech) keep their babies (as many as 300) in the stomach.

Credit : Animal sake

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How many teeth do a slug have?

With all that regular brushing, rinsing, flossing, the scary decay (not to mention wisdom teeth troubles), and the eventual visit to the dentist, you think having 32 teeth is a bother? But did you know slugs have several hundred thousand teeth? Slugs including snails, have these teeth on their tongue-together called radula that help them scrape at and eat their food. Since their teeth wear down, they are replaced by new teeth. While snails can have even up to 20,000. The Most Number of Teeth” award is won by the umbrella slug that goes through an unbelievable 750,000 of these teeth in a lifetime. A paleoanthropologist was right when he said. “Our teeth are boring.”

Slugs have an important role in the ecosystem and are key composters which help to break down decomposing vegetation. However they are notorious for being able to chomp through garden plants and vegetables in a very short period of time. They do this using their teeth. They need so many teeth  because instead of chewing their food, they have a ribbon-like flexible band of microscopic teeth called a radula. This acts like a circular saw — cutting through vegetation and eating it as they go. When their teeth wear out new rows of teeth move forward and replace them.

Slugs are hermaphrodites and they have both male and female reproductive systems. They are able to reproduce themselves without the need of a partner. In fact, one slug can lay up to 400-500 eggs in a year which can remain in the soil for years and hatch when the conditions are right. Slugs produce slime which enables them to slide along the ground. The slime also enables them to glide over broken glass or razor blades without damaging themselves. They can use the slime as a trail to find their way back to their homes, even being able to tell their own slime apart from other slugs and snails.

Credit :  Perry Ponders

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