The World's Strangest Animals E-Book

Paula Hammond

• Herausgeber: Amber Books Ltd
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 106

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

Mammals don’t lay eggs. Or do they? Fish can’t walk. Or can they? Mammals can’t fly. Or can they? The World’s Strangest Animals collects more than 40 of the most unusual animals from all kinds of habitats from around the world, from the komodo dragon and the sugar glider to the mantis and the seahorse. Learn how some mammals do lay eggs, that the mudskipper fish can walk on its fins and that bats are mammals that can fly.

From the Arctic to the tropics and featuring lizards, frogs and toads, octopuses, tapeworms, snakes, laughing birds, lovebirds and insects that eat each other, The World’s Strangest Animals is illustrated throughout with outstanding full-page photographs and artworks for each animal. With easy-to-follow descriptions of each animal’s habitat and life cycle, as well as locator maps and factfile boxes, this book will appeal to any child interested in wildlife.

Leseprobe

THE WORLD’S

Strangest Animals

NATURE’S WEIRD AND WONDERFUL CREATURES

PAULA HAMMOND

This digital edition first published in 2014

Published byAmber Books LtdNorth RoadLondon N7 9DPUnited Kingdom

Website: www.amberbooks.co.uk

Instagram: amberbooksltd

  Facebook: amberbooks

Twitter: @amberbooks

Copyright © 2014 Amber Books Ltd

ISBN: 978 1 908696 82 3

PICTURE CREDITS

IMP AB; Alamy; Dreamstime; FLPA; Getty Images

All rights reserved. With the exception of quoting brief passages for the purpose ofreview no part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permis-sionfrom the publisher. The information in this book is true and complete to the

best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without any guarantee on

the part of the author or publisher, who also disclaim any liability incurred in con-

nection with the use of this data or specific details.

www.amberbooks.co.uk

Contents

Introduction

Africa

AardvarkGiraffeHoopoeJackson’s ChameleonNaked Mole RatNamib Web-footed Gecko

6

81012141618

Asia

Japanese MacaqueKomodo DragonMudskipperProboscis MonkeyRatelSiamese Fighting FishTarsier

20222426283032

Australasia

Duck-billed PlatypusEmuLaughing KookaburraRed KangarooShort-beaked EchidnaSugar Glider

343638404244

North America

American BullfrogAmerican MinkBig Brown BatGreat Grey ShrikeMantisSouthern Flying Squirrel

464850525456

Central & South America

Emperor TamarinGiant OtterHoatzinPygmy MarmosetSouthern TamanduaThree-toed SlothVenezuelan Red Howler Monkey

58606264666870

Europe

Common CuckooCompass JellyfishEuropean HoneybeeGreat Diving BeetleSkylarkWels Catfish

727476788082

The Oceans

Cleaner WrasseCommon Bottlenose DolphinCommon OctopusNarwhalSea AnemoneSeahorse

848688909294

Index

96

Introduction

M

ore than a million species of animals have beenidentified and scientifically described, but thechances are that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

There are still many parts of our planet where no human  has ever set foot, and we may never know for sure justhow many species we share this beautiful blue planet with.One thing, however, is certain. Many of the species that we know of are often wild, wonderful, and very, very weird!

Imagine a fish that can walk on land, a mammal that can

fly, or an insect with its own built-in aqualung! Such

curious creatures may seem unlikely, but they all exist. In

fact, life comes in all shapes and sizes—many of which are

strange and surprising.

In this book we’ll be exploring just 44 of these great oddities.

Some are so well known it’s easy to forget just how strange

they really are. Consider, for instance, the American bullfrog.

We’re probably all familiar with this big marshland bully, but

did you know that it starts life as a tiny terror with gills and atail, or that it’s so greedy that it chokes itself to death trying tocram too much  food into its mouth?

6

TARSIER

Other animals in this book are more obscure but every bit as

fantastic as those that we’re familiar with. There’s the ratel. It’s

no bigger than a dog, yet officially it is the world’s fiercest

animal. Then there’s the skylark—a small songbird with a taste

for danger. And there’s the sloth, which spends so much time

upside down even its hair grows that way!

If we are ever able to fully explore our planet’s mountain

peaks, its deserts, and its oceans, who knows what

other strange beasts we might be able to add

to these wonders?

COMMON OCTOPUS

INTRODUCTION

7

Aardvark

TAIL & CLAWSUsed in combination, the aardvark’stail and claws make a great weaponthat is powerful enough to deter allbut the hungriest of predators.

EARSBeing a night-time specialistmeans that the aardvark must relyon its sense of smell and hearingto track down its prey.

CLAWSThese amazing animals spend muchof their time underground, and theirstrong, sharp claws are the ideal toolsfor tunneling.

TEETHInstead of front teeth, the aardvarkhas a set of cheek teeth. It uses thesecheek teeth to crush up termites—itsfavorite food.

AFRICA

9

W

ith a powerful tail, rabbitlike ears,  webbed toes, andlong, sticky tongue, aardvarks truly are one of a   kind. Infact, they have no known  living  relatives. This doesn’t

bother the aardvark, but it’s a real problem for scientists! Whenclassifying animals, scientists group them with other similar species.However, they’ve had to create a new order specially for this

baffling beast. Adult aardvarks have no front teeth, but they do have

extremely odd cheek teeth at theback of their jaws. In the center ofeach tooth are fine tubes connectedby a hard substance called

cementum. This new order hastherefore been called Tubulidentata,meaning “tube-toothed.”

SIZE

THESE CAUTIOUS CREATURES

may seem slow and clumsy, but when danger threatens, they

move with surprising speed—sprinting for the safety of the nearest subterranean sanctuary.

Every aardvark has several retreats in its territory. Some are just short passageways used for

quick getaways, while others are complicated burrows with mazelike tunnels connecting

several entrances and a spacious sleeping area at one end.

Where in the world?

From grassy plains to woodland scrub, theaardvark enjoys a variety of habitatsthroughout sub-Saharan Africa. It lives inunderground burrows and is rarely seenabove ground during the day.

Did you know?

••

“Aardvark” is famously one of the first words in the English dictionary. The name comesfrom Dutch Afrikaans and means “earth pig,” which is exactly what European settlers thoughtthese marvelous mammals looked like.

Measuring up to 18 in. (almost 46 cm) long, an aardvark’s sticky tongue is its secretweapon—perfect for lapping up angry termites.

••

Hausa magicians of Africa are said to make a magic charm from the heart, skin, and nails ofthe aardvark. When worn next to the skin, this charm is believed to give the wearer the abilityto walk through walls!

Aardvarks are nocturnal, meaning that they are most active during the night. It’s beenestimated that during one evening’s foraging, a hungry aardvark can devour up to 50,000 ants!

Giraffe

TONGUE & LIPSFlexible lips and a blue tonguereaching 21 in. (more than53 cm) in length are used tocarefully pluck leaves off thorn trees.

RAW POWERGiraffes are powerful beasts withfew natural enemies. Adults havebeen seen to kill a lion with a single,well-placed kick.

FRONT & BACK LEGSThe front legs are about one-tenthlonger than the back legs. This givesthe giraffe a slightly uneven gait.

HOOVESThe giraffe is an ungulate, whichmeans that it has hooves. Thesehooves are cloven (split) in a similarway to those of a pig.

AFRICA

11

A

rab peoples have a wonderfully appropriate name for theseoutlandish animals. They call them ziraafa, which means “anassemblage of animals,” because that’s exactly what they

look like! The giraffe’s short, brush-ended tail, for instance, couldwell belong to the warthog (Phacochoerus africanus). The tongue

seems to be more suited to a reptile than a mammal. Add a leopard-print coat, a head like a camel, a set of horns, long legs, and that

phenomenal neck, and theseamazing creatures really do beginto look like they’re made fromspare parts. However, it is thiseccentric design that has made thegiraffe one of the Africansavannah’s greatest success stories.

SIZE

SCIENTISTS AREN’T CERTAIN

how many subspecies of giraffe there are, but each version has

its own distinct markings. Rothschild’s giraffes (Giraffe camelopardalis rothschildi) tend to have

deep brown blotches or rectangular spots. Reticulated giraffes (Giraffe camelopardalis reticulata)

have large, polygonal liver-colored spots, surrounded by bright, white lines, while Maasai

giraffes (Giraffe camelopardalis tippelskirchi) have jagged, chocolate-brown spots.

Where in the world?

Giraffes can be found around the Africancontinent, from Chad to South Africa.They prefer grasslands and openwoodlands but will head for denservegetation if food is scarce.

••

Did you know?

The world’s tallest giraffe measured in at an incredible 19.7 ft (6 m). Even an average-sizedspecimen grows to between 15-18 ft. (4.5-5.5 m).

Almost half of the giraffe’s great height consists of its extraordinary neck. The giraffe’s legsaccount for another 6.5 ft. (2 m) of their record-breaking bulk.

••

Amazingly, the giraffe’s neck contains only seven vertebrae—the same as a human neck. Ofcourse, each one can measure up to 10 in. (25.4 cm) long! These are connected by ball-and-socket joints. This means a giraffe’s neck is both long and very flexible.

When its Mom is this tall, a baby giraffe is bound to have a dramatic entrance into theworld. Calves emerge head first and fall to earth with an audible thud!

Hoopoe

CRESTAt rest, a hoopoe’s dramatic crest liesflat against its head. It’s raised whenthe bird is alarmed or excited.

BILLA hoopoe’s bill curves downwardand grows up to 2 in. (5 cm) long.Such a long bill is extremely usefulwhen probing around in the soilfor food.

CALLThe hoopoe’s common name comesfrom the Latin Upupa epops, whichsounds like the distinctive cry of thebird when you say it out loud.

FEETHoopoes have anisodactyl feet,meaning three of their toes faceforward and one faces backward.This is common for perching birds.

AFRICA

13

H

oopoes may look stylish and elegant but don’t be fooled.There’s a very good reason why they’re known as hoop-poos!Brooding mothers produce a foul liquid that smells

like rotting flesh. Added to that, they use their own nest as a toilet!However, this disgusting behavior may serve a useful purpose.

Animals live in a rich, sensory world where smells are used tocommunicate, to mark territory, find a mate, or deter predators. This

may be the reason for the crazyways of the hoopoe. All this stinkymuck in the nest attracts insects,which means that hoopoe chickshave a ready supply of foodexactly where they need it!

SIZE

WITH ITS PINKISH BODY

and bold, black and white wing stripes, hoopoes are just as

handsome as their relatives, the kingfishers. This striking bird is happiest with bare earthbeneath its feet, so it can forage for food, and a hole of a suitable size to nest in. Hoopoesprefer trees or rock faces but will nest in pipes, discarded burrows, and termite mounds.

Where in the world?

Worldwide, there are approximately ninesubspecies of hoopoe. These beautifulbirds can be found from northern Europeto eastern Asia, but it’s in Africa that theyare most at home.

Did you know?

••

Hoopoes have been part of human history for thousands of years and, thanks to theirbeautiful looks and dirty habits, they’re loved and hated in equal measure.

In ancient Egypt, hoopoes were kept as pets. They regularly appear on wall paintings, such asin the fabulous garden scene in the tomb of Khnumhotep III, which includes a hoopoeperched on an acacia tree.

••

In Farid ud-Din’s (1146-1221) classic sequence of Iranian poems “The Conference of theBirds,” the hoopoe is described asthe wisest of all birds.

The most telling reference to these smelly creatures, though, comes from Leviticus 11:13-19and Deuteronomy 14:11 in the Bible, which list all the unclean animals, including the hoopoe.This isn’t very surprising when you consider the hoopoe’s habits!

Jackson’s Chameleon

HORNSMale chameleons have three horns.Females may have one or threesmaller horns, or none at all,depending on the subspecies.

TEETHChameleons come equipped with aset of strong jaws bristling with rowsof sharp teeth, which the chameleonuses to crush up prey beforeswallowing it.

BODYJackson’s chameleon has a stockybody, but its not actually all thatlarge. Adults grow to around 12 in.(30 cm) long.

TAILThis lizard uses its prehensile(gripping) tail like a fifth arm to helpsteady itself as it creeps through thetops of the trees.

AFRICA

15

L

ooking just like a miniature dinosaur, Jackson’s chameleon isone of the most popular members of the lizard family. Butthese charming creatures really are just plain odd! Many of us

know that chameleons can change their color, but Jackson’schameleon has many other strange and unexpected abilities andfeatures. For example, they have prehensile tails that can be used forgripping, and their feet face backward and forward at the same time.