The Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans) is a species of flying squirrel found across Eurasia, ranging from the Baltic Sea in the west to the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the east. It is considered vulnerable in the European Union and is only found in Estonia and Finland.

1yr ⋅ ⋅

ADVERTISEMENT

Sea squirts! One of the few invertebrate chordates. When they’re young, they have a backbone (notochord) and a brain, but they lose them at maturity

1yr ⋅

⋅

The Victoria crowned pigeon is a large, bluish-grey pigeon with elegant blue lace-like crests, maroon breast and red irises. It is part of a genus of four unique, very large, ground-dwelling pigeons native to the New Guinea region.

3yr ⋅

⋅

Catahoula leopard dogs are in part bred from the wild dogs kept by the Choctaw people native to the area. Other canines used to create this breed include bloodhounds, greyhounds, mastiffs, Beaucerons and even red wolves.

2yr ⋅

⋅

The Okapi's closest realative is the giraffe. Okapis were descovered in 1901. Unfortunately, they are now endangered.

4yr ⋅

⋅

This is Indohyus, a cat-sized amphibious ancestor of whales and a distant relative of the hippopotamus. Like modern whales, it had unique bones in its ears to allow it to hear better underwater, and like hippopotami, it had unusually dense leg bones to help it stay underwater longer.

3yr ⋅

⋅

The kakapo is critically endangered flightless parrot that is confined to four small islands off the coast of New Zealand that have been cleared of predators

3yr ⋅

⋅

This fearsome Australia marsupials is the Tasmanian devil, which has been very recently reintroduced back to mainland Australia to combat feral cats!

3yr ⋅

⋅

Prairie dogs greet one another by kissing or nuzzling.

3yr ⋅

⋅

The elephant shrew has recently been rediscovered by scientists in Djibouti after 50 years of obscurity!

3yr ⋅

⋅

The snowy owl lives in arctic tundras and is highly adapted to the frigid and snowy environment. Thick feathers covering its feet (like slippers) and a high resting heart rate of 200 BPM keep it warm.

1yr ⋅

⋅

New study finds Holstein dairy calves are natural optimists or pessimists, just like us.

6yr ⋅

⋅

Male mice sing simple, quiet songs to woo potential females.

3yr ⋅

⋅

The Border Collie was specifically bred for intelligence and obedience, and ranks 1st in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs. They were first developed for herding livestock specially sheep, and they are great at it.

4yr ⋅

⋅

When they are first born, lion cubs are very small. They have their eyes closed and don’t open them until they are two to three weeks old. They are almost helpless and rely entirely on their mother, beginning to crawl a day or two after birth and walking around at three weeks of age.

3yr ⋅

⋅

The Indian giant squirrel is one of the largest species of squirrels, weighing up to 2kg (3-4.5 lbs)

3mo ⋅

⋅

A living relic of the ancient past, Nautiluses have been around for over 480 million years. They are the only living cephalopod with a shell and have the most limbs as well - with over 90 sticky tentacles that they use to grab prey as they shred it with their beaklike mouths.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Graneledone boreopacifica, an octopus that guards its eggs for an astounding 4.5 years. This is the longest known brooding period of any animal on the planet. This also makes it the longest living octopus.

3yr ⋅

⋅

Secretary birds are famous for its snake-stomping legs; a single kick delivered some 195 Newtons of force. They are also famous for their long eyelashes.

5yr ⋅

⋅

The kagu is a rare, fairly large, flightless bird endemic to New Caledonia. Instead of flight, it uses its large wings, striped with black when opened, to distract predators from their chicks by flapping around and pretending to be injured. The head crest is used to attract mates.

1yr ⋅

⋅

ADVERTISEMENT

Sea otters have the densest fur of any animal. Their fur contains as many as one million hair follicles per square inch. Unlike most other marine mammals, otters lack a blubber layer. Instead they depend on their dense, water-resistant fur to provide insulation.

3yr ⋅

⋅

The Harpy Eagle is a huge, majestic bird of prey of South America. They can grow to the height of an average human and have been known to pluck monkeys from trees.

1yr ⋅

⋅

The screaming hairy armadillo is named for its habit of emitting a loud squeal when threatened or handled. This armadillo is no coward, however; with reports of it hunting by throwing itself upon small snakes, which are subsequently cut up by the armadillos' bony plates.

1yr ⋅

⋅

An adult North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) has about 30,000 quills that cover almost all of its body. The quills are hollow and used primarily for defense, but also serve to insulate their bodies during winter. They cannot throw their quills.

7yr ⋅

⋅

The sulcata tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata), also called the African spurred tortoise, inhabits the southern edge of the Sahara desert in Africa. It is the third largest species in the world after the Galapagos tortoise and Aldabra giant tortoise. This is a young albino sulcata tortoise.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Violet-backed starling also known as the plum-coloured are strongly sexually dimorphic species in which only the males have of the plumage colour.

3yr ⋅

⋅

To satisfy the thirst of newly hatched chicks, male sandgrouse collect and bring water back to the nest by carrying it soaked in their feathers. The chicks then milk their father's belly feathers to rehydrate. A male Burchell's sandgrouse is seen here collecting water from a puddle for his young.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Grizzly Bear Claws Are About 4 Inches Long 🐻

3yr ⋅

⋅

TIL; Zebra's are born with brown and white strips that turn black later. Also, SUPER cute!

4yr ⋅

⋅

This flashy fella is the 22 spot ladybird beetle. It's one of the very few ladybugs that isn't carnivorous: it feeds on mildew.

3yr ⋅

⋅

Jorunna Parva, also known as sea bunny. Its ears, or the two antenna-like structures on top of its head, are called rhinophores and they detect chemicals in the water that helps sea bunnies find food and mates.

4yr ⋅

⋅

Bees sleep between 5-8 hours a day, sometimes in flowers. Also, they like to sleep with other bees and hold each other's feet.

4yr ⋅

⋅

ADVERTISEMENT

The numbat is a small marsupial endemic to Australia. It almost exclusively eats termites, using its pointed nose to find them and long sticky tongue to extract them from narrow cavities and holes.

1yr ⋅

⋅

A gentoo penguin, named Olde, Danish for great-grandmother, has lived 41 years, 141 days old as of Oct. 4 of this year, long beyond the usual 30-year lifespan for a member of her species in captivity. She's lived longer than a female African penguin named Tess who died at the age of 40.

3yr ⋅

⋅

Dolphins in Florida Create Mud Rings To Catch Fish

2yr ⋅

⋅

Eastern Bluebirds eat mostly insects, wild fruit and berries. Occasionally, Eastern Bluebirds have also been observed capturing and eating larger prey items such as shrews, salamanders, snakes, lizards and tree frogs.

1yr ⋅

⋅

The thick gray mane that young cheetah cubs have on the nape, shoulders, and back appears to function as camouflage from predators. The infant hair disappears after 3 months of age after their mother no longer hides them and they begin to follow her.

1yr ⋅

⋅

The Chinese Water Deer do not grow antlers but instead grows tusks. They are also known as “vampire deer. Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_deer

1yr ⋅

⋅

The Russian Blue (Русская голубая кошка) is a cat breed with colors that vary from a light shimmering silver to a darker, bluish slate gray. These cats, also called Archangel Blues, typically have bright green eyes and plush short coats. Some Russian Blues have lived up to 25 years old.

2yr ⋅

⋅

When woodcocks rock when they strut, they are actually searching for food! It is suspected that the bobbing helps them detect slight changes in the soil, making it easier to detect worms.

4yr ⋅

⋅

Alpacas have a unique immune system, producing nanobody-sized antibodies that are acid-stable and heat-stable, consisting of only two heavy protein chains. Alpaca antibodies are helping with research on Covid, Alzheimers, Cancer and Autism.

3yr ⋅

⋅

Trained African Giant Pouched Rats have found thousands of unexploded landmines and bombs. Researchers have also trained these rats to detect tuberculosis. And most recently they are training them to sniff out poached wildlife trophies being exported out of African ports.

6yr ⋅

⋅

This is my pet spiny leaf insect! When they feel like they are in danger they pretend to be a scorpion by curling their tail and holding up their front legs! The babies also look like ants bcs they hatch in ants nests :)

3yr ⋅

⋅

Crimson sunbirds are tiny and can fit in palm of your hand. Their brush-tipped tubular tongues are 2/3rds the length of their bodies and are specially adapted for nectar feeding

3yr ⋅

⋅

The Spectacled Bear is the last remaining member of the Ursidae subfamily Tremarctinae, also known as The Short Face Bears (Photo Credit: Anna Giulia on Instagram)

2yr ⋅

⋅

Chickens have the basic foundations of emotional empathy, and is demonstrated when hens display signs of anxiety when they observed their chicks in distressful situations. The hens have been said to feel their chicks' pain and to be affected by, and share, the emotional state of another.

1yr ⋅

⋅

ADVERTISEMENT

Baboons have been evaluated in numerous studies and shown to have the approximate intelligence levels of a 3-year-old child. According to research, baboons can play with objects, learn words and even seem to mourn the deaths of their friends. In this pic, a baboon investigates yellow butterflies.

3yr ⋅

⋅

Dexter cattle are an uncommon breed of cattle from Ireland. They are one of the smallest cattle breeds, reaching only about a metre in height when fully grown.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Male African Jacanas, also known as Jesus Bird, carry their chicks in their wings!!

4yr ⋅

⋅

The oldest cattle breed in the world, Highland Cows have a dual coat of hair - the outside of which is oily - to protect them from the Scottish weather. They have a strict social hierarchy where Playfighting, Licking and Mounting are seen as friendly contact.

3yr ⋅

⋅

Bees do sleep between 5-8 Hours daily,sometimes in flowers, also they like to sleep with other bees and hold each other's feet.

3yr ⋅

⋅

The saiga antelope is a critically endangered species that has been impacted by poaching and disease. Last year, only 4 newborns were reported. This year, that number climbed to 530.

4yr ⋅

⋅

The ocean sunfish (Mola mola) is the heaviest of all the bony fish - the largest weighing over 2,700 kg (6000 lbs). Its massive body becomes infested with parasites, it will invite cleaner fish and sea birds to feed on them. It will also leap high out of the water in attempts to shake the parasites.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Possibly its most well known characteristic is its unique moaning growl that the Great Potoo vocalizes throughout the night, creating an unsettling atmosphere in the Neotropics with its nocturnal sounds

4yr ⋅

⋅

Like all skunks, spotted skunks produce a nasty-smelling spray to deter predators. However, spotted skunks also do a flashy handstand on their front legs as an extra warning before they spray. Spotted skunks are sometimes called the acrobats of the skunk world

2yr ⋅

⋅

The Sun Bear is the smallest, most arboreal and least studied species of bear. Their name comes from the pale horseshoe shape on their chests, which is said to resemble the setting or rising sun. They have a very long tongue that helps them extract honey from bee hives, earning them the alternative

2yr ⋅

⋅

Sea Otters are keystone species in kelp forests. They feed on sea urchins, which eat kelp. Without the otters, these otherwise productive ecosystems turn into urchin barrens.

6yr ⋅

⋅

Owls are zygodactyl, meaning their feet have two forward-facing toes and two backward-facing toes. What differentiate owls from most other zygodactyl birds are that they can rotate one of their back toes forward to help them grip and walk. It make owls more efficient hunters of their prey.

3yr ⋅

⋅

The iconic eagle scream is not, in fact, a bald eagle! Bald eagles have a high-pitched, laughing call; the fearsome screech often dubbed over eagle visuals belongs to a red-tailed hawk.

4yr ⋅

⋅

Elephants have three times the amount of brain neurons (257 billion) that humans have (86 billion)

3yr ⋅

⋅

These Two Siblings are North American Black Bears. The white furry one is called the Spirit Bear (Mooksgm'ol). It's a unique color variant of the black bear caused by a recessive mutant gene MC1R. Only about 20% bears this coloration and found almost exclusively in the Great Bear Forest, B.C.

3yr ⋅

⋅

ADVERTISEMENT

The large frogmouth, native to southeast Asia, has variegated leaf-like plumage which provides excellent camouflage in its forest habitats. It lays a single egg on a downy cushion that would fall were it not for the incubating parent crouching lengthwise along the thin branch it typically nests on.

1yr ⋅

⋅

There are over 6,380 species of jumping spider, all renowned for their excellent vision. Despite their tiny size, jumping spiders can leap an impressive 6.5 inches - often spinning a stabilizing line of silk as they do.

2yr ⋅

⋅

Cows can recognise individual humans, even when they wear the same clothes

5yr ⋅

⋅

When families of banded mongooses prepare to fight, they form battle lines. Each clan of about 20 animals stands nose to nose, their ears flattened back, as they stare down the enemy clan

3yr ⋅

⋅

The smalltooth sawfish – a type of ray that grows up to 7 metres long – is a critically endangered species. Because of this, the females may turn to parthenogenesis – reproduction without fertilisation from a male – as a last resort to produce offspring and avoid extinction

2yr ⋅

⋅

Like humans, who are typically right- or left-handed, elephants are usually right- or left-tusked. The dominant tusk, called the master tusk, is generally more worn down, as it is shorter with a rounder tip.

1yr ⋅

⋅

The Gray Wolf is found across North America and Eurasia. Incredibly social, intelligent, and tactical, their numbers were decimated in the Americas as part of extermination campaigns. Through repopulation efforts, their numbers are easily close to 80,000 across the USA and Canada.

1yr ⋅

⋅

80% of orange cats are male. The orange coloring is found on the X chromosome. Female cats have XX chromosomes to the male's XY. Thus, both the mother and father cat must pass on the genes to the female, but males only need the trait from their mothers.

2yr ⋅

⋅

Male and female hammer-headed bats display the most sexual dimorphism of any bat species. Males have boxy heads, enormous lips, and vocal cords so large (3 times larger than those of females) that they displace major organs. These allow males to greatly amplify their vocalizations to attract mates.

1yr ⋅

⋅

This is the rare and elusive Sea Wolves of B.C. Vancouver Island. They are genetically distinct from their inland cousin. Their diet consist of up to 90% seafood, 25% of w/c is salmon. They are also great swimmer. In fact, the farthest record is to an archipelago 12 km from the nearest landmass.

3yr ⋅

⋅

Bearded dragons have a third eye called the parietal eye. It’s used to detect shadows and light, and can be found in other animals such as bullfrogs, anoles, sharks, and turtles.

1yr ⋅

⋅

We don't see a lot of baby pigeons because they nest in very secluded caves and hard to get to places and have a long nesting period. When they leave the nest, they are very hard to distinguish from adult pigeons. And they're butt ugly :)

3yr ⋅

⋅

A whales blowhole is essentially just a modified nose. Up close it even looks like a nose!

2yr ⋅

⋅

The black-footed cat may be Africa's smallest feline, but it's also one of the world's most adept mammalian hunters — successfully catching its prey 60% of the time (compared to a leopard's 38% and a lion's 25%). A single cat can capture 12 - 13 meals a night and upwards of 3,000 rodents a year.

1mo ⋅

⋅

ADVERTISEMENT

Gharials lay a large clutch of eggs, between 60 and 100 at a time. Females will lay eggs in dug-out nests in close proximity. Once they hatch, the baby gharials swarm to their parents. When threatened they will often retreat to the nearest adult and try to clamber onto its back or head.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Foxes, unlike their other canine relatives, they aren’t actually pack animals. They are solitary, and when they are young they live in small families called a “leash of foxes,” or a “skulk of foxes,” in underground burrows.

4yr ⋅

⋅

When in danger, the Malabar giant squirrel often freezes or flattens itself against the tree trunk, instead of fleeing.

4yr ⋅

⋅

Ankole have some of the largest horns of any breed of cattle.

1yr ⋅

⋅

The black-maned Ethiopian lion, known locally in Amharic as ጥቁር አንበሳ (t’ik’uri anibesa) or 'black lion', is most often found in the Harenna Forest highlands of the Bale Mountains National Park. These lions, numbering around 50, have been determined to be genetically distinct from other wild lions.

2yr ⋅

⋅

If one capybara in a group feels threatened, they all start barking together until they feel the danger has passed.

2yr ⋅

⋅

Every autumn Black-capped Chickadees allow brain neurons containing old information to die, replacing them with new neurons so they can adapt to changes in their social flocks and environment even with their tiny brains.

2yr ⋅

⋅

Union Island gecko (Gonatodes daudini) is a species of little gecko, it’s colorful appearance attracted illegal international pet trade and poach. It is defined critically endangered by IUCN.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Part of the mourning dove's bonding ritual consists of the pair preening one another's necks, paired with gentle nibbles, and followed by grasping each other's beaks and bobbing their heads in unison.

4yr ⋅

⋅

The tail of red panda is actually very slim

2yr ⋅

⋅

Bearded vultures wear makeup. They like to alter their appearance by rubbing their heads and necks in iron-rich soil to change their white feathers to a bright reddish orange

4yr ⋅

⋅

The Frillbacks are a selective bred pidgeons that have curls on their wings. They are able to fly away from predators better than chickens but they have to expend more energy than your average pidgeon

2yr ⋅

⋅

The Chinese giant salamander is the world's largest amphibian. Its average length is 1.2 metres (almost 4 feet); the largest measuring 1.8 metres (5.9 feet) in length. It produces sounds that sound like a baby crying, landing it the (inaccurate) nickname of baby fish.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Cheetahs Are So Shy That Zoos Give Them Their Own Emotional “Support Dogs”

4yr ⋅

⋅

During the dry season, the Desert Spadefoot frog (Notaden nichollsi) spends half the year underground encased in a cocoon of their own skin.

3yr ⋅

⋅

ADVERTISEMENT

The San Francisco Garter Snake has been on the endangered list since 1967, and has been labeled the most beautiful snake in the U.S. Researches estimate only 1-2 thousand remain, but much of their habitat is located on private land, so an accurate count can't be made.

4yr ⋅

⋅

House finches forage on the ground or in vegetation normally. They primarily eat grains, seeds and berries, being voracious consumers of weed seeds such as nettle and dandelion; included are incidental small insects such as aphids.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Decorator crabs use sedentary creatures to camouflage themselves from predators, or with poisonous creatures to ward off predators! different species will use different creatures to decorate themselves. source: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decorator_crab)

1yr ⋅

⋅

Sunbittern have butterfly-like eyespots that they flash when threatened, or to impress a mate. They're native to South and Central Americas.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Opposums carry their babies on their backs!

2yr ⋅

⋅

Arctic fox long white coat sheds to short, dark gray to bluish-brown fur in the summer.

4yr ⋅

⋅

Pronghorn babies are born in the spring, and can stand a day after being born. When adulthood is reached, they will be able to run at 60 miles an hour!

1yr ⋅

⋅

Manatees can't turn their head sideways so they often have to turn their whole body to see something

6yr ⋅

⋅

Dogs notice when computer animations violate Newton’s laws of physics. This doesn’t mean dogs necessarily understand physics, with its complex calculations. But it does suggest that dogs have an implicit understanding of their physical environment.

2yr ⋅

⋅

The white-spotted pufferfish is known for its unique and complex courtship display which involves creating large, geometric circles in the sand. Its their mating ritual!

4yr ⋅

⋅

Although Harbor Seal pups are born well developed, they depend to their mother for food for 3-4 weeks. Pictured is Bogey, he was found alone and too young to survive on his own. He was tube-fed nutritious fish smoothies until he was released back to the wild.

4yr ⋅

⋅

The bateleur eagle lowers itself to the ground and allows ants to crawl over it to collect food bits, old feathers, and dead skin. The eagle will then ruffle its feathers, startling the ants, and causing them to produce formic acid. This acid kills the ticks and fleas on the bateleur.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Robin’s nest above our shed. No filter applied, this is the natural colour of the eggs! Eggs can range from bright blue/blue-green to pale ice blue and every shade in between. Small eggs and those laid first are usually more intensely colored than large eggs or those laid later in the nesting cycle.

2yr ⋅

⋅

ADVERTISEMENT

Crows are known for their high level of intelligence in mimicking human behaviors. They’ve often been observed engaging in acts of “play” with remarkably human qualities

5yr ⋅

⋅

The red-winged blackbird is omnivorous. It feeds primarily on plant materials, including seeds from weeds and waste grain such as corn and rice, but about a quarter of its diet consists of insects and other small animals, and considerably more so during breeding season.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Here is a fun fact. Snow leopards are more closely related to tigers than they are to true leopards.

3yr ⋅

⋅

This adorable little stinker is the spotted skunk. It is a medium-sized omnivores in the weasel family that is mostly nocturnal. It is unique in that when threatened, it does a handstand, hind feet up & fluffy tail in the air, facing towards as it spray its foul-smelling musk to ward off predators.

3yr ⋅

⋅

This lil Mockingbird fell out of its nest! Luckily it is within reach of a ladder so it has been returned to the nest. Northern Mockingbirds fledge at about 12 days, but don't fly very well until a week or so later. Look at those feathers coming in!

3yr ⋅

⋅

This rare yellow king penguin is hypothesised to be leucistic, meaning that it produces less melanin than average. Eyes, however, are not affected from this lack of pigmentation.

3yr ⋅

⋅

On average, opossums eat up to 5000 ticks in a season, but they don’t contract or carry Lyme disease.

6yr ⋅

⋅

Tarsiers are some of the smallest species of primate and have the largest eyes in relation to their body size of any mammal. They are also the only fully carnivorous primate; insects make up most of their diet.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Octopuses have a relatively short life expectancy; some species live for as little as six months. Octopus lifespan is limited by reproduction: males can live for only a few months after mating, and females die shortly after their eggs hatch.

4yr ⋅

⋅

Cats rarely consider their own size when trying to attack or intimidate another animal, and in the wild, apex predators do their best to avoid unnecessary injury. Because of this, there have been several cases of cats trying to attack and chasing away bears

5yr ⋅

⋅

The tail feathers of the male Malayan crested argus are considered to be the longest and widest of any bird. The tail covert can measure up to 1.73 m (5.7 ft), giving the bird a total length of up to 2.4 m (7.8 ft). The crested argus is a peafowl-like species of bird in the pheasant family.

1yr ⋅

⋅

If you live in the Americas during spring time you may spot hummingbirds collecting cob webs. They use this sticky silk as a building material to firmly secure their nests to their choosen tree branch.

3yr ⋅

⋅

Clouded Leopards are one of the most talented climbers among the cats. They also have the longest canine teeth relative to their body size of any cat species, gaining them the title modern-day sabre-tooth.

4yr ⋅

⋅

Pheasants, along with most members of the grouse family, have specialized, powerful breast muscles. These muscles deliver bursts of power that allow the birds to escape trouble in a hurry, flushing nearly vertically into the air and reaching speeds of nearly 40 miles per hour.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Lost in the sauce! The yellow-banded bumble bee (Bombus terricola), like other bumblebees, is capable of buzz pollination, which is vital to many plants, including potatoes. Pollen is held firmly by the anthers on the flower and must be shook loose by the buzz.

1yr ⋅

⋅

The American pine marten is native to Canada and the US and 14 subspecies are recognized. The color of the fur depends on the geographic location; it can range from yellowish and light brown to nearly black. This curious young marten is sitting peacefully in the snow in Yellowstone National Park.

3yr ⋅

⋅

Leopards keep their cubs in dens, also known as lairs, which serve as a hiding place for the cubs while mom is away. they change these lairs every few days to avoid accidental discovery by predators that pose a threat to their babies like lions or hyenas

3yr ⋅

⋅

ADVERTISEMENT

The Flehmen Response occurs in animals when pheromones pass by the Jacobson Organ, which processes information for smell and taste, and causes a curling of the upper lip. Tigers use it when investigating different scents left by others of their species. (Photo Credit: Rikunow - Instagram)

2yr ⋅

⋅

150 kakariki karaka chicks have hatched this season, potentially doubling the this rare birds population

5yr ⋅

⋅

Banana Slugs can grow upwards of 25 cm long and are the 2nd largest slug in the world!

2yr ⋅

⋅

Only a few female North American songbirds sing, but the female Northern Cardinal does, and often while sitting on the nest. This may give the male information about when to bring food to the nest.

1yr ⋅

⋅

The Golden Mole is completely blind, and shoves its face into the sand dunes while hunting at night, so it can hear its prey

3yr ⋅

⋅

Argentina's patagonian maras only go into estrus (heat) a few times a year and only for a half-hour at a time. They are monogamous and will mate for life, rarely leaving each other's side.

1yr ⋅

⋅

The Colobus Monkey is part of the family of Old World Monkeys native to Africa. Known to have complex social behaviors including unique greetings to one another.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Cats have no universal donor blood type, making proper typing and crossmatching important. Mia donates the most common type (A) but there are also types B and AB, and cats produce antibodies against the other blood types.

4yr ⋅

⋅

Musk oxen are known for their thick coats and are named for the strong odor emitted by males during the seasonal rut. When a herd is threatened, the adults will form a ring or semicircle with their horns towards the predator - the young are protected inside the circle.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Goats can pick up accents from other goats they hang out with

2yr ⋅

⋅

Meet the Shoebill stork! these living dinosaurs are extremely patient and brave, attacking crocodiles and other major predators! standing at around 4'5 and have a beak capable of decapitating fish and birds in a single shot. living up to 35 years old these big birds are quite scary indeed!

2yr ⋅

⋅

Like most marsupials, possums have a short gestation period of just 12-14 days. The babies - called joeys - will spend time in the mothers pouch until they are weaned after 70 to 125 days.

2yr ⋅

⋅

ADVERTISEMENT

Snapping turtles can live up to 100 years. Here's a hatchlings learning to navigate the world [OC]

2yr ⋅

⋅

An Elk's antlers can grow about 1 inch per day. This can lead a Bull Elk in his prime to have an antler spread of 4 feet, with each antler weighing 20 pounds. (Photo Credit: Devin Starling - Instagram)

1yr ⋅

⋅

Myobatrachus gouldii, or the turtle frog, is a frog endemic to Western Australia that looks like a cross between a tortoise and a raw hamburger.

4yr ⋅

⋅

Antelope jackrabbits are known for their exceptionally long ears. Native to parts of Arizona and Mexico, they occupy plant communities that contain a mixture of shrubs and grasses.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Van kittens are initially born with pale blue eyes, which change to a deeper blue or amber as they grow older. Occasionally, you’ll also see a Van with one amber eye and one blue eye, or two blue eyes of different hues.

4yr ⋅

⋅

The steelblue ladybird (Halmus chalybeus) can act as a biological control agent, acting as a predator to smaller insects that can damage plants. Ladybird beetles can ooze their blood, which is toxic, out of the joints for defense.

1yr ⋅

⋅

April 17th is Bat Appreciation Day. Bats play important roles in many ecosystems as predators, prey, and pollinators. Even their poop plays an important role as a bridge between sunlight and caves, a means for plants to spread seeds, or as an historical component in gunpowder!

6yr ⋅

⋅

The American kestrel, North America's smallest falcon, is a fierce predator that used its notched beak to sever the spine of prey [OC]

2yr ⋅

⋅

The Red panda, an endangered species found in the forests of India, Nepal, Bhutan and the northern mountains of Myanmar and southern China

4yr ⋅

⋅

Birds could have been a lot weirder. During the early days of dinosaur flight, evolution experimented with some strange wing designs. Scansoriopterygids such as Yi qi (literally strange wing) were small feathered dinosaurs closely related to birds but with membranous wings like bats.

1yr ⋅

⋅

When a bunny flips on its side, it shows that the critter is relaxed and feels secure.

4yr ⋅

⋅

Ringed seals are the smallest seal species, and when born, weigh under ten pounds. Specific to ringed seals are sharp claws on their front flippers. They use these claws to carve breathing holes in the ice.

1yr ⋅

⋅

Research shows that Inca Terns with longer mustaches produce healthier offspring!

3yr ⋅

⋅

ADVERTISEMENT