Extreme Abilities and Behaviour (Animal Talent 2)

Contents

SHOCKING PHYSICAL ABILITIES

6

8 Flight without wings Electrifying 10 12 Miracles of regeneration 14 What a terrible smell 16 Tempting scents 18 Venom pouches 18 Cnidaria, molluscs, cephalopods 20 Arthropods and annelids 22 Fishes and amphibians 24 Reptiles, birds and mammals

DANGER ZONE Vengeful ones Unusual duellists Animal combat The best defence is at

26

tack

28 30 34 38

FAMILIES AND TEAMS Are they caring, or not?

Good parents Bad parents Strange symbioses Huge animal armies

40 42 42 46 50 54

SLEEPY ONES Laziness is good for you Odd winter dreams Strange sleepers

56 58 60 62

5

Shocking physical traits

8 » Flight without wings

10 » Electrifying 12 » Miracles of regeneration

Shocking physical traits 14 » What a te rrible smell

16 » Tempting scents

18 » Venom pouches 18 » Cnidaria, arthropods and cephalopods 20 » Arthropods and worms

22 » Fishes and amphibians 24 » Reptiles, birds and mammals

Is it possible to fly without wings? Is it true that certain animals generate electricity? Absolutely, a few are able to strike their attackers or prey with severe electric shocks. There are species that readily survive even when a part of their body is bitten off, or if their teeth break on a daily basis. At the same time, there are some creatures that have a perfume like scent or even an astonishingly bad smell, not to mention venomous species.

7

Shocking physical traits

Flight without wings flying fish

ALMOST A

B

IRD It would be in teresting to se e a group of fis This fish lives h in mid-fligh in tropical seas t! and possesse oped chest m s very well dev uscles, which elit can use to fly metres near th many tens of e surface of th e water.

flying f rogs

READY

,

SET, GO Many spe ! cies of frog are capab through th le of sailing o ea r flying of skin stre ir. How is this possib tches betw le een long to ? A thin webbing legs and fi ngers befo es. They sp re read their foot-sail "t o catch th an aerial show, to all e wind." So ow their tropical fo me of the rests of So m live in th utheast Asi e a.

se ey do not u th if n e v E s can fly? with variou Only birds ls a im n a , ings g or feathered w able of flyin p a c e r a s n ga evolved or . ugh the air o sailing thr

southern flyi ng squirrel

THE DARING

PA

RATROOPER We can encounter this cool mammal in the southern an parts of the United d eastern States of America. It sails from one tree next with the aid of to the the leather webbin g stretching betwee Once it has decided n its legs. on a landing spot, it launches itself ; th reach its target, it ste en , to ers with its tail and by loosening its skin It is usually active at folds. night and eats seed s, fruits and arthropo ds.

Malayan

flying l em

ur HAVE Y OU EVE R SEEN SO METHIN G LIKE TH IS?

This 30-40 centimetre long mamm inhabits m al any places in the tropic rainforests al of Southea st Asia. Gre brown and y, russet colo urs domina fur. Similarl te its y to other fl ying lemurs can also tak , it e flight. It is a nocturna herbivore. l

flying

ASTER O C R E L it that inhab E ROL snakes

PUR

f snakes able species o y n a even cap m re re a e m o s There a lly, sia; rests of A ther. Usua the rainfo m one tree to ano tened fro hen threa w c ti c ta e of gliding ch rav loy this b they laun they emp eing. This is when over to e d li fle and g e e tr r e h and while hig on es from a ring moti themselv ical slithe p ty e th ith another w n the ground! o e s u s snake

9

Families and teams

Good parents wild boar

CH! DO NOT APPROAch as

toad common midwife

ACKPACK? WHAT'S IN THE Bd, they are. These little balls s? Indee Frogs carrying tiny sphere y have a etres in diameter and the tim of life are roughly 5 cen where gs, fro ife dw These are the mi greyish or brownish tint. ed eggs. the males carry the fertiliz

Are they ? t o n r o caring,

natal cichlid

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, I'M GOING TO EAT YOU!

In an emergency, the offspring of the cichlid find shelter in the mouth of the female. Are they not afraid that caring mom is going to gulp them down? Incidenta lly, this fish has been transferred into other tropical waters against malaria-spreading mosquitos.

al can rea This omnivorous mamm e female gives life Th . ms gra much as 300 kilo early spring. When to 5-7 piglets during the be in danger, she she feels her offspring to ntrast to the dark may turn aggressive. In co ts, the little ones brown bristles of the paren s. have ochre-yellow stripe

African elephant

THE LONGEST PREGNANCY

The African elephant could win the title for the longest pregnancy.

The calf develops in the mother's womb for 2 years and comes into the world at a height of 90 centimetres and approxim ately 100 kilograms in weight. The ele phant mom also behaves very aggressively when her calf is attacked.

S SCENDANT E D n of L A Y O R e of the childre eat to live as on lion

ust be gr ld in a No doubt, it m me into the wor co bs cu on Li als. . She the king of anim lly protects them fu re ca r he ot m eir hed 2 weak state, so th e cubs have reac th r te af e id pr the d hides her only returns to takes care of an e sh , en th til un of the lion months of age; the new males en ev s, or at ed er pr long as little ones. Oth sing may last as ur N . bs cu e th aten pride, can thre s. th on 7–10 m

red fox

LIFE IS ALL GAME

S

Even though fewer smelli er things exist than a fox hole, the little foxes are living the high life. Once they see da ylight, they don't leave the castle for 2 months. Initially, their mo ther nurses them with milk an d then feeds them with pre -digested meat. They play and run around a lot as pups.

45

Families and teams

Tasmanian devil

READY, SET, GO!

The little ones of the Tasmanian devil have scant chance at life. As many as 40–50 undeveloped offspring can come into the world, but as only four teats exist in their mother's pouch, only the four toughest can grow up. The others die over the course of a few hours.

Bad parents

European deer

DO NOT PET!

The newborn, helpless faw ns have no smell and with the ir spotted coat, they can hide eas ily from predators. Initially, they are often alone; their mother only seeks them out during nursing.

Important! the mother is one, do not pet it, as If we find a fawn like th "human" le one because of the might abandon the litt smell.

elk

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

n twins, in the The elk cows deliver their calves, ofte unselfishly spring. During the first year, the mother off prior to defends them, but she often chases them best for it's the next birth. She probably thinks that devote can she them to go off on their own, and then her attention to her new offspring.

Caregivers Did you know? aracteristi­ The males have ch ke horns.

-li el cally huge, shov

oo giant red kangar

ARSUPIAL THE LARGEST Mks after and raises her little ones with a lot of care,

aroo loo Even though the kang she may have multiple ke a cruel decision. As ma y ma . Even e sh ht, ug dro during a biggest ones anymore she does not feed the es, ag st of us rio ere va int of the ts in an does it descend her heartless, she only rat ar pe ap y ma p ste s though thi spring. saving the younger off cuckoo

LET SOMEO

N

E ELSE RAI The cuckoo do SE THEM! es not care for its hatchling at watched mom al l; during an unent, she smuggl es her egg into bird species. By the nest of othe this act, she ha r s finished her pa ties. The little cu rental responsi ckoo - although biliit hatches later hatchlings from - pushes the ot the nest, and no her w devours all th e food on its ow n.

or maybe not?

European rabbit

JUST A LITTLE BIT OF MILK

!

This mammal lives in grass fields and brushland. It weighs 2 kilograms and grows to 45 centimetres; it can give birth as many as 7 times per year . She may bring at most 7 little bunnies into the world at a time, but does not spend much time with them. She only stays to nurse, meaning a few minutes each day.

rhesus monkey

ING CRUEL UPBRINlarGge troops, can

ng in This monkey species, livi wnish-greyish fur. The bro its be recognized from ones in a pretty violent mothers raise the little d bites are not rare over manner; claw swipes an discipline. They even try the course of imposing offspring play with. to influence who their

49

Families and teams

e animals and big gam r e ck e p x o red-billed

EON BIRD imal. Its coat of feathers is greenG R U S E H an T ts s from animal to extracts maggo

flutter scalpel. It r This African bird tions like a tiny nc fu ak giraffes and othe be d re its lo, rhinoceros, ffa bu it s, ish-brown and le el hi m w ca , ity the wounds of a blessed activ and ticks from ay, it engages in w healing, but at is m Th fro s. al nd m ou am w e m th ed ts di en bo largelly, it prev food. Occasiona secures its own ply shake it off. m si "patients" e th is, th e lik times

Strange symbioses Symbiosis is a form of co-existence between two species over the course of which the parties mutually help each other. This is a kind of alliance, where the animals are much more successful together than separately. zebra ostrich and

TO YOU HAVE BE ALERT alert on the

s to be One always ha ca; it is not even fri A of savannas lions e peacefully, as possible to graz s. The in the high gras may be stalking bras iches and the ze sharp-eyed ostr t hearing augmen with their good ie ec s l. Whichever sp each other wel ors oaching predat detects the appr ot e her t. This alerts th soon take fligh tely, e move! Separa group that it’s tim or w kvulnerable, but they would be le extra ves them valuab ing together gi s. d any predator seconds to avoi

ant and aphid

HEAVENLY FEAST

The aphids appear on plants in the spring and the diligent little ants roam and twirl around them, protecting them. W hy do they do this? When caressed , the aphids excrete a sweet se cretion, honeydew, at the end of their abdomen, which is a favourit e food of the ants. It is as if the an ts are milking them of this sugary sap.

emone and sea an clown fish

EMO FINDING Nh finds shelter among the deadly, veaqn-uar-

d ed fis tropical seas an This funny, strip a anemone, in se e e th th of of ps m ly the veno omous po unaffected by is dy. In h bo fis n its rs ow cl ve e that co iums. The im sl of m fil e morsels of e of th emone receive cnidaria becaus an e th n, tio ec e prot exchange for th . ey pr the fish's

51