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13 December 2023 13:11

The rose-ringed parakeet is an extremely adaptable bird. Its native range covers southern Asia and central Africa, but don't be surprised to see it living in your city. A popular and ubiquitous cagebird, escapees have established feral populations from Europe to the Americas.

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09 December 2023 13:11

The tufted puffin is nicknamed the "parrot of the sea" for its bright bill and legs — which cycle through hues with the seasons; more vibrant in spring and summer, duller in winter — and its long, lustrous feathered "eyebrows". All of these spiffy adornments are for wooing a partner.

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08 December 2023 18:11

Tasmanian devil is biofluorescent

Biofluorescence refers to the phenomenon by which a living organism absorbs light and reemits it as a different color In the case of the Tasmanian devil, the skin around their snout, eyes, and inner ear absorbs ultraviolet light (a type of light that is naturally abundant, yet invisible to humans) and reemits it as blue, visible light.

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08 December 2023 16:11

The critically endangered African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta Cyclotis) was classified as a separate species from The African Savanna Elephant by the IUCN in 2021. They inhabit the dense rainforests of West & Central Africa. They are smaller & darker with rounded ears & straighter downward tusks.

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07 December 2023 12:11

The pancake tortoise's shell is uniquely flat and flexible. While this lightweight armouring doesn't offer much defence, it does make it the fastest of all tortoise species. When in danger, it will swiftly wedge itself in between rocks.

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05 December 2023 14:11

Donkeys transformed human history some 7000 years ago as essential beasts of burden for long-distance movement. There is a strong phylogeographic structure in modern donkeys that supports a single domestication in Africa ~5000 BCE

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27 November 2023 16:11

The Ethiopian Wolf, Canis Simensis, is one of the rarest carnivores in Africa at 440 individuals. They live in mountain highlands at over 3,200 meters & despite living in packs, they hunt alone for Rodents that make up 90% of their diet.

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25 November 2023 16:11

Roof Rats (Rattus rattus), also known as black rats, commonly come in 3 colors: black, brown and grey. Often with lighter colored bellies. Historically, breeders reported other colors; even a greenish tint. This roof rat's light blonde color is probably recessive, as her babies are dark brown.

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25 November 2023 14:11

The northern treeshrew is both nervous and aggressive. Highly territorial, it defends its home from intruders by baring its teeth and squeaking loudly at them. This antagonistic attitude sometimes makes it difficult for a male and female pair to bond, as they would rather fight over territory.

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25 November 2023 02:11

The Yellow-Bellied Glider (P. australis): these gliders are notoriously vocal, producing calls that consist of "loud shrieks, whirring moans, gurgles, chirps, and clicks," which can be heard from up to 500m away

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24 November 2023 13:11

The cheetah is one of the fastest terrestrial mammals, with reported maximum speeds ranging from 80 to 112 kilometers per hour.

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22 November 2023 22:11

The Australian magpie is a bit of an avian icon in its country. It's known to be aggressive when defending its territory, often swooping down onto people's heads. It does this during "swooping season", between August and November, when it has a nest and chicks to protect.

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19 November 2023 08:11

The moose was historically called an "elk" in British English, in fact the scientific name from Latin is "Alces alces" (pronounced with a hard "c"), though because of North American influence British are just as likely now to call them moose. (more in comments)

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16 November 2023 11:11

Elusive and rare, the otter civet lives in the swampy wetlands of Southeast Asia. Little is known about this nocturnal mammal — experts don't even agree on whether it is a skilled swimmer or a slow one. It is hypothesised that it lays in wait underwater, like a crocodile, to ambush drinking prey.

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12 November 2023 10:11

During winter months, the ruffed grouse takes shelter below the snow. To exit, it will stick its head out before erupting out of its snow-roost, wings flapping loudly. It can beat its wings against the air in a "drumming" display, creating mini sonic booms that scare rivals and attract mates.

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11 December 2023 12:11

The prehensile-tailed porcupine, as its name suggests, has a muscular tail that it uses to grasp branches and vines — also enabling it to fully hang upside down. It spends about 85% of its time in trees, where it's active at night and tolerates the company of others as long as food is abundant.

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09 December 2023 12:11

A flamingo’s nest looks like a mini mud volcano and their bodies metabolizes the pigments of algae and shrimp - turning its feathers pink! 🦩🦩🦩

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08 December 2023 17:11

Echidnas blow snot bubbles to stay cool. The bubble pops and moisturizes it's nose.

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08 December 2023 12:11

Woolly aphids are diurnal insects with pear-shaped bodies covered in a white, fluffy, waxy coating, giving them the appearance of tiny fairies. When threatened, they perform a ‘dance’ earning them the nickname of “boogie-woogie aphids”. They belong to the family Aphididae.

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06 December 2023 15:11

Sand cats live in extreme conditions with daily surface temperatures reaching up to 51ºC during the daytime, while nighttime temperatures can drop as low as -0.5ºC.

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05 December 2023 13:11

The skin of a hairless bat, also known as the naked bulldog bat, is mostly devoid of fur — apart from a patch on its throat, which secretes a smelly, oily substance. A curved toe on each hind foot is also hairy and is thought to be used for grooming.

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27 November 2023 11:11

The puffadder shyshark is named for its bashful defensive behaviour. When it feels threatened or scared, it will curl itself into a circle with its tail covering its eyes. Oxymoronically, it is also known as the "Happy Eddie" — from its scientific name Haploblepharus edwardsii.

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25 November 2023 15:11

Instead of water baths, Indian blue peafowl take dust baths, which help to get rid of any parasites or bugs. Peafowl spend a lot of time preening their feathers, especially the males whose mating success is very reliant on their displays.

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25 November 2023 13:11

Bee-eaters are often spotted predating on bees, but their diet is not limited only to bees.

They often carry prey back to a perch, where they rub the prey against the perch to kill it; this method is effective in de-stinging bees and wasps. They frequently regurgitate pellets consisting of insect exoskeleton.

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24 November 2023 14:11

Meet Yinlong a basal ceratopsian.Its skull is deep and wide and relatively large compared to most ornithischians, but also proportionately smaller than ceratopsians. Long robust hindlimbs and shorter slender forelimbs with three-fingered hands suggests a bipedal lifestyle like many small ornithopods

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23 November 2023 04:11

Unusually among lizards, the Gidgee skink, from central Australia, is monogamous, with females giving birth to between one to eight live young.

https://australian.museum/learn/animals/reptiles/gidgee-skink/

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19 November 2023 14:11

The sulphur-crested cockatoo communicates with extremely loud screeching calls. The cacophonous noise from a rowdy flock can be near-deafening. When these birds forage on the ground, there is usually a lookout who sits in the trees and gives an alarm cry if danger approaches.

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17 November 2023 16:11

Wolverines thrive in high elevation areas, often traveling 18 to 20 miles a day in snow and over mountains peaks. They once roamed from Michigan to California but today there are only an estimated 250 to 300 left in the lower contiguous United States.

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14 November 2023 14:11

A brown anole male can sometimes be spotted doing "push-ups", often with his yellow-orange dewlap — or "throat fan" — on full display. This performance can either be threatening or seductive, depending on the context, as he will do this to both scare away rivals and attract females.

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09 November 2023 14:11

The venom glands of the blue coral snake are exceptionally long — extending to 25% of the length of its 1.8-metre (5 ft 11 in) long body. In these glands is a unique cytotoxin, that acts by blocking the victims' sodium channels, almost instantly paralyzing them. It hunts other venomous snakes.