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Join us as we explore the wilderness and share the beautiful scenery of nature! For all questions: @magellanvs
The Fox Possum (fox possum) Trichosurus vulpecula lives in Australia and the islands of New Zealand and Tasmania. It is also called brushtail or simply kuzu-fox. Its body length is 32-58 cm (females are smaller), tail 24-40 cm, weight from 1.2 to 4.5 kg.
Kuzu has a sharp muzzle and long ears, gray or brown fur, and albinos are also found. The tail is long and fluffy.
The fox kuzu lives in trees and is active at night. During the day it rests in hollows or in peculiar nests. It feeds on leaves, berries, and fruits.
Despite the fact that these marsupials are excellent at climbing trees and are perfectly adapted for this type of movement, they are rather slow creatures.
The main predators that hunt fox kuzu are birds of prey and monitor lizards. Previously, people destroyed these animals in significant quantities because of their valuable fur. It was exported from Australia under the name "Australian possum" or "Adelaide chinchilla". Today Kuzu is under protection.
Giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla plays with a dog. If he had actually attacked, the dog would have been in trouble - the claws of this termite mound destroyer are impressive! It is difficult to walk on the ground with such long claws - and anteaters are forced to bend them inward and rest on the back of their front paws. But these claws are easy to defend against enemies - with one blow of its paw, this anteater can kill a person or a jaguar.
The anteater feeds on ants and termites. Having destroyed a termite mound or anthill with his claws, he begins to eat. The anteater throws out a 60-centimeter tongue, moistened with sticky saliva, at a speed of 160 times per minute, catching 30,000 insects per day.
At the moment, the habitat of the giant anteater covers Central and South America, but the number is constantly declining due to hunting and changes in habitat, so it had to be listed in the International Red Book.
Siamangs Symphalangus syndactylus are the largest, strongest and most vocal of the gibbon family. Their loud “singing” spreads through the forest for a good 3 kilometers. Their fur is long, shaggy and all black, except for the reddish brow ridges.
Unlike small gibbons, the siamang swims excellently with a kind of monkey breaststroke - the second and third toes of its hind legs are even connected by membranes. Gibbons are the only primates that have mastered moving along branches using their hands in the manner of Tarzan, easily flying from tree to tree.
Every morning, siamangs greet the sunrise with a loud chorus. The “concert” usually begins with a duet of an adult male and female, joined by the entire family. The male emits a low, bassy roar using a large throat pouch, and the female and juveniles “sing along” with him with shrill yelps and jubilant cries. The cantata lasts about 15 minutes.
🦣 Baby Mammoth
Asian elephant babies are covered with brown hair at an early age, which disappears as they grow older. In the first months of life, they really resemble small mammoths.
The proboscis anole Anolis proboscis is a lizard found only in the subtropical highland forests of Ecuador in the Western Andes region. This is a small lizard 8-14 cm long, whose body is painted in gray and light green tones interspersed with red, black, brown and yellow.
The main distinguishing feature of male anoles is a long growth on the head, similar to a nose or horn. This growth is not a functional organ, but serves as evidence of good health and genetics of the male - and is probably used to attract females.
It is still unclear how the anole moves its “nose” in different directions, since there are no muscles or bones in its appendage. There is only one version in this regard: the “horn” moves with an increase in blood flow.
From 1960 to 2005, this lizard was never seen in the wild. Everyone already thought that it was extinct. However, in 2005, the anole was again found in the suburbs of Ecuador.
The big-eared fox Otocyon megalotis is a unique and very rare species, which got its name because of its long (up to 15 cm) elongated ears - they contain a large number of blood vessels that save the fox from overheating in the African heat. Otherwise, it is similar to an ordinary fox, but smaller: body length 46-66 cm, height at the withers about 40 cm, weight from 3 to 5.3 kg.
These foxes are amazing in that, due to the climate and limited food sources, they switched to feeding on insects - mostly termites!
To feed themselves, big-eared foxes require a huge number of termites; they are helped in their search by huge ears that can detect the slightest movements of insects even underground.
These foxes have a sweet tooth and enjoy eating honey from wild bees and sweet, juicy fruits. These foxes do not drink - the body's need for moisture is met by eating fruits and other types of juicy plant food.
SCREAMING MONKEY
The siamang is the largest and heaviest primate of all gibbons. The height of the siamang is from 75 to 90 cm, and its weight is from 8 to 13 kg.
🙊Unlike other types of gibbons, siamangs have a special air sac that allows them to make loud screams that can be heard several kilometers away. These sounds are used by siamangs to communicate with each other.
The long arms of siamangs are an excellent adaptation for moving along the tops of tall trees, among which they prefer to live. These monkeys are able to cover distances of up to 8-10 meters in one jump between branches.
🌍They live in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia on the Malacca Peninsula and the island of Sumatra. They feed mainly on leaves and fruits.
Hippos are deceptively fast, reaching speeds of 50 km/h on land. Despite their seemingly peaceful nature, they are considered very aggressive and are responsible for numerous casualties. Hippos kill about 500 people a year in Africa every year. Their powerful jaws and sharp teeth can crush a boat and even bite through the skulls of crocodiles. Hippos are excellent swimmers and can hold their breath for up to five minutes.
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Due to their short legs, Pallas cats are not particularly mobile.
They prefer to ambush their prey.
Temminck's Cat Catopuma temminckii, known as the "fire cat" in Thailand and Burma and as the "stone cat" in parts of China, is a beautiful medium-sized wild cat named after the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Temminck, who first described it in 1827.
In China, Temminck's cat is considered a kind of leopard and is known as the "stone cat" or "yellow leopard". The different color phases have different names: cats with black fur are called "ink leopards", while cats with spotted fur are called "sesame leopards".
Because of its apparent close relationship with the marbled cat, in some regions of Thailand it is called Seua fai ("fire tiger"). According to local legend, burning the fur of Temminck's cat drives away tigers. Eating its meat is believed to have the same effect.
Like all felines, Temminck cats are carnivores, they hunt ground squirrels, small snakes and other amphibians, rodents and young hares.
Gerenuk (giraffe gazelle) Litocranius walleri is an African antelope that cannot be confused with any other thanks to its long and thin neck and the same legs. Height at withers up to 95 cm, weight 35-52 kg.
The range of gerenuks covers lands from Ethiopia and Somalia to northern Tanzania. The habitat of gerenuks is primarily dry areas, usually covered with savannah thorny bushes.
It lives in arid or relatively wet steppes with thickets of bushes, on plains and hills, and rises to mountains up to 1800 m.
In dry areas, gerenuks can go without water for a very long time. They feed exclusively on leaves and, like unrelated giraffes, have developed long necks and limbs for this purpose during the course of evolution. Like the giraffe, they have a very hard tongue, as well as elongated and insensitive, rather mobile lips, with which they can wrap around thorny branches.
RARE INHABITANT
🐸The blue dart frog is an amphibian that is distinguished by its special beauty and gracefulness thanks to its skin, reminiscent of delicate, smooth blue petals.
🔹The bright color of the blue dart frog serves as a warning about its toxicity. The poison that is produced by its skin glands protects this amphibian not only from possible enemies, but also from bacteria and fungi.
🪓These amphibians are a rare species that is endangered. Their critical condition is associated with active deforestation by the local population.
Interesting fact 🤔
The sex of a newborn alligator is determined by temperature.
That is, if it is warm in the nest, a male will be born, if it is cold, a female will be born.
Foxes have thick fur that allows them to withstand very low temperatures. In addition, foxes are capable hunters. They can hunt small mammals and rodents in the wild, but can also stalk larger prey.
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The long-tailed broadbill is a bright representative of birds, whose color is striking in its play of colors, and its elongated tail makes it easily recognizable.
They live from the eastern Himalayas through Southeast Asia to Borneo and Sumatra. They feed on fruits, berries, and insects.
Moose are beautiful and unpredictable animals ✨
At the sight of a person, they can retreat, or they can attack - depending on your luck. 😉
The elephant shrew Rhynchocyon petersi has been rediscovered in Africa after 50 years of obscurity. The last scientific description of a human encounter with this “extinct species” dates back to the 1970s, and recently it was rediscovered in Djibouti during a biological expedition and found that this funny creature is doing just fine.
During the expedition, more than a thousand traps were set in 12 different locations. The bait was a mixture of peanut butter, oatmeal and yeast. During the work, we managed to catch 12 elephant shrews and, for the first time in history, obtain photographs and videos of living shrews for further research.
Scientists believe that the local habitat does not pose an immediate threat to Somali jumpers because the region is significantly removed from centers of agriculture and other human activity.
The radiated turtle Astrochelys radiata is a very rare species of land turtle, endemic to Madagascar. How many amazing animals live on this fabulous island that you won’t find anywhere else...
These turtles have an exceptionally beautiful shell: very high, with a geometrically regular yellow pattern on a black-brown background.
In adult turtles, the length of the carapace (that is, the dorsal part of the shell) of females is 24-35 cm, males 28-39 cm, weight up to 13 kg.
This turtle lives in xerophytic forests with cactus-like shrubs and grasses, and feeds on herbaceous vegetation - but at the same time actively eats animal food when given the opportunity. She lives for about 80 years.
🦏Baby rhinos are real bundles of energy and curiosity!
Baby rhinoceroses are born without their famous horn. But after a few months, they begin to grow a tiny horn, which over time will become their main “calling card.”
The leaf-tailed gecko, Uroplatus fimbriatus, lives only on the island of Madagascar and several neighboring small islands. During the day, these geckos masterfully camouflage themselves from predators, but at nightfall they turn into hunters.
Its main feature is its incredible ability to camouflage. These geckos imitate fallen and even rotten leaves, tree bark, sand, and moss. Basically, all geckos are brown in color with all sorts of shades available. Beige, gray and even black are often found.
If necessary, the animal can change its color to orange, yellow or even red. Some species have a body so flat that it casts virtually no shadow when pressed against a surface. This provides an additional advantage in protection from predators.
But even if someone managed to grab a flat-tailed gecko with his teeth, this is not yet a victory, because the gecko will leave a tail as a souvenir of itself, and will safely hide in the foliage or grass.
Snakes can definitely feed on huge prey!
They can do this because their jaws are not directly attached to the skull, but are connected by ligaments. This allows them to open their mouths very wide, as if they were yawning.
The snake then uses its ribs to push the food inside. If the snake is unable to do this, for example because the prey is too large, then it will likely regurgitate its food back.
The okapi Okapia johnstoni resembles a zebra, a deer and a bit of an anteater and resembles an incorrectly assembled puzzle. The question arises: how did such a horse appear? And is it a horse? Scientists say no. Okapi is a relative of the giraffe and he lives in Africa, in the Congo - and nowhere else.
The animals are about 1.5 m tall. The neck is far from that of a giraffe, but it is noticeably elongated. The average weight of an adult okapi is 250 kg, and the length is about 2 m. Male okapi have small horns, similar to those of a giraffe.
You may ask: what does this have to do with the resemblance to an anteater? We answer: the okapi's tongue reaches 35 cm in length and a clean animal easily washes away dirt from its eyes and ears.
Okapi's ears are large, elongated, and surprisingly mobile. The animal is forced to keep its ears clean by regularly cleaning them with its tongue in order to preserve its fine hearing in order to hear a predator in time.
Fun fact: okapi have no vocal cords! Exhaling sharply, they make a sound similar to coughing or whistling. Newborn babies use mooing more often.
🦁 A lion becomes an adult at the age of two years. Only at this moment does he gain the ability to growl. The mane begins to grow from one and a half years, and the tassel on the tail from six months.
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White tigers have incredible hearing and vision, which, along with their stealth, help them when hunting in the dark in the jungle.
Each individual has a large range, marked with urine and claw marks on trees. It can reach 190-200 sq. km.
WILD CAT
🐈 The rusty cat is one of the smallest representatives of the cat family. Body length varies from 35 to 48 cm, and body weight does not exceed 0.9-1.6 kg.
🌓These miniature wild cats are highly agile and lead a predominantly nocturnal lifestyle. During the day, they prefer to rest, nestling in hollow trees or dense bushes. Although rusty cats are excellent tree climbers, they hunt on the ground and use tree shelters only for resting or shelter from predators.
P.S. The population of this species is endangered as the total number of adults does not exceed 10,000 individuals.
🌍They live only in India and Sri Lanka. They feed on mice, lizards and insects.
BRIGHT BAT
🦇 The Ornate Smooth-nosed Bat is a small bat whose appearance is adorned with the bright, sunny colors given to it by nature. Body length is 3–5.5 cm.
This is a golden snub-nosed monkey🐒 😉
This species is endangered due to tree cutting.
Pikas are lagomorphs, and as you can hear in this video, they are very sociable!
A pika's squeak may be an alarm call warning of nearby predators; territorial; marriage; or just to communicate with relatives.