A walrus has about 400 to 700 vibrissae, or whiskers, in 13 to 15 rows on its snout. Vibrissae are attached to muscles and are supplied with blood and nerves. A walrus moves its snout through bottom sediment to find food. Abrasion patterns created by their tusks show that they are dragged through the sediment, but are not used to dig up prey.
Tarantulas that are seen wandering around in the wild do not make good pets. These are sexually mature males at the end of their life cycle – they will die within a few weeks or months.
The Adélie penguin bears the name of French explorer Dumont d'Urville's beloved wife.
Many seabirds that swallow fishes too large for immediate digestion go about with the esophagus filled. Apparently without discomfort, the tail of the fish sticks out of the bird's mouth.
The African eagle, swooping at better than 100 miles per hour, can brake to a halt in 20 feet.
Many sharks lay soft-shelled eggs but hammerheads give birth to live young that look like miniature versions of their parents. Young hammerheads are often born headfirst, with the tip of their hammerhead folded backward to make them more streamlined for birth.
Flamingos are not naturally pink. They get their color from their food, tiny green algae that turn pink during digestion.
The Alaskan moose is the largest deer of the New World. It attains a height at the withers in excess of 7 feet and, when fully grown, weighs up to 1,800 pounds.
Marie Antoinette’s dog was a spaniel named Thisbe.
Flatfishes form a unique and widespread group that includes about 130 American species, common in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Because of the giant panda's large size and the small size of their offspring, it is difficult to tell when a panda is pregnant.
The albatross drinks sea water. It has a special desalinization apparatus that strains out and excretes all excess salt.
Marine iguanas, saltwater crocodiles, sea snakes, and sea turtles are the only surviving seawater-adapted reptiles.
Frogs never drink. They absorb water from their surroundings by osmosis.
The American crow weighs approximately one pound when fully grown.
Mice, whales, elephants, giraffes, and humans all have seven neck vertebra.
From crocodile farms, Australia exports about 5,000 crocodile skins a year. Most go to Paris, where a crocodile purse can sell for more than $10,000.
Because the natural habitat of flamingoes is of little use to man — the alkaline African lake waters support few fish and cannot be used for human consumption or irrigation — and also because their resting areas are typically inaccessible, the birds are rarely disturbed, unlike other African wild birds.
The American opossum, a marsupial, bears its young just 12 to 13 days after conception. The Asiatic elephant takes 608 days to give birth, or just over 20 months.
Migrating geese fly in a V-formation to save energy. A goose's wings churn the air and leave an air current behind. In the flying wedge, each bird is in position to get a lift from the current left by the bird ahead. It is easier going for all, except the leader. During a migration, geese are apt to take turns in the lead position.
Go to page:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
Home
~ About Us
~ Virtual Girl
