Mexican Walking Fish

We're saddened to learn that the alien-looking Axolotl salamander (Ambystoma mexicanum), aka Mexican walking fish or Mexican water monster, is seriously threatened with extinction because of habitat destruction and water pollution.

One of the coolest things about Axolotl - apart from their appearance - is they ability to regenerate most body parts. 

The number of axolotls (pronounced ACK-suh-LAH-tuhl) in the wild is not known. But the population has dropped from roughly 1,500 per square mile in 1998 to a mere 25 per square mile this year, according to a survey by Zambrano's scientists using casting nets.

The Kiwi

Everyone knows the beloved endangered kiwi is a flightless bird. As if to make up for its winged impotence, the kiwi is actually a violent, temperamental little bird. But its quirks don’t stop there. The only bird with whiskers is also distinctly dog-like in its ability to sniff out food and threats. In fact, it has the most highly developed sense of smell of any bird, lifting its “nose” (beak) into the breeze to determine its surroundings, just like a dog would. That’s probably because kiwis are also the only bird to have prominent nostrils. Contrary to popular belief, the kiwi does have wings, but they are tiny and difficult to detect under the loose, fluffy, hair-like feathers. The kiwi has many other unusual characteristics: the eggs are relatively huge, being one-fifth the bird’s weight; kiwi pairs mate for life – as long as 30 years – but tend to have feisty relationships; the females are larger and more dominant than the males. In fact, daddy kiwis incubate the young while mom hunts – for an unheard-of 80 days, no less. Did you know that kiwis are the smallest ratites on earth?

A colorful bird?

Paradise Tanager- (tangara Chilensis), is a multicolored, medium-sized songbird whose length varies between 13.5 and 15cm. It has a light green head, sky blue underparts and a black upper body plumage. Depending on subspecies, the rump is yellow and red or all red. The beak is black and the legs are grey.

It's found in humid tropical and subtropical forests in the western and northern Amazon Basin in South America, it occurs in Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil and the Guianas.

what is the world's strongest animal?

Strongest relatively speaking – The rhinocerous beetle     -In absolute terms, the African elephant is by far the strongest living animal but it can only lift 25% of its body-weight. Unlike the mighty rhinocerous beetle who thinks nothing of carrying 850 times its own weight. To put that into perspective that would be like one of us lifting a 65 ton armored tank.

Strongest arm wrestler – The gorilla     -Gorillas have  huge muscles in their arms. They use their arm strength for bending and gathering foliage however they are also used for defense.  Based on estimates, an adult gorilla’s upper body strength is around 4- 6 times more powerful than that of an adult human giving them probably enough power to bench press a couple of cars.

Strongest natural material – Spider’s silk     -Based on weight, spider’s silk is far stronger than steel and is more elastic than nylon. It’s so light that a strand long enough to circle the world would weigh less than a kilo. It really is a true miracle of nature and no spider weavers a stronger web than the recently discovered Darwin's back spider.

Strongest air lift – The eagle     -Some eagles such as the African crowned eagles can carry around 4 times its weight during flight.

python vs. alligator - who would win?

Big alligators will eat smaller pythons and bigger pythons will eat smaller alligators.  When a hungry big python comes across an alligator, he will eat it. The python will attack the alligator, constrict it and swallow it whole just like it would swallow a bird or a rabbit. Pythons kill their prey by constrictions. The python coils around the prey's chest cavity. As the prey exhales, the python squeezes tighter and tighter. This stops the heart from beating and it stops the air from flowing into the lungs. The prey suffocates to death. Now, the only problem with this method against alligators is that alligators can lower their heart rate to one or two beats a minute. Yes, there are occasions when the python would think that the alligator is dead and would begin swallowing it. The alligator could recover in a few minutes and start a fight, while he is inside python! It's like something out of a cartoon. If the alligator could recover in a few minutes the alligator can cause life threatening damage to the python's organs. At that moment the python's life is at risk. Larger Alligators however with their powerful jaws have a distinct advantage over the pythons. The alligators holds on to the python with power exceeding 2000 pounds per square inch. It is impossible for the python to escape the alligators hold. After an exhausting battle that can last for hours things could go unexpected.  On rare occasions the python is able to intimidate the alligator into a retreat.

Burmese Pythons are an invasive species from South East Asia, that have found a home in Florida's Everglades. Now they have to compete with american alligators as top predators. It is the first time in history that these two top predators battle for the same resources

american alligator

Burmese python

An animal you would not want to be extinct

Many remember the movie madagascar, and most specifically they remember this little fellow. Yes  he was very entertaining. His name was Maurice in the movie. You would love to see this animal's behavior in the wild (in madagascar). Well guess what? It is rare to see in the wild for there are more in captivity. It is in great danger of extinction. SHARE this to help people notice the beauty of this animal.

  

                                                 click here to watch ring-tailed lemurs play

The ring-tailed lemur is highly social and lives in groups of up to 30 individuals.  To keep warm and reaffirm social bonds, groups will huddle together. The ring-tailed lemur will also sunbathe, sitting upright facing its underside, with its thinner white fur towards the sun. Like other lemurs, this species relies strongly on its sense of smell and mark its territory with scent glands. The males perform a unique scent making behavior called spur marking and will participate in stink fights by impregnating their tail with their scent and wafting it at opponents. It is listed as near threatened by the IUCN red list. It's habitat is also in danger of destruction.

Does an ant which explode when threatened really exist?

The Malaysian exploding ant (Camponotus saundersi) which is known for its explosive self-defense mechanism. No, they are not terrorists. These creatures have the ability to explode when threatened. These ants follow one strict rule where protecting the colony is its number one priority.  In an instance when a predator attacks the colony, groups come marching right up to the "enemy". Once they are in range, they contract their abdomen, which causes its venom-filled glands to rupture, spraying deadly poison at the threat. The ants die with honor, saving their colony, protecting their one rule. The predator is defeated for the venom is deadly enough to take it down.

These ants are so brave, fighting for their colony till their very last breath to defend it. Their patriotism should be admired and looked up upon.