Some cool facts about animals...
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The Arctic tern is the world champion of migration
The Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) is a fascinating seabird known for undertaking the longest migration in the animal kingdom. Each year, it makes a round trip between its breeding grounds in Arctic and subarctic regions and its wintering areas near Antarctica. On average, this journey covers around 35,000 kilometres (22,000 miles), but some terns, tracked by geolocation, sometimes reach 70,000 kilometres (44,000 miles) in a single year. By living from summer to summer between the two poles, the Arctic tern enjoys more daylight than any other animal on Earth.
During its lifetime, which can reach 30 years, an Arctic tern may travel more than 2.2 million kilometres (the equivalent of three round trips to the Moon)! This remarkable endurance is made possible by its perfectly adapted morphology: long, slender wings, a lightweight (100 g) and aerodynamic body, and an exceptional ability to feed in flight by diving to catch small fish. Notably, the bird does not follow a straight line, but zigzags over the oceans, following favourable winds and areas rich in food.
Puffin's beak changes colour during the year
The iconic feature of the Atlantic puffin is its striped brightly coloured beak. But did you know those spectacular hues are seasonal? Its beak changes colour during the year. In winter, it shed all the colourful portions as well as the black markings around its eyes. The beak then takes a dull grey colour, but in spring it turns a bright orange-red!
Atlantic puffins nest in colonies each summer on the coasts and islands of the North Atlantic Ocean to breed.
They spend 8 months of the year far from land. Not much is actually known about what puffins do at sea during winter, though it is known they can drink seawater and dive up to 60 metres to catch fish. They often fly close to the water's surface, reaching speeds of up to 88 km/h.
They usually pair up with the same partner as previous years. What's interesting is that puffins mate for life but don't necessarily spend their time at sea with their partner. Instead, mating pairs reunite at their usual nesting grounds each spring. The parents share responsibilities of raising their young for a few months before separating again.
Please, stop licking this toad !
Colorado River toad (Incilius alvarius)
The toad's primary defense system are glands that produce toxic secretions. Some people lick the toads to get high and others extract the venom, dry it and smoke it. After inhalation, the user usually experiences a warm sensation, euphoria, and strong visual hallucinations. The venom have a psychedelic effect because it contains chemicals closely related to DMT, a naturally occurring hallucinogenic drug akin to synthetically made LSD. This is very dangerous because an overdose can cause cardiac arrest in humans.
The Colorado River toad, also known as the Sonoran Desert toad, is found in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States.
A very loyal bird
Red-and-green macaw (Ara chloropterus)
Macaws are monogamous. Once they reach breeding age at around 3 to 4 years old, they will choose a mate and stay with them for the rest of their life, if one of them dies, the partner will stay alone and never find another mate again.
They live to be around 60 years in the wild on average, and in some cases this can extend for up to 80 years and even as long as 100 years. When kept as pets, they are often known for outliving their owners!
This fish is older than dinosaurs
American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula)
Paddlefish are among the oldest of fishes as evidenced in the fossil record which dates their first appearance approximately 300 to 400 million years ago, almost 50 million years before the dinosaurs!
American paddlefish are smooth-skinned freshwater fish, closely related to sturgeons. It is endemic to the Mississippi River Basin.
A Human look ?
Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla)
Do you know why this gorilla has a Human look?
Maybe because this gorilla has some white in its eyes!
The white around our pupils is called the sclera. Years ago, it was believed that we were the only primates with white sclera. Astonishingly some gorillas have white in their eyes too. That’s quite rare, but just like us, they have no pigmentation in their eyes. 30% of gorillas have dark sclera, 60% have some degree of white in their eyes and only 10% have all white, human-like sclera.
White sclera may be found in other apes too (bonobos, orangutans and chimpanzees).
Molting penguins
A penguin's feathers are very important for keeping them warm and dry while they are in the cold ocean water. Over time their feathers may wear and break. In order to replace these feathers, penguins go through what is called a molt, where their old feathers are pushed out and replaced by new ones.
Most birds molt a few at a time throughout the year, but penguins lose them all at once. They can’t swim and fish without feathers, so they fatten themselves up beforehand to survive the 2–3 weeks it takes to replace them.
A little hole in its tongue
The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) has an adjustable hole in its tongue that serves as an opening to its respiratory system, and allows to breath while gulping down big pieces of food.
This vent lets in variable amounts of air to enhance calling and increase the entry of air to the lungs during flight. It also allows for increased airflow for temperature regulation during on a hot day.
Bald eagles are also known for building huge nests high in the treetops. Nests are about 120 cm to 180 cm (4 to 6 feet) in diameter and 60 cm to 120cm (2 to 4 feet) tall. If the tree is strong enough, they will use the same nest again and again, adding new materials each year, so some nests can be enormous.
The green iguana has three eyes
Green iguana (Iguana iguana) has a white photosensory organ on the top of its head called the parietal eye (also called the third eye or pineal eye), in contrast to most other lizards that have lost this primitive feature. This "eye" has only a rudimentary retina and lens and cannot form images, but is sensitive to changes in light and dark and can detect movement. This helps the iguana detect predators stalking it from above. So technically, this species has three eyes !
Green iguana (Iguana iguana) has a white photosensory organ on the top of its head called the parietal eye (also called the third eye or pineal eye), in contrast to most other lizards that have lost this primitive feature. This "eye" has only a rudimentary retina and lens and cannot form images, but is sensitive to changes in light and dark and can detect movement. This helps the iguana detect predators stalking it from above. So technically, this species has three eyes !
The green iguana ranges over a large geographic area; it is native from Mexico to southern Brazil, and has been introduced in Caribbean Islands and in South Florida
Its tail has weakened vertebrae so the iguana can detach it if caught and will grow another without permanent damage.
Ostrich holds many world records
Ostrich (Struthio camelus) is the world’s largest bird.
It is the fast runner of any birds or other two-legged animal and can sprint at over 70 km/h, covering up to 5m in a single stride.
It has the largest eye of any land animal, measuring almost 5 cm across, allowing predators to be seen at long distances.
Its eggs are the largest of any living bird at 15cm long and weighing as much as two dozen chicken eggs.
Contrary to popular belief, ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand: the myth probably originates from the bird’s defensive behaviour of lying low at the approach of trouble and pressing their long necks to the ground in an attempt to become less visible.
