Showing posts with label Strange. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Strange. Show all posts

Thursday, 24 March 2011

Strange Thorny Mountain Devil Lizard- 5 Stars

Watching a horror movie at night you could easily imagine one of these creatures emerging from an alien spaceship and stalking you. Its thorns, its face, all are enough to cause nightmares. It has one of the best formal names around, Moloch horridus. Moloch was a god in the Bible whose rituals included human sacrifice and I think we all know that horridus is - just that, horrid! The more you look at that face, though, the cuter he looks… maybe. The animal is an Australian lizard and the only one belonging to the genus Moloch.
They live 20 years on average and the browns and reds of their coloration make great camouflage in the dusty red and brown earth it inhabits. As it gets colder its colors get darker. One reasons most pictures of the devil are a reddish monochrome tone is because they prefer scrub and sandy desert so are rarely found in grasslands.
Their diet is not as scary as their looks would make you think. They mainly eat ants of all things; thousands of ants a day. Water is collected through the dew that forms on its body in the desert and then runs through mini grooves to its mouth. When it does rain, capillary action will take up the water into its body.
Apart from its thorns which are particularly obvious, the animal has a very unique defense - a fake head on its neck. When threatened it drops its real head between its legs leaving only the fake one exposed. All in all, a fascinating and bizarre creature which shows once again that mother nature really does have a bit of a sense of humor!

Wednesday, 12 January 2011

Strange pup who put his nose where it wasn't wanted- 5 Stars

Dogs may be inquisitive by nature, but this eight-month-old German Shepherd was heading for trouble when he decided to check out this hole in the wall.

Rebel somehow squeezed his head into a tight spot in the 18in wall in his garden at home in Los Angeles, California, and got well and truly stuck.
It was only when a friend of the owner, who was out at the time, heard Rebel whimpering that he found the pup was in a bit of a tight spot and called the authorities.

County Animal Services officers arrived and decided the dog was not in serious danger. They also concluded that if Rebel could get his head into the hole, they would be able to pull him out, but their main concern was doing so without hurting him.

With officers on either side of the wall, they tucked in the pup’s ears and nudged him back and forth for about 30 minutes before freeing him none the worse for wear.

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Sunday, 19 December 2010

9 Strange and Bizarre Animal Facts- 5 Stars

The world of animals is vast, colorful and strange in its natural perfection. We know various interesting and curious facts about animals. Yet, some of the facts related to the animal kingdom are stranger than fiction.
Trying to rank the most bizarre animal facts could be difficult. Many wild facts will make it to the top 10.

THE ELEPHANT
Several intriguing facts are related to this nice, large animal. The elephant is the only animal in the world that has four knees. It also happens to be the single animal that cannot jump. The brain of an elephant weighs four to five kilograms on the average. A newborn elephant weighs approximately 100 kilograms. Though they appear large and clumsy, elephants are really mobile. Each elephant travels about 100 kilometers per day.


THE MOOD OF THE CHAMELEON
We all know a simple fact – chameleons change their color to blend in the environment. Another fact about the animal that very few of us know is that chameleons also change their color based on mood. If they feel scared, hungry or sad, chameleons become gray. The eyes of a chameleon can move independent of each other.


HOW DO DOLPHINS SLEEP?
Did you know that while sleeping, dolphins keep one of their eyes open? Further, if a dolphin is wounded, it calls the rest for help. Other dolphins keep the wounded one close to the water surface to facilitate breathing.
THE TONGUE OF THE BLUE WHALE
The tongue of the blue whale weighs more than a fully-grown elephant. Apart from being the largest animal, the whale is the noisiest one. Blue whales are also known for having the slowest pulse out of all mammals – nine beats per minute.
THE OWL’S EYE MOVEMENT
Instead of moving its eyes, the owl turns its head.


WHY DO RATS CHEW ALL THE TIME?
Rats are forced to constantly chew. Their lower teeth have the power to grow exceptionally fast. This growth rate endangers rats, since the lower teeth could pierce through their mouths.

SCORPION FACTS
A scorpion can survive for an entire year without eating. It can glow when exposed to UV light. Another extreme fact – a scorpion can survive frozen for up to three weeks.
THE AGE OF MOSQUITOES
Mosquitoes are actually very ancient. Some scientists claim that dinosaurs suffered from their bites.
WHAT DO PENGUINS DRINK?
Penguins have no need for fresh water. They can drink the salty ocean water, since special glands in their bodies can separate salt from water.


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