AMAZING WILDLIFE
G'day folks,
Check out some interesting pictures and facts about our other friends who live with us on this planet.
Many children and even adult naturalists enjoy dipping for minnows in a
streamside pool. Minnows are the epitome of the “tiddler” or small
two-inch fish. But the largest North American minnow is a toothy
predator, an endangered species, and quite enormous. The aptly named Colorado pike minnow
is an aggressive fish-eater that has been recorded at a whopping 1.8
meters (6 ft) in length. Compared to the other minnow species, this
gigantic fish with large jaws is a true big fish in a small pond. It can
even weigh up to 35 kilograms (80 lbs). Pike minnows are an endangered
species, facing serious threats from habitat damage and changes in water
flow. As a result, a recovery program is now in place.
Centipedes can evoke shivers among the bravest of naturalists. With
their multitude of legs and wicked fangs, centipedes are ultimate
killing machines. When their attention is directed toward humans, the
results can be extremely painful. The Jurassic throwback Scolopendra gigantean
from Peru clocks in at over 28 centimeters (12 in). This enormous
crawling beast uses its powerful fangs to devour both insects and small
vertebrates like lizards. While the animal controls pests effectively, a
human can be seriously wounded by this potentially aggressive
centipede. Few invertebrates on land can boast the combined size,
aggression, and bite power of this fast-moving species. Saw these in Thailand and they made the hairs rise on the back of my neck.
Crayfish may be casually refered to as “toebiters.” These freshwater
relatives of lobsters are usually quite small and may not be taken
seriously. However, the giant Tasmanian crayfish,
sometimes called the river lobster, is enormous—the largest freshwater
invertebrate. That said, you should have concern for the survival of
this awesome endangered species. Weighing up to 3 kilograms (7 lbs),
with a length of nearly 1 meter (3 ft), this gargantuan arthropod stalks
the rivers of Tasmania. This animal lies in wait to capture its prey,
and its bit could sever fingers. With a black carapace, the creature
blends in with rocky river beds river and is not easily seen by its
predators, or its prey. But don’t worry, they’re pretty rare.
Herbivorous megafauna are typically imagined as a group that includes
elephants, rhinoceros, and giraffes. However, one of the most
spectacular examples of megafauna is a bovine from India. At 3 meters
(10 ft) tall, the gaur is a truly gargantuan beast, and the world’s
largest wild cow species. This massive creature with truly formidable
horns crashes through Indian forests and fields, and sometimes invades gardens. While it’s a threatened species due to poaching and habitat loss, it’s a match for most threats and weighs up to 1,600 kilograms
(3,500 lbs). Among the megafauna that crash and devour their way
through tropical vegetation, only the elephants, rhinoceros, and
giraffes are bigger or taller. The gaur is more docile than African
buffalo, but human fatalities do occur now and then. In one case, a gaur
was attacked by a tiger. The gaur responded by literally snapping the
tiger in half.
Frogs can sit in your hand, sing in the goldfish pond, and are generally
delightful and unassuming. They are little animals—or so we think. Take
a trip to West Central Africa’s wetlands, and you’ll find an entirely
new frog to shatter your impressions. The truly enormous goliath frog
may weigh up to 3 kilograms (7 lbs). This mega-frog often forgoes bugs
in favor of young turtles. Its preferred habitat is in the white-water
sections of fast-flowing rivers, coupled with shallows where prey can be
hunted. This species may be akin to a small dog in proportions to the
children who sometimes handle them in their homeland. No other frog
comes near this species in size, but the American bullfrog is a close
competitor in its dietary voracity because it eats young birds.
The wels catfish grows to over 3 meters (9 ft) in length, and some
European accounts suggest lengths of up to 5 meters (16 ft) before
overfishing took its toll. Charges of killing humans
have been laid against this giant carnivore. The wels catfish will
swallow ducks, and legend has it that humans have been found swallowed.
In contrast, the Mekong giant catfish, which is the largest documented
catfish species, is harmless to humans—but faces threats from
overfishing. The Mekong giant catfish is part of the so-called “shark
catfish family,” and is equally large, along with the more aggressive
South American catfish.
While the Japanese giant salamander
has a reputation as a “water monster,” it is the Chinese giant
salamander that is the largest amphibian on Earth. It’s also one of the
most disturbing to encounter while wading. While you might be stalked
until it is obvious you are not food, you are not in danger. Tiny eyes
give way to a much more powerful sense of smell and its length is an
enormous 1.8 meters (6 ft), making the Chinese giant salamander the
largest present-day amphibian. Its prey includes a range of aquatic
animals. The males are family creatures and aggressively defend the eggs
until they hatch. The great salamanders may make a “crying” sound and
are highly endangered by habitat loss and poaching.
The Crown Victoria is a famous sedan used by police forces, while the
city pigeon is a rather humble bird. But the world’s largest living
pigeon is a truly immense and spectacular bird. The name is simply
reversed: The Victoria crowned pigeon
hails from the New Guinea region, and possesses dazzling, deep-blue
plumage with a peacock-like crest. The supersized and highly ornate
pigeon measures nearly a meter (3 ft) in length, and weighs up to 3.6
kilograms (8 lbs). The bird is nearly three times the size of a familiar
city pigeon. Fruits, nuts, and berries make up the mainstay of this
bird’s diet. Although it can fly, its mastery of the air is more limited
than many pigeons, which have a more tree-dependent lifestyle.
The world’s largest carnivore, the enormous southern elephant seal
can weigh an unbelievable 5,000 kilograms (11,000 lbs) and reach a
length of over 6 meters (22 ft). Fortunately, this species is adapted to
eat seafood, and humans are not in the cards as far as dinner is
concerned. However, worrying confrontations have occurred, and you
definitely don’t want to tangle with a canine-equipped carnivore that’s a
whopping 70 times your weight! Males may weigh nearly three times as
much as females in a remarkable show of sexual dimorphism. The animals
possess massive, elephant-like proboscises on their noses and can
produce unearthly bellowing sounds.
The albatross is the world’s largest seabird. Of the 21 species of albatross worldwide, the wandering albatross
is the largest, with its wingspan of up to 3.5 meters (11 ft), and a
weight of up to 13 kilograms (28 lbs). The combination of weight on
these wings creates the effect of a natural sailplane. In fact, gliders
could be thought of as a reverse-engineered albatross. This king of
seabirds has mastered the art of using mass to drive momentum. In one
case, this species was believed to have covered 6,000 kilometers (3,728
mi) in only 12 days. The birds feed by night on a range of prey,
including squid and surface fish. No bird has a greater wingspan.
Clancy's comment: Damn amazing, eh? And we, the humans, think we have it all done and dusted.
I'm ...
Think about this!
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