Innholdsfortegnelse for Extreme animals i Extreme Animals

Get up close to the most impressive animals on Earth and prepare to be amazed. Discover the planet’s toughest survivors as we examine the extremophiles that can endure searing heat, freezing winds, low oxygen and crushing pressure. Take a look at some of the biggest, fastest, strongest and most dangerous animals on Earth, and learn all about how they’ve adapted to thrive in such unique habitats. Meet animals with brainpower beyond belief, including apes, orcas and crows, and become acquainted with the smelliest and loudest creatures in the world. See if you can spot the best masters of disguise, from the pygmy seahorse to the leaf-tailed gecko, and marvel at some of the most remarkable migrations. We also explore the worst temper tantrums in the animal kingdom, the greediest creatures…

Pygmy seahorse Among fish, the slowest are the seahorses, with their rigid bodies and tiny, fragile fins. The smallest among them – the pygmy seahorses – are unlikely to ever surpass 0.016 kmh (0.001 mph)! Sloth In the rainforest canopy of Central and South America, these mammals can attain ‘speeds’ of 0.27 kmh (0.17 mph), but on the ground their average crawl is just 0.1-0.16 kmh (0.07-0.1 mph). Giant tortoise With a life expectancy of 150 years, it’s no wonder giant tortoises aren’t in a rush. One ‘speed test’ saw a male Seychelles giant tortoise cover just 4.5 m (14 ft) in 43.5 seconds (0.37 kmh (0.23 mph)) – and that was with the enticement of a female! Swallowtail butterfly The European swallowtail butterfly can blame its physique for its…

Peregrine falcon: the fastest raptor This raptor’s 321-kmph (200-mph) nosedive makes it the fastest animal on Earth. It often builds its nests in cities, on tall buildings such as cathedrals as well as skyscrapers. Long-eared owl: stealthiest raptor Silent flight is this raptor’s speciality, swooping in on prey without being detected. Specially adapted feathers help the long-eared owl to suppress any acoustic noise that’s created when it flaps its wings. Andean condor: the largest raptor The Andean condor’s 3.3-metre (11-foot) wingspan makes it the largest bird of prey. Despite their huge size, these raptors scavenge most of their meals, feeding on corpses killed by other predators. Black-thighed falconet: the smallest raptor It may be a pipsqueak compared to eagles and vultures, but the tiny black-thighed falconet is still a fierce…

Hyena With a biting power of around 1,100 pounds per square inch, the hyena is capable of chomping through bone, helping it to get extra nutritional value from the animal corpses it consumes. Nothing goes to waste. Bull shark The fiercest fish jaws belong to an unlikely contender. It’s not the great white that has the biggest shark bite, but the bull shark – its 1,250-pounds-per-square-inch jaw strength can crunch through turtle shells and crustaceans. Hippopotamus A hippo’s massive mouth isn’t for tearing flesh or crushing carapaces – it’s a method of defence and a way to intimidate its rivals. With a biting power of 1,800 pounds per square inch, no wonder predators stay away. Orca Although never recorded, an orca’s bite is thought to be bigger than a crocodile’s,…

Gecko Geckos scale walls and cling to ceilings thanks to sticky hairs on their feet. Each toe is covered in bristles, which produce electromagnetic attraction between the gecko and the climbing surface. The lizards can even turn this force on and off. Margay The margay is a masterful climber. Like a squirrel, this South American wild cat has flexible ankles and sharp claws that enable it to run headfirst down trees. It uses its tail like a tightrope walker’s pole, balancing on narrow branches while stalking prey. Spider monkey Spider monkeys use their prehensile tails as a fifth limb to move through the trees. The tail is strong enough to support their entire body weight. These primates lack thumbs, instead using their hook-shaped fingers to firmly grip branches when climbing.…

Termite By teaming up, tiny termites can create monumental mounds Termites are the ultimate builder bugs. Some species can construct mega-mounds that are as high as tenmetres (33-feet) tall! Workers are the smallest members of the colony, but what they lack in size they more than make up for in hard graft. It’s their job to build the nest (with soil and saliva), dig tunnels, find food, and ensure the temperature and humidity inside the mound stays just right. They also make sure other members of the colony are kept fed, watered and groomed. Honey bee These busy bees dedicate their lives to gathering pollen and protecting the hive An all-female workforce forms the foundation of any bee society. A colony can include tens of thousands of worker bees (all…

Orangutans use iPads At Miami Zoo in the US, the orangutan residents interact with their handlers using a touchscreen tablet device. They are able to select what food they want from the gadgets, and can even play simple children’s games. Orangutans can act When faced with a particularly difficult task, orangutans have been observed exaggerating how hard they are trying in order to trick others into helping them. This behaviour of making elaborate gestures is known as pantomiming. Gorillas can sign Koko the gorilla was taught modified sign language – she had a vocabulary of 1,000 hand signs and understood 2,000 spoken English words. She lived at The Gorilla Foundation in California, US, but died in 2018 at the age of 46. Chimps feel emotions Chimps laugh when playing, and…

Moth Hearing at the highest frequency to outsmart predators While bats generally get the credit for having the best hearing, the title actually goes to their prey, specifically the greater wax moth. These tiny insects are able to hear frequencies up to 300kHz, the highest-recorded frequency detected by any animal. It’s thought they have evolved this extraordinary ability so they can sense when bats are approaching, and also to communicate with each other without bats being able to listen in. Scientists are still trying to work out how their incredible sense of hearing works. Bat Seeing through hearing to navigate at night Due to their poor vision, bats have evolved highly sensitive hearing to help them navigate and find food in the dark. The trick they use is called echolocation,…

1. Magical healing abilities Injured or poorly axolotls can grow brand-new limbs, muscles or even entire organs. If a limb breaks, a specialised scab forms and the cells underneath divide rapidly to build a blastema. This is a cone-shaped structure made from cells similar to stem cells. These cells lose their former ‘identity’ and can go on to grow into one of many different kinds of cell. The blastema continues to grow and cells become skin, bone and muscle. Eventually, a perfect copy of the missing limb appears. 2. Tiny home range Axolotls can only be found in the wild in one place. They are native to the ancient water channels and lakes of the valley of Mexico. This area was once a lush green paradise but is now better…

Sleep helps the body recharge and revitalise. Whether it’s due to diet, life cycle or environmental factors, there are some animals that truly harness the power of the nap. Hibernation is a major source of sleep for animals that means they can essentially ‘shut down’ when times get tough. It’s not actually ‘sleep’ but a dormant state that slows the body right down. Brown bears are possibly the most famous hibernators – they fatten up before turning in for winter. Diet can have a big impact on how sleepy an animal is. Prey animals are less likely to be as lethargic because they need to stay alert to stay alive. One of the world’s slowest-moving critters is the sloth. Slow and sleepy, it has camouflage to make sure that its…

Crocodiles Many crocodiles hunt their prey by lurking in the in the murky depths and ambushing them at the water’s edge. Using their immense jaws, they latch on to their prey and perform a ‘death roll’, tearing their victim limb from limb. To better digest their meaty meals, they swallow stones, which help to grind up their food. Hippos These water-dwelling giants are very aggressive in the wild. They have been known to tip boats and also attack on land with surprising speed, killing around 500 people each year in Africa. Their enormous jaws can slam shut with a force of 140 kilograms per square centimetre (2,000 pounds per square inch), making short work of foes. Elephants Male elephants go through a period known as musth during the breeding season.…

The phrase ‘survival of the fittest’ stems from the Darwinian theory of evolution, which states that those individuals best adapted to their surroundings will live to see another day. To survive, most life on Earth require three basic things: oxygen, water and light. For this reason, habitats that provide these in abundance are densely populated with a biodiverse ecosystem. However, as conditions worsen and resources become scarce, we see a shift towards more specialised populations who have adapted to survive under extreme living conditions. Extremophiles are animals and organisms that exist in conditions that would spell death for many lifeforms. From searing heat and freezing winds, to low oxygen at high altitude and crushing pressure at the depths of the oceans, there are plenty of habitats on Earth making their…

Bluefin tuna Distance: 9,335 kilometres (5,800 miles) Tuna are among the fastest animals in the sea, able to exceed 60 kmh (40 mph) in short bursts. But amazingly, these fish are just as suited to the long-distance race as they are the sprint – largely thanks to the fact that they are one of very few warm-blooded fish species. Pacific bluefins, in particular, cover mind-boggling spans – the farthest equivalent to that between London and Beijing! More impressive still, they set off on their first trans-Pacific odyssey barely past the age of one. The juveniles are heading for the rich feeding grounds near Mexico and California, USA, where those that make it will spend several years gorging on bountiful food like anchovies. Young adults then repeat the trip back to…

Grizzly bear Grizzly bears have earned their apex predator status through strength and ferocity It’s no secret that grizzly bears are formidable animals. These tank-like mammals are a subspecies of the brown bear, and can be found in North America and eastern Europe. The strength of the grizzly is something that has to be seen to be appreciated – eyewitness reports of grizzlies decapitating wild moose with a single swipe of their giant paws may sound exaggerated, but these predators are more than capable of hunting and killing such large herbivores. In a study conducted by Montana University, it was found that a single grizzly bear can muster up the strength of five humans. The researchers believed that the bears are potentially capable of even greater power, especially if they…

1. Saffron finches see red They might look sweet and innocent, but these pretty songbirds have a dark side. Saffron finches ‘see red’ when they see yellow. In a flurry of feathers, beaks and claws, they attack all other Sun-coloured birds on sight. 2. Bulldog ants don’t let go With a venomous sting on one end and two serrated jaws on the other, these monster ants are fighting machines. They bite down on intruders thousands of times their own size, and deliver sting after painful sting. 3. Cassowaries puncture flesh and bone The armoured helmet on the top of a cassowary’s head might look like a rock-solid war hammer, but their real weapons are on their feet. They can deliver a chest-height kick, plunging a ten-centimetre (four-inch) claw through skin,…

Our inability to speak with other species means it’s easy to underestimate what goes on inside an animal’s head. Unlike us, an animal can’t fill out an IQ test. We have to look for particular behaviours that are considered indicators of intelligence. Skills like problem solving, doing good deeds and using tools give us clues as to how clever a species is. As life evolved, those that could outwit nature survived long enough to pass on their genes to the next generation. Animals famed for their smarts include monkeys, birds and dolphins. Their ancestors found success by using their heads, and diverged into hundreds of intelligent species that occupied a wide range of niches. One way to estimate intelligence is to compare the size of an animal’s brain to its…

Musk turtle Small in size but powerful in stench, these turtles smell unnervingly like armpits Affectionately known as stinkpots, these palm-sized creatures create a powerful smell. They have four musk glands along the bridge of their shell, and each makes a foul drop of fluid when they’re under threat. The musk contains at least four different chemicals called phenylalkanoic acids. These aromatic compounds each contain a phenyl group, with a distinctive ring-shaped structure. Together, they make a musky, armpit-like smell that warns predators to turn away. Turkey vulture Putrid projectile vomit deters turkey vulture predators These birds take disgusting defences to the extreme; they vomit when threatened, spewing half-digested food on their attacker. Worse still, turkey vultures feed on carrion, so their meals are rotten before they even eat them.…

Australian magpie These magpies are so vicious that passers-by need to wear helmets Every year, between July and November, Australia’s magpies get cross. They don’t like cats, dogs or people and, when breeding season arrives, the dive-bombing begins. The problem is so severe that the Australian government recommend people protect their heads with an umbrella, hat or helmet. Glasses are also recommended, as are streamers to distract the swooping birds. When these cross animals attack, they peck, scratch and beat their wings. They dive from the back and always go for the head, leaving cuts and bruises on their unsuspecting victims. The males are the worst offenders, spending six weeks of the year in a temper fury. Elephant Baby African elephants sit and sulk when they’re done keeping up with…

WIDEST REACH Mosquitos Mosquitos are responsible for almost half a million human deaths per year These insects pose an unusual threat to mankind for a creature that is, on average, only five millimetres (0.2 inches) long. Around the world, mosquitos are carriers of a staggering variety of diseases. There are about 3,500 known species of mosquito in existence, and in most cases the females are the only ones to feed on the blood of live hosts. They possess a minute but sharp proboscis, which can pierce even the tough skin of an elephant. Mosquitos preserved in amber dating back to the Cretaceous period have been discovered, but it’s thought these tiny menaces have been around for more than 200 million years, since they first diverged from other insects. Malaria accounts…

King cobras The king cobra can grow to over 5.5 metres (18 feet) long and delivers a deadly dose of neurotoxins strong enough to take down an Asian elephant. King cobras can be extremely dangerous – they kill approximately half the people that they bite. Brazilian wandering spiders With a venom that’s approximately 20 times stronger than that of the black widow, this spider’s bite results in pain, breathing difficulties, paralysis and even death. They are one of a small group of spiders that pose a genuine threat to humans. Blue-ringed octopus When threatened, these octopuses will signal their toxicity to predators using bright colours and vibrant warning displays. If it is agitated or provoked, a blue-ringed octopus will release a venom that can trigger respiratory issues, blindness and cardiac…

Largest teeth: viperfish The viperfish can unhinge its jaw in order to swallow its food whole, and has the largest teeth compared to body size. When its mouth is closed, the teeth are like the bars of a cage, keeping prey locked in their mouths. Strongest punch: mantis shrimp Using an enormous calcified claw, the mantis shrimp can punch its prey at speeds of around 43-83 kilometres (26-52 miles) per hour. The blow is followed by an aftershock, as cavitation bubbles generated by the punch collapse. Strongest kick: cassowaries The ‘world’s deadliest bird’ can deliver a fatal kick with its powerful legs that can carry it at speeds of 48 kilometres (30 miles) per hour. Their second toe is a dagger-like appendage, piercing holes in its victims. Most poisonous: golden…

Blue whale The largest creature on Earth Large enough for a grown man to swim down its arteries, this is the original giant beast The largest animal to have ever existed on Earth – to see a blue whale in the wild is to see a miracle of the natural world. To get a sense of just how large this ocean denizen is, imagine what three buses would look like standing end-to-end. Or, perhaps imagine what six elephants look like standing nose-to-tail. That’s the size of a blue whale. With a heart the size of a car, and a tongue that weighs as much as an elephant, these whales are colossal beings. As members of the Mysticeti – baleen whales – they reach these proportions on a diet of tiny,…

Blood slurpers Meet the vampires of the animal kingdom Absolutely not for the squeamish, a blood-based diet is relatively common in the animal kingdom. Rich in proteins and lipids, it’s a delectable dish for birds like the vampire finch. This wily, winged blood-guzzler is native to the Galápagos Islands, and uses its sharp beak to break nuts and seeds, and also rip mercilessly at the flesh of larger birds until they bleed. Reaping the rouge rewards has enabled it to survive even the driest of climates and thrive in its tiny island home. The insect world contains the most well-known bloodsuckers (mosquitoes and fleas and ticks, oh my!) but there is also the aptly named Dracula ants. These creepy crawlies, found in Madagascar, practise a form of non-destructive cannibalism. Adults…

Rulers of the sky Look out below! Raptors are master hunters, using their predatory abilities to overwhelm prey and ensure the continued survival of their species When it comes to flying skill, heightened senses and extreme adaptations, one group of birds consistently outranks the rest: raptors. Also referred to as birds of prey, raptors include several different animal families. Ornithologists generally class birds with curved beaks, sharp talons and keen eyesight as raptors. Another distinguishing characteristic is the size of the prey these predators hunt – some species target creatures that are significantly bigger than their own bodies, such as deer and antelope. Different raptors have different specialisms. For example, eagles use their large wings and ferocious talons to dominate prey, while smaller raptors like hawks and falcons use speed…

Titan beetle The titan beetle is a six-legged goliath. Its mandibles can snap a pencil, and even tear into human flesh. Luckily it hisses before attacking, so you’ll know to keep your fingers clear. Cockroach Cockroaches can famously survive nuclear radiation, making them candidates for the last creatures on Earth. They can evolve in just years, and can live for a week without their heads. Ironclad beetle The aptly named ironclad beetle is covered in an extremely thick exoskeleton. Its body is so tough that museum curators have to use a special drill when pinning it for their collections. Honey bee They might look sweet buzzing around your flower bed, but there’s more to honey bees. They can carry their own weight in pollen, continuing to fly even when fully…

Alpine ibex The rock-climbing champion No cliff is too steep for the alpine ibex to conquer; nature’s true master of mountaineering Alpine ibexes have a serious head for heights. These goats live high in the mountains, grazing on the various grasses, mosses and flowers that grow there. However, getting to the food often involves some ridiculous climbing – luckily the ibex has no qualms about perching its hooves on extremely narrow footholds, with only a craggy cliff face between it and the ground. A particularly impressive example of this can be witnessed at the Cingino Dam in Italy. Ibexes climb the near-vertical, 50-metre (164-foot) wall, licking its stones for salt and minerals. This is made possible by the ibex’s evolved split hooves, with a pair of toes that grip onto…

Emperor penguin No bird dives deeper than the elegant emperor penguin, which torpedoes its body down to depths of more than 0.5 kilometres (0.3 miles). Its flat, stiff wings give it extra propulsion in the icy water. Leatherback turtle Unlike the hard shells of other sea turtles, the leatherback’s carapace consists of toughened skin, giving extra flexibility in the high-pressure environment of the deep sea. It can survive at depths of over a kilometre (over half a mile). Humboldt squid Living at depths of 0.2 to 0.7 kilometres (200 to 700 metres) beneath the ocean’s surface, the Humboldt squid is a real-life kraken known to attack divers. The feisty cephalopods can pursue prey to depths of three kilometres (1.8 miles). Dumbo octopus The dumbo octopus is the deepest living genus…

Capuchins demand equal pay Capuchins refuse to participate in lab studies if given an unequal reward. If one monkey is given bland cucumber while another gets a juicy grape, the cucumber monkey gets frustrated and quits. Rhesus macaques do shady politics Rhesus macaques grab power with aggression, nepotism and sex. Mothers fight to raise the ranks of their offspring and even mate with dominant males in exchange for protection. Japanese snow monkeys have fads Like kids in playgrounds across the world, snow monkeys go through ‘crazes’ akin to yo-yos and Pokémon cards. In 1984, wild monkeys were observed playing with stones. The behaviour spread and hung around for an entire year. Baboons switch groups to avoid teasing Older males who have lost their high status are harassed by younger baboons…

“Apes aren’t monkeys. Monkeys have tails and smaller brains, and don’t live as long as the mentally superior ape” Genius in the jungle Ape brains are almost identical across the board, and it seems we might not be as far ahead as we once thought There are five species of great ape living today. Around 70 extinct species have been identified from fossils, and the handful that still exist are the cream of the crop. Modern apes are upwardly mobile with forward-facing eyes. Their colour vision and excellent dexterity combined with high intelligence led them to dominate the planet. Each species adapted to its environment to become a specialist in its own niche. Orangutans clamber from tree to tree in the forests of southeastern Asia. Gorillas, chimps and bonobos are…

UGLIEST Northern stargazer This sand-dwelling fish lays in wait, eyes towards the sky, ready to snap up unsuspecting prey PRETTIEST Oriental dwarf kingfisher UGLY Naked mole-rat This bald rat sports a ferocious pair of fangs Living up to its name, the naked mole-rat is completely devoid of fur, and instead sports a coat of sagging pink skin. These burrowing creatures spend their entire lives underground, and use their enormous overlapping teeth to carve through soil and break down their main source of food, potato roots. You would imagine that these teeth would also come in handy for fighting, but naked mole-rats have evolved to have an extremely high tolerance for the cramped conditions they share, and aggression is very rare. It’s a common misconception that naked mole-rats are blind; they…

Cuttlefish These molluscs change their cells to match any colour, blending in with their underwater surroundings to hide from predators. Impressive, considering that cuttlefish are colourblind! Mimic octopus The impressionists of the animal kingdom, these cephalopods have a wide repertoire of impersonations, changing shape and colour to mimic poisonous creatures. Chameleon As well as using their skin-changing abilities for camouflage, chameleons vary their colour as a form of communication. Vibrant colours often signal aggression, while darker shades are displayed to show submission. Crab spider These crawlies switch the colour of their bodies between white and yellow to match the flower they’re perched on. It’s unknown whether this is to help them catch more prey, or to avoid being eaten.…

Spotted hyena Spotted hyena cubs start scrapping from the moment they are born. They have no time for their same-sex siblings, and they’re willing to squabble to the death to secure mum’s full attention. Praying mantis Nymphs start squabbling as soon as they hatch. Rather than waste time hunting for their first meal, they turn on each other, racing to eat their siblings before they’re eaten themselves. Tiger salamander When too many tiger salamanders hatch in one place, some of the siblings undergo a terrible transformation. They turn into cannibals with large teeth, wide heads and a taste for salamander flesh. Common cuckoo When it comes to warring siblings, no animal does it better than the cuckoo. These boisterous birds want the whole nest to themselves, so they shove all…

Giraffe Male giraffes slap the bottom of a female, which makes her pee. The male then drinks the pee to find out if she’s ovulating. If she is, he mounts her, while she tries to run away from him. Sloth When the female sloth is ready to mate, she lets out a huge scream. Even though the slow males may take a while to make their way over to her, she won’t necessarily just go for the first one to arrive. Manakin The male manakin bird performs an array of awesome dance moves in order to impress the female. Its most iconic move is the moonwalk, sashaying along a branch to woo its target. Crocodile If a female crocodile happens to spot a male that she is interested in, she’ll…

Tuatara The modern-day dinosaur Although it looks like an ordinary lizard, the tuatara is anything but. This scaly senior is a close relative of the dinosaurs that ruled the planet long before humans came along. More specifically, tuataras are the only surviving animals from the order Rhynchocephalia, a group of reptiles that flourished during the Mesozoic Era approximately 200 million years ago. The world’s only population of tuataras can be found in New Zealand. The name tuatara comes from a Māori phrase meaning ‘peaks on the back’, which describes the prickly protrusions lining the reptile’s spine. As well as being an ancient species in their own right, individual tuataras can live for a long time. In 2009, a tuatara called Henry became a father at the ripe old age of…

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