Facts about the animal kingdom of All wildlife
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Skunks are a type of mammal which make up the family Mephitidae, a more diverse taxonomic category than many of us might believe. This diversity has changed over time since similar mammals have been excluded or included over the years. Currently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)...
The wild distribution of the jaguar (Panthera onca) was once much larger than it is today. Unfortunately, population decline has occurred over the years. While this has been influenced by natural factors, human interference in jaguar habitats has resulted in a significant impact to the numbers of these...
The avian world is home to a remarkable diversity of species, each with unique adaptations that allow them to thrive in their respective environments. Among these adaptations, speed stands out as a crucial factor for many birds, enabling them to hunt, escape predators, and navigate their surroundings effectively.
In...
While it's a common assumption that all animals possess a heart, the reality is far more diverse and fascinating. The animal kingdom boasts a wide array of circulatory systems, some of which do not feature a traditional heart in the sense that we might envision. This article delves into the intriguing...
In the natural world, survival is key. Animals have evolved a variety of adaptations to help them avoid predators and find food. Two of the most common adaptations are camouflage and mimicry. While camouflage and mimicry are often used interchangeably, there is a key difference between the two. Camouflage...
Imagine a place where the air is thick with humidity and the sounds of exotic birds and animals fill the air. Where the trees are so tall that they block out the sun and the ground is covered in a lush layer of vegetation. This is the world of the tropical forest, one of the most biodiverse ecosystems...
From the soaring bats that navigate the night skies with echolocation to the majestic elephants that exhibit unparalleled intelligence and emotional depth, mammals never cease to amaze us with their diverse adaptations and extraordinary abilities. From the clever ways they've adapted to their environments to...
Echolocation is an evolutionary adaptation which has afforded certain animals an advantage in understanding their environment. Also known as bio sonar, this ability allows animals to locate themselves and others spatially. This is a very useful trait for various reasons. It allows predators to hunt better...
From menacing vampires of folklore to real-life creatures with a taste for blood, the animal kingdom presents us with an intriguing array of species that have adapted to feed on this vital fluid. Prepare to be amazed by the diverse range of blood-sucking insects, mammals, and other organisms that have...
Herbivorous mammals are those which do not eat animal protein to survive, essentially only eating organisms that use photosynthesis to feed. Despite this common characteristic, the biodiversity of different types of herbivorous animals is great. They range from some of the largest land animals in the...
The tenrec is an animal which is endemic to the island nation of Madagascar. Africa's largest island, Madagascar is uniquely fascinating in terms of flora and fauna thanks to a relatively closed ecosystem. It is thanks to animals such as the tenrec that we can better understand evolution and adaptation...
Also known as diurnal birds of prey, diurnal raptors are a large group of animals belonging to the order Falconiformes. This order is made up of more than 309 species. They differ from the nocturnal raptors that belong to the order Strigiformes due to their diurnal habits, but this is not the only difference....
The animal kingdom is full of wonderful parents who care for their offspring. Most animals, including humans, depend on the care of their parents during the first days, weeks, and even years of their lives in order to survive. However, there are many species of animals that must care for themselves from day...
The course of various evolutionary processes has allowed animals to adapt to various environments. These adaptations are required due to the changes in such environments. Changes in temperature is one of the most impactful on an animal's chances of survival. As the ambient, ground and even water temperatures...
Thanatosis is a behavior by which some animals pretend to be dead. This form of animal deception is an adaptive behavior used as a defense mechanism or a form of mimicry and occurs in a wide variety of animals. Most often, they pretend to be dead in order to survive, hoping that their predator will no longer...
The term "big cat" is usually used to refer to all members of the genus Panthera. Small and medium-sized cats, including domestic cats, belong to the genus Felis. Big cats are found throughout the world in habitats as diverse as mangrove swamps, deserts, mountains and wooded forests. All cats are carnivores,...
Leopards are mammals that belong to the family Felidae and the species Panthera pardus. Eight subspecies of leopard have been identified and are distributed over a large geographic area. Once common throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa, the leopard inhabited parts of northern and northeastern Africa...
The word "armadillo" comes from Spanish and means "the little one with the armor," alluding to the plates of bone that cover the back, head, legs, and tail of these peculiar creatures. Armadillos are the only living mammals that wear this type of protection. These animals, closely related to anteaters...
Felids or commonly felids (Felidae), colloquially called cats, are a family of placental mammals of the order Carnivora. They have slender bodies, keen hearing, short snouts, and excellent eyesight. They are the most secretive of all hunting mammals. Most consume only meat, ignoring any other food as live...
The Earth is full of life. Living things populate every corner of our planet, from the most populated areas of major cities to the most remote and unknown corners. This enormous diversity explains why we can find all kinds of animals with surprising behaviors and characteristics on Earth.
That's why,...
We mostly associated flying animals with birds and we do so for good reason. The list of flightless birds is small compared to those that can fly. The opposite is true when we look at mammal species. Although there is great morphological variety in mammals, we think of them as being mostly terrestrial...
Starfish belong to the phylum Echinodermata and the class Asteroidea. Echinoderms are all marine-based organisms and there are about 7,000 known species with around 1,900 being different species of starfish, also known as sea stars. No species of echinoderms are known to live in fresh water, as they need...
Birds have been inspiring human beings since before we had words, so it is no surprise many of our most common idioms are related to birds. Whether used to inspire, reflect on nature or even highlight deep truths through metaphor or poetry, there are many bird sayings which can help us make better sense...
The opossum is an animal that lives exclusively in the Americas. The opossum belongs to a very diverse group, so there are several species, some of which are more widespread than others. They are the largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere and include over 120 species in 19 genera. Opossums...
The Panthera genus of mammals is one we humans find most fascinating. Found within the Felidae family of animals, they include lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars. It was only recently that genetic analysis found that snow leopards (Panthera unica) also belonged to this genus, but they are perhaps the...
Felines are fascinating animals with often impressive abilities. We find species ranging from very powerful animals like lions and tigers to domestic cats. They are all grouped in the family Felidae, which in turn is divided into two subfamilies: Pantherinae and Felinae. The first includes the species...
Animals and insects are distributed throughout the world over very different habitats. However, 80% of the world's plant and animal species live in forests and jungles, environments characterized by high tree density. In fact, there are many species that spend most of their time in trees and rarely...
Contrary to what you might think, strength is not always related to the size of the body or the weight of the animal. You may be surprised to learn that some small animals have strength that far exceeds humans, and that some of them are capable of lifting, dragging, carrying, or pulling enormous weights....
Diversity refers to the vast variety of species which live in the animal kingdom. They are grouped according to various characteristics, some of which are more alike than others. Diet is one of the categories into which animals of various types and species are grouped. These groups are more diverse than...
In the different regions of the earth there are animals that, although they are also found in other countries, are considered representative of these places. A concept that is relevant to this aspect of biodiversity is that of endemism, which describes species that are characteristic of a place and whose...
The majority of us live in cities, where birds have adapted to the new conditions and become urbanized, so we see birds every day – in the garden, on the street, in the park, and of course in the countryside. Although birds can bring color and music to your yard, but they can also cause chaos by eating plants,...
Reproduction is a fundamental process for all animal species on our planet. Without it, there wouldn't be any animals left to populate it. For it to take place effectively, reproduction has to adapt to each specific animal. This is due to various factors, including morphology and habitat. The result is...
Animals and other organisms are distributed all over the world. Even in the seemingly most inhospitable habitats, life can often find a way. However, not all creatures are up to the task. For life to survive, organisms have developed various adaptations and processes to allow them to live in harsh environments....
All living beings have the ability to produce new cells and tissue. These are important actions for the organism as they help maintain functionality. They are also very important when they receive trauma or other damage such as when sustaining a wound. In the animal kingdom, there are some species which are able...
Although Australia can have a sometimes inhospitable climate, its relatively small human population means there is much space for its animal life to develop. This has led to a great diversity of animal species. One of the most adorable animals we will find in Australia is the wombat. However, beyond...
Alaska is the second youngest state in the United States of America, but only by a few months. Despite being only a recent official addition to the country, it is one of the US's most resource-rich areas. While it is the 4th least-populous state, it is the country's largest state by geographical size...
Some of us may not be aware there are different types of manatees. These often elusive creatures have a certain otherworldly mystique which has led to them having an almost mythological reputation. Although they may have one time been confused with mermaids, manatees are aquatic mammals which have been...
The binturong (Arctictis binturong) is a mammal originating from Asia. Their appearance somewhat resembles a cross between a small bear and a cat, hence their common name: the bearcat. They are part of the suborder Feliformia, but are not part of either the cat (Felidae) or bear (Ursidae) families....
Big cats are harder to observe than their domestic cousins, but this often makes our fascination with them all the stronger. They all come from the Felidae family, meaning they share certain traits and similarities. They are expert hunters, have excellent vision, can run at high speed and are extraordinary...
Although we know there are many different breeds of domestic cat, we are often not as familiar with wild cat breeds. Some may be aware of the differences between a Bengal and Siberian tiger, but knowing the different types of lynx might not be as common knowledge. As with all big cats, lynxes are part...
When winter ends, many African birds migrate to the Northern hemisphere. Their arrival announces the onset of spring. Among them are different species of small birds with black and white plumage. They are often easy to notice since they make quite a lot of noise as their collective tweeting fills the skies....
Fish are a paraphyletic group that describes aquatic vertebrates. These animals vary greatly in size. In this AnimalWised article, we're going to take a look at the largest fish in the ocean, as well as other large fish that swim in our oceans.
We'll start with the largest fish, the whale shark, and continue...
Have you every heard of bioluminescence? It is the phenomenon whereby a living organism can produce light from its own body. This means they are animals which can glow in the dark. It is something which is seen most commonly in the world's oceans as the vast majority of glow in the dark animals live...
Swallows are small and beautiful birds that are known to overseas in winter. They often go to Africa, Argentina or even Australia and then return home when the heat begins.
In this AnimalWised article we are going to talk about swallows, their habitat, diet, characteristics, etc. We will also mention the...
Perhaps the most famous marsupial animal is the kangaroo. They are known for having a pouch in which they develop their embryos and carry their young. This pouch is known as a marsupium and this is from where the collective taxonomic name marsupial is derived. Although not all marsupials live there, many...
The llama and alpaca are both animals native the Andes Mountains. Both are very important cultural, historical and practical animals for the countries in this region. Their similarities in physical features and behavior show their close relation to each other. Despite such similarities and the fact they...
As you probably know, 70% of our planet is covered in water. Despite this, marine life is still a relatively mysterious and unexplored area for most people. Research is constantly being carried out by scientists in various fields to try to reach a better understanding of the unusual animals that live...
Steppes are plains characterized by low rainfall and a semi-arid, temperate climate. As a result, not much vegetation grows on the steppes, which are usually grassland or shrubland biomes usually covered in short grasses or sparse vegetation. Steppes occur in temperate regions - between the tropics...
In nature, both flora and fauna uses various mechanisms to survive. One of the most peculiar and fascinating is the ability to change color. Animals have profound relationships to color. Camouflage to protect from predators is perhaps the most well-known way animals use color. The chameleon is the figurehead...
When we think of animals with shells, our first thought might be the turtle. Their shell is not only part of the turtle's body, but part of a larger cultural identity and historical mythology. However, there are many types of animals with shells. They are designed to protect animals against predators,...