Hello,
Welcome back. We're very sorry for missing last week's animals. We've all had a busy time with school work!
Welcome back. We're very sorry for missing last week's animals. We've all had a busy time with school work!
26. Blue glaucus
Also known as the blue dragon, the blue glaucus is a type of sea slug. They
are small, rarely growing longer than 3cm long. Their favourite food is
probably the most bizarre thing about them, Portuguese man o' war. Now, for
those of you who don't already know, the Portuguese man o' war is one of the
most dangerous jellyfish in the world! Different sites have different
opinions, but almost all agree that blue glaucus do not hunt the Portuguese
man o' war, instead they feed on dead ones or nibble away at living one! But
that's still rather impressive.
27. Shoebill
Shoebills are very patient and able to stay still for hours. That's how they
hunt. When a lungfish comes up for air, they often don't notice the shoebill
standing there until it's too late.
Shoebills are solitary. Even mating pairs feed at opposite sides of their
territory. Breeding pairs make nests on the water. These nests can be up to
eight feet wide! The female lays two eggs at a time. Both parents care for the
young. They are classified as
Vulnerable
and their population is decreasing.
28. Lyrebird
Lyrebirds are native to Australia. Best known for their ability to mimic
sounds from their surroundings, these ground-dwelling birds are ancient, with
fossils dating back 15 million years! They feed on a whole variety of small
animals.
Lyrebirds are important in Australian symbolism. They are featured in logos,
postage stamps and even on coins and notes! There are two different types of
lyrebird: the superb lyrebird is listed as
Least Concern
and the alberts lyrebird is listed as
Vulnerable.
29. Aye-aye
The Aye-aye is a somewhat creepy primate that lives in the tropical
rainforests of Madagascar. They are omnivorous and eat nuts, insects, nectar
and has evolved to feed almost like a woodpecker, tapping bark with it's long
middle finger at night. The latin name is 'Daubentonia madagascariensis' and
they are about 40cm long. They are listed as
Endangered
because of habitat loss and hunting because some natives kill them as they are
believed to be bad luck.
30. Saiga antelope
The saiga antelope is a
Critically Endangered
antelope species, which once inhabited a vast area of the Eurasian plains and
foothills. Now, their habitat is only parts of Central Asia. Due to their role
in traditional Asian medicine, males are poached and hunted for their horns.
They are ancient creatures, once living alongside woolly mammoths and
sober-toothed tigers! This incredible species has survived for millennia and
we all hope they will continue to do so for many years to come.
We hope you enjoyed these animals. We'll be back soon!
See you then
Sources:
https://www.americanoceans.org/species/blue-glaucus/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/facts/shoebill
https://www.britannica.com/animal/Menura
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/aye-aye
https://www.britannica.com/animal/saiga
Images:
Blue Glaucus: This image, owned by Pierre Pouliquin (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
Shoebill: This image, owned by Maciej (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Lyrebird: This image, owned by Brian Ralphs (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Aye-aye: This image, owned by Matt Francey (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
Saiga antelope: This image, owned by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquaters (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
https://www.americanoceans.org/species/blue-glaucus/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/facts/shoebill
https://www.britannica.com/animal/Menura
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/aye-aye
https://www.britannica.com/animal/saiga
Images:
Blue Glaucus: This image, owned by Pierre Pouliquin (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
Shoebill: This image, owned by Maciej (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Lyrebird: This image, owned by Brian Ralphs (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Aye-aye: This image, owned by Matt Francey (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
Saiga antelope: This image, owned by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquaters (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
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