AMAZING CREATURES - SCARY BEASTS

Frightening myths and superstitions have been created around some animals. But these stories are not true, and it is important to learn about these amazing animals.

WOLVES live in many northern countries. Grey wolves are fast runners, and chase down their prey. They hunt deer, elk, moose, hares and beavers. In some places wolves kill farm animals and eat rubbish from bins. Wolves live in packs of up to 20 animals. These packs are very close and organized: travelling, hunting and raising families together.

The AYE-AYE lives in the rainforests of Madagascar. Using its long, bony middle finger, it taps on tree branches and listens for beetles and grubs moving under the bark. When it hears a grub moving, it picks it out of the bark using its long finger. It also uses its middle finger to scoop out the flesh from inside coconuts.

FOUL FACT! Some people in Madagascar believe that a person will die if an aye-aye points its long middle finger at them.

AMAZING CREATURES - GROSS EATERS

Some animals have unpleasant eating habits. They may feast on dead animals, digest the bones of their prey in acid or use their strong jaws to rip their prey apart.

PANGOLINS are also called scaly anteaters. They live in tropical Asia and Africa, and are covered with brown scales. The pangolin eats termites, ants and other insects, which it sniffs out and catches on its long, sticky tongue. It has no teeth. Instead, horny plates in its stomach grind down the food before it is digested.

The WOLVERINE is sometimes called a skunk bear or glutton. It lives in Alaska, Siberia, Northern Canada and Scandinavia. It often eats the remains of animals killed by wolves. It will also kill prey itself, by pouncing on an animal from a tree or rock, tearing it apart.

HYENAS are strong, doglike creatures that live in Africa and India. Although they scavenge and eat carrion (dead animals), they catch young hippos, gazelles, zebras, wildebeest and antelopes. The stomach of a spotted hyena can hold up to 15 kilograms of meat, so it can go for several days without food.

AMAZING CREATURES - UGLY BRUTES

Some animals look ugly. They may have no hair, or have lumps on their faces, or be large and flabby with big noses. Although they look strange, these features are special adaptations that help the animals to survive.

The BAKED MOLE RAT lives in long tunnels in the grassy regions of eastern Africa. It lives in groups of 20 to 300 members, ruled over by a queen. Hairless skin means that the mole rat does not overheat in its underground home.

ELEPHANT SEALS are huge creatures with folds of fat and skin that make them look rumpled and creased. Their thick layer of fat is called blubber. It keeps them warm when they dive into the icy ocean to search for food.

The WARTHOG belongs to the pig family. It lives in Africa. The male warthog has four hard bumps on its face that look like warts – from which it gets its name. Males and females have curved tusks, which they use as weapons, growing out of their mouths.

FOUL FACT! A warthog’s canine teeth grow constantly. It uses them to dig and search for food.

AMAZING CREATURES - TERRIFYING TONGUE

Some animals have an amazing tongue. It may be forked, sticky or just incredibly long. Tongues can be used for digging insects from the ground or grabing leaves and branches.

ECHIDNAS, or spiny anteaters, live in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea. They have small nostrils and a tiny mouth at the end of their long, tube-like beaks. They eat ants and termites, which they catch with their long, sticky tongue.

The OKAPI is brown with a stripy rump and legs. It is related to the giraffe. A shy animal, it lives in the dense forests of the Aftrican congo and was only discovered in 1901. The okapi uses its long, black tongue to grab leaves and branches and pull them into its mouth.

The SUN BEAR lives in the forests of South East Asia. It likes to make its home high up in the branches of trees. The sun bear sleeps or sunbathes by day and hunts at night. It has long, curved claws, which it uses to dog for insects. It also pokes its long tongue into holes in rotten wood to catch insects or lick up honey.

FOUL FACT! If grabbed by the back of the neck, the sun bear can swivel its body around inside its loose neck skin to bite its attacker.

AMAZING CREATURES - SNEAKY ONES

Some animals use sneaky methods to catch their prey or to escape from predators. They may use disguises, move quietly or use clever tricks.

VAMPIRE BATS are found in Africa and South America. The common vampire bat is able to walk, jump and hop. This means it can creep up to its prey and hop onto its body. As it bites, the bat’s saliva enters the wound and makes the animal’s skin go numb. The animal does not know it has been bitten.

TARSIERS are related to monkeys and lemurs. They are found on islands in South East Asia. Tarsiers have good eyesight and hunt mostly at night, jumping onto their prey, which includes insects, birds and snakes. They pounce and grab the animal with their paws.

RACCOONS are very sneaky. Their specially adapted paws can open latches and doors. Their black eye patches make them look like masked bandits – and they can act like them, too! They often steal food from houses, cars and campsites.

AMAZING CREATURES - VICIOUS ANIMALS

Animals, such as killer whales, tigers and bears, are well known for being fierce. However, the world is also full of small, vicious creatures that hunt their prey aggressively.

The NORTHERN SHORT-TAILED SHREW is small, but very fierce! It needs to eat three times its body weight each day, so it spends its time hunting for insects, spiders, worms and snails.

WEASELS live mainly in the northern hemisphere. The weasel is a savage hunter. Its long body allows it to follow its prey into small burrows. When excited, weasels do a strange, hopping war dance. Some biologists believe they perform dance to confuse their prey.

The TASMANIAN DEVIL looks like a small bear and is very vicious. It uses its powerful jaws to crack bones and tear fur and flesh, before eating the lot. As well as feeding on carrion – animals that are already dead – it also eats the larvae of some types of beetle, and attacks poultry.

FOUL FACT! The Tasmanian devil was named ‘devil’ because of the high-pitched screeching noises it makes at night. When threatened, it opens its mouth in a yawn, which looks aggressive but is a display of fear.

AMAZING CREATURES - POISONOUS ANIMALS

There are many types of poisonous creatures around the world. Some animals use venoms for defense. Others use it catch larger prey.

The DUCK-BILLED PLATYPUS has a flat bill like a duck’s beak, a furry body and strong limbs that help it to swim and dig. It lives in eastern Australia and eats frogs, fish and insects. The male platypus has a spur on each of its back legs, which holds a strong poison. If threatened, the platypus stabs its attacker with a spur and injects the poison. The poison is strong enough to kill a dog.

The two species of SOLENDON are both endangered. They live on the Caribbean islands of Hispaniola and Cuba. When a solendon attacks its prey, such as a spider, poisonous saliva flows into its victim along grooves in its lower front teeth. The poison stuns the prey, making it easier to grasp.

The DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE is a type of pit viper that is common in North and Central America. Pit vipers are venomous snakes. They can sense body heat, which enables them to sneak up on their prey at night. They bite to kill, but will also bite in self-defense. Their hollow fangs inject poison into their prey.

FOUL FACT! Many pit vipers are hunted and killed for their skins, which are used to make shoes and belts.