The fauna of our planet will never cease to amaze us with the presence of amazing creatures of the most unusual shapes and colors. Some of them are so whimsical that it seems that nature created them in a playful mood. We present to your attention some of the most amazing, unusual and little-known creatures from different parts of the globe.

 

Dead end

Puffin (or Atlantic puffin)

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Puffin (or Atlantic puffin)

wikimedia.org

Puffin (or Atlantic puffin)

wikipedia.org

Puffin (or Atlantic puffin)

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Puffin (or Atlantic puffin)

wikimedia.org

Puffin (or Atlantic puffin)

publicdomainpictures.net

Puffin (or Atlantic puffin)

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Dead end (or Atlantic dead end). The Russian name "dead end" comes from the word "blunt" and is associated with the massive, rounded shape of the bird's beak. The Latin name "Fratercula arctica" means "Arctic nun", and was given due to the fact that the bird looks like a monk in a cassock. The English name "puffin" – "fatty" is associated with the clumsy appearance of the bird.

Puffins live on the coasts of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. They nest in burrows in bird colonies. They feed on fish, mainly gerbils.

Body length 30–35 cm, wingspan about 50 cm, weight 450–500 g. Males are usually slightly larger than females. The beak of puffins is flat and massive. He plays a big role in attracting a partner, so during the mating season he has a very bright color. The size and shape of the beak changes with age: in a young bird it is narrower than in an adult, but has the same length. With age, the beak becomes wider. By old age, furrows may appear on the red part of the beak. The beak and skin around the eyes are brightly colored only during the breeding season. During the subsequent molt, the multi-part horny covers of the beak fall off, and the beak becomes less wide.

Dead ends walk quickly (they can run on flat surfaces), but waddle. They swim and dive well, can hold their breath for about a minute. They row in the water with wings and webbed feet. To fly, puffins must beat their wings very quickly, about a few times per second. Before taking off from the water, they can “run” along it for several seconds. Puffins fly low (at a height of about 10 meters above the water), but quickly, at speeds up to 80 km/h. Puffins sit awkwardly on the water. They either crash into the crest of a wave or fall on their belly.

Atlantic puffins feed mainly on fish. It can be gerbils, herring, capelin, sand eels. Sometimes small clams and shrimp are also eaten. When hunting, puffins swim underwater using their wings, using their legs as a rudder. They swim quickly, can reach great depths and hold their breath for a minute. Usually puffin prey does not reach a size larger than 7 cm, but they can catch fish as large as 18 cm. Usually puffins eat caught fish without coming up, but large specimens reach the surface. During one dive, puffins catch several fish, pressing them with their tongue to the upper jaw. An adult bird can eat about forty fish per day. The total weight eaten is usually 100-300 grams.

The Atlantic puffin is listed in the Red Book, according to the IUCN classification, it is considered a species in a vulnerable state, and its status changed literally in 2015, although before that for many years it was considered a species out of danger.

Residents of coastal villages often hunt puffins. Their meat is eaten, mostly smoked. In most countries where puffins live, hunting them is prohibited due to concerns about a decrease in the number of pairs that feed chicks.

Interesting Facts

  • The Atlantic puffin is the official symbol of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
  • The dead end is the symbol of the Norwegian municipality of Værøy.
  • Some islands were named after this bird.
  • Puffins are often depicted on stamps from various countries. They were issued by France, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, Russia, the USSR, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, as well as Gibraltar, Alderney, the Faroe Islands, the Isle of Man, Guernsey, St. Pierre and Miquelon.

 

Fenech

Fenech

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Fenech

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Fenech

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Fenech

wikipedia.org

Fenech

pixabay.com

Fenech

wikimedia.org

Fenech is a miniature fox with large ears relative to the body that lives in the deserts of North Africa. This animal got its name from the Arabic word fanak, which means “fox” in one of the colloquial dialects. This is the smallest representative of the canine family, it is smaller in size than a domestic cat.

The height of the animal at the withers is 18–22 cm, the body length is 30–40 cm, the tail is up to 30 cm, the fennec fox weighs up to 1,5 kg. Fennec ears are the largest among predators in relation to the size of the head; they reach 15 cm in length. Fenech needs such big ears not only because he has to learn from the slightest rustle in the sand about the movement of his main prey – insects and small vertebrates, but also for better cooling of the body in the heat of the day.

The most numerous fennec population lives in the central Sahara, although they are found from northern Morocco to the Sinai and Arabian Peninsulas, and on – to Niger, Chad and Sudan.

The fennec fox inhabits sandy deserts, where it prefers to stay near thickets of grass and sparse shrubs, which provide it with shelter and food. He lives in holes with a large number of secret passages that he digs himself. Leads a nocturnal lifestyle.

Fennecs are social animals; they live in family groups of up to 10 individuals. Clans usually consist of one married couple, their immature offspring, and possibly several older children. Sometimes several families settle together in one lair. They are very "talkative": barking, whining, grumbling and howling.

Fenech digs out most of the feed from sand and earth. Prefers to hunt alone, like all foxes. The fennec fox feeds on bird eggs and the birds themselves, small rodents, insects (including locusts), carrion and plants. Its huge ears allow it to catch the slightest rustle made by its victims. It can go without water for a long time, getting liquid from meat, berries and leaves. Stores food.

Interesting fact

Fenech demonstrates great agility and liveliness, the ability to jump high and far – up to 70 cm up.

The protective coloration allows it to blend into the sandy landscape; there is no evidence that larger predators prey on fennecs. He has a well-developed sense of smell, hearing and good night vision.

The life expectancy of Fenech is about 7-8 years, in captivity they can live up to 20 years of age.

Interesting Facts

  • Some people keep fennec foxes as pets. Especially often they began to be purchased after the release of the cartoon "Zootopia".
  • Feneki (Fennecs) – the nickname of the players of the Algerian national football team.
  • The fennec is depicted on the Algerian ¼ dinar coin.
  • Fenech is a symbol of the ecology of Tunisia. Figures of this animal in a blue and white suit are found everywhere in almost every city in this country.
  • Mozilla Fennec is the code name and mascot for the Mozilla Firefox browser, adapted for mobile phones, smartphones and other mobile devices.

 

Crusader Hermit

Crusader Hermit

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Crucifix toad (Notaden bennettii), holy cross frog or Catholic frog)

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The desert crusader (or holy cross frog) is one of the few Australian frogs to display warning coloration (aposematism), by which it signals to potential predators not only its presence, but also its inedibility or protection.

The desert crusader is the most characteristic species of frog in the genus Notaden. Whereas most frogs of the genus Notaden are dark brown in color, the desert crusader has many bright colors. On her back there is a kind of "cross" with many flowers and circled with large black dots.

The desert crusader is a ground frog native to the arid regions of western New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. It can do without water for a long time, burrowing into the ground.

When provoked, the frog exudes a sticky and elastic "frog glue" that has been found to be stronger than non-toxic medical adhesives available and is therefore the subject of further study. Male desert crusaders have been recorded using this adhesive to attach themselves to larger females during mating.

 

Australian echidna

Crusader hermit (or holy cross frog)

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Crusader hermit (or holy cross frog)

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Crusader hermit (or holy cross frog)

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Crusader hermit (or holy cross frog)

needpix.com

Crusader hermit (or holy cross frog)

wikimedia.org

Crusader hermit (or holy cross frog)

wikipedia.org

The Australian echidna is the only member of the echidna genus (Tachyglossus). The back and sides of the echidna are covered with short, hard and hollow spines. Their length reaches 5–6 cm, they are yellow in color with black tips, less often completely yellow. The muzzle of the echidna is extended into a narrow "beak" 75 mm long, which is an adaptation to searching for prey in narrow cracks and holes, from where the echidna gets it with its long sticky tongue.

The Australian echidna is found in Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea and the islands in the Bass Strait.

Like the platypus, the "beak" of the echidna is richly innervated. Its skin contains both mechanoreceptors and special electroreceptor cells; with their help, the echidna picks up weak fluctuations in the electric field that occur when small animals move. Not a single mammal, apart from echidnas and platypuses, has had such an electrolocation organ.

The muscles of the echidna are rather peculiar. So, a special muscle panniculus carnosus, located under the skin and covering the entire body, allows the echidna to roll into a ball in case of danger, hiding the stomach and exposing the spines. The muscles of the muzzle and tongue of the echidna are highly specialized. Her tongue is able to protrude 18 cm from her mouth. It is covered with mucus, to which ants and termites stick. The protruding tongue becomes stiffer due to the rapid flow of blood.

Interesting fact

The total length of the echidna's tongue reaches 25 cm. It is able to move at high speed – up to 100 movements per minute.

Echidnas have poor eyesight, but their sense of smell and hearing are well developed. Their ears are sensitive to low frequency sounds, which allows them to hear termites and ants under the soil.

This is a terrestrial animal, although if necessary it is able to swim and cross fairly large bodies of water. Echidna is found in any landscape that provides it with enough food – from wet forests to dry bush and even deserts. It is also found in mountainous areas, where snow lies part of the year, and on agricultural lands, and even in the metropolitan suburbs. The echidna is active mainly during the day, but hot weather makes it switch to a nocturnal lifestyle. The echidna is poorly adapted to the heat, since it does not have sweat glands, and the body temperature is very low – 30-32 °C. In hot or cold weather, it becomes lethargic; with a strong cold snap, it hibernates for up to 4 months. Stocks of subcutaneous fat allow her, if necessary, to starve for a month or more. Leads a solitary lifestyle (with the exception of the mating season).

The Australian echidna adapts well to life in captivity. Therefore, people often catch it for keeping at home. At the same time, natives love to hunt echidna for its tasty fat.

Interesting Facts

  • The Australian echidna is depicted on the five-cent coin and on the $200 commemorative coin issued in Australia in 1992.
  • Millie the Echidna was one of the mascots for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

 

American woodcock

American woodcock

pixabay.com

The American Woodcock is a bird that lives primarily in eastern North America. Spends most of its time on the ground, its plumage is ideal for camouflage among bushes and undergrowth. These birds have become very popular on Youtube and other video platforms due to their "dancing". American woodcocks sometimes rock back and forth when walking; it is believed that this helps them in their search for worms.

The American woodcock has a rounded body, short legs, a large rounded head, and a long straight beak – up to 7 cm. Adults reach 25–30 cm in length and weigh from 140 to 230 grams.

Woodcocks have large, high-set eyes, so they probably have the largest field of view of any bird, 360° horizontally and 180° vertically.

The American Woodcock uses its beak to find food, feeding mainly on invertebrates and especially earthworms. The unique arrangement of bones and muscles allows it to open and close the tip of its beak when it is submerged in the ground. The inside of the mandible and the tongue have a rough surface for gripping slippery prey.