It is almost the end of the week and so far we have talked about birds, mammals and reptiles. I figured this would be a good time to head to the sea and look at an unusual animal that is hardly ever seen by humans. So grab your diving gear and a little bit of courage because we are going to the deep, dark depths of the ocean!

The Pelican Eel is related to the true eels (the ones that we probably familiar with), however, these deep sea eels have some major differences. Most notably has to be the size of this particular eels mouth. The pelican eel has a very large, hinged mouth that is capable of consuming fish much larger than itself. You can see the size of the mouth in the picture above. Actually, this eel received the “Pelican” portion of its name since the lower job resembles the pouch-like beak of a pelican. The most bizarre thing about their mouth is the fact that the pelican eel mostly feeds on small crustaceans. As a matter of fact, they have tiny teeth which are not consistent with animals which feed primarily on fish.

The other interesting feature of this eel is located at the other end of their body. The very tip of their tail happens to be a very complex organ with several tentacles. The cool thing about this organ is the fact that it will glow pink. Scientists presume this feature is to attract fish into the area so it can chomp away at them with their extremely over-sized mouth. Again, this is an odd behaviour for an animal that is suppose to feed on small crustaceans. I am starting to think there is something “fishy” about our understanding of this eel. It just doesn’t make sense to me why they have evolved a large mouth, an attractive tail yet have small teeth and are known to feed on small creatures. Maybe they are in the process of changing for whatever reason? Whatever their story is at least it is an interesting one for all of us to read about.

That just about does it for today’s deep sea adventure. I am glad everyone made the trip and had a safe adventure. See all of you tomorrow!

As promised, I am providing all of my readers with the link to the Segment of Daily Planet which featured Wild Facts.  I want to thank all of you for reading and supporting Wild Facts.  It feels great knowing that people are actually enjoying this passion of mine.

So sit back, grab some popcorn and tune into the Daily Planet.  Don’t worry, this particular clip is only 1.18 minutes. Although, I do encourage all of you to watch Daily Planet on a regular basis since it really is an incredible show.

Okay, here is the link:

Daily Planet – March 9, 2010 – Wild Facts

Before we get into today’s Wild Fact, I have a little bit of housekeeping to take care of.  First of all I wanted to thank Larissa over at Reef Botanicals for presenting Wild Facts with the Sunshine Award.  Your support is greatly appreciated, Larissa.  Secondly, I wanted to let all of you know that Wild Facts was featured on Daily Planet which aired last night on the Discovery Channel.  I will post details and link to the show once it is posted online.  Thank you to Margo Losier for recommending Wild Facts to the producers at Daily Planet. I have to admit, I feel very honoured to have Wild Facts featured on such an amazing television program about Science and Technology.  All right, let’s get onto Wild Fact #858!

Today we are going to talk about a little Australian lizard called the Thorny Devil. They may look like the deadliest animal in the world, however, these lizards are only about 15-20 cm (5.9-8″) long. Although they may not be deadly to us, I would hate to be an ant in Australia with these guys kicking around.  The thorny devil is capable of consuming about 3000 ants in one sitting! Imagine the fear that would strike the little ants when they see the deadly, thorny lizard approaching. My guess is you would hear faint cries of “Godzilla!  Godzilla!”.

Besides the incredibly cool appearance of the thorny devil they also have two adaptations that are absolutely mind boggling.  The first has to do with their method of consuming water.  Most people just go to the tap and pour themselves a glass.  Actually, who am I kidding, these days most people just grab a bottle of water out of the fridge.  Well, the thorny devil simply walks through dew-filled grass and shrubs.  You see, this particular lizard is able to drink water no matter where it hits them on their body.  They have these tiny little grooves all over their body that direct the water to their mouth.  Once the water lands on them they will begin gulping which causes the water to move towards their mouth using a capillary action.  Imagine how much water they would be able to drink when they are swimming or in the shower.

The second adaptation is one of our usual defense mechanisms.  When a predator actually wants to try and consume this spikey little lizard they will have a tough time finding its head.  You see the thorny devil hides its real head and exposes a fake, spike-filled head which is located on their back.  As you can imagine the predator will be very surprised if it tries to attack the ball of spikes.  This isn’t one of those  good surprises either.

If you just can’t get enough of the Thorny Devils then I suggest checking out the video below.  It is just a short clip from National Geographic that discusses both adaptations I mentioned in today’s post.

Well, I guess that is all I have to say about the Thorny Devil.  Be sure to check back tomorrow for another interesting Wild Fact or if you would like to receive Wild Facts in your e-mail then just sign up at the top right corner.

Photo credit © John C. Stroud

I have so many animals that I find intriguing that it always surprises me when I discover that I have yet to create a fact for them.  Today we are going to talk about one of my favourite bird species, the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. I hope you have all had the pleasure of witnessing these majestic little birds but if not, don’t worry since you will learn all about them in the next few minutes.

The ruby-throated hummingbird is a small bird measuring between 7 to 9 cm (2.5 to 3.5″) long with a wing span of about 8 to 11 cm (3 to 4″).  They can be found throughout North America during the summer months and in Mexico and Central America during the winter.  That’s right, the ruby-throated hummingbird is just like your Grandma and Grandpa and head to warmer climates for the winter.  If you ask me these birds are smarter than I am!  Believe it or not some of the ruby-throated hummingbirds will make this trip to their winter homes in a non-stop flight across the Gulf of Mexico. In order to prepare for this extraordinarily long trip the hummingbird will double their size before their winter vacation.  So now they have an excuse to eat hamburgers and junk food throughout the summer.  I am telling you, these birds know how to live!

There is no way that I can have a Wild Fact about hummingbirds and not mention their unique flying ability.  I am sure we are all aware that hummingbirds move their wings at incredible rates of speed. In fact they beat their wings about 53 times per second.  I am having a hard time putting this speed into perspective but just understand that they are blazing fast. Not only are they fast but the ruby-throated hummingbird has no problems hovering in one spot, flying upside down or flying backwards!  The Snowbirds would be out of a job if we could organize a group of hummingbirds to entertain Canadians at Summertime festivals and sporting events.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Fast Fact: This hummingbird has extremely short legs so they are not able to walk or even hop very efficiently. It is a good thing they are such prolific fliers.

I guess I wasn’t able to convince anyone to appreciate the earwig last week.  Personally, I still think they are pretty cool but what can I say, I am a Wildlife Biologist, so I like all animals. I feel bad that I ended the week with such an “icky” Wild Fact so I thought I would make it up to all of you today with a cute, fuzzy animal.  There is something seriously wrong with you if you don’t like the Tree Kangaroo!!

As you can imagine the tree kangaroo is a relative of the regular kangaroo but it prefers to live in trees.  They can be found in the rain forests of New Guinea and Northeastern Queensland.  The tree kangaroo is similar to a turtle.  No, I don’t mean genetically! I mean in the sense that they are awkward, slow and clumsy on land but the minute you put them into their preferred environment (i.e. trees) they become nimble, agile and swift.  I am pretty impressed that I was just able to make a comparison between a kangaroo and a turtle!

So how did these kangaroos get to the trees? It is believed they evolved from animals similar to kangaroos and wallabies since they have retained the large legs. In order to survive in the trees though, they developed strong fore-limbs for climbing and incredibly long tails for balance.  Unlike, kangaroos which have long, narrow feet, which allow them to move quickly on the plains, the tree kangaroo has shorter and wider feet used for climbing.  These feet are even more adapted for life in the trees with their long claws and rubber soles.  Yes, they have rubbery soled feet which obviously provides them with better grip.  It is like they carry that anti-slip bathtub mat with them at all times!

If you have a bit of time then I recommend checking out the following video from National Geographic.  It explains how researchers are using “Critter Cams” to learn more about these mysterious animals.

So there is your cute and cuddly fact to start the week.  Have a good one!

Photo by L. Jesse

I just realized that it has been awhile since we have done a post about those pesky little insects.  I am surprised by this since I am absolutely fascinated by insects and the incredible behaviours they exhibit. My goal today is to try and convince at least one person that some of the “yuckiest” insects such as the Earwig have some pretty good qualities as well. Stop squirming and continue reading to find out more about this little “pincerbug”.

I am sure a lot of us have had the pleasure to see an earwig up close and personal.  I am not sure how many of us though actually took the time to appreciate and understand this harmless little bug.  Earwigs are often blamed for destroying crops and other foliage.  Although, they do feed on this yummy plant material (well, yummy to them, not to me) they also feed on various insects which are known to cause even more damage to our beloved crops. Personally, I would take the lesser of two evils and utilize the earwigs to protect my valuable resources. I am not saying I would go out and collect 1000’s of earwigs to protect my farm, well unless it was an earwig farm of course!

I am guessing you are still not convinced that the earwig deserves a little bit of appreciation so I will keep trying.  How about this one?  Did you realize that the earwig is one of the few insects that actually cares for its eggs and will watch over the little nymphs until they reach their second molt.  You see most insects just drop their eggs and let them fend for themselves.  That would be equivalent to us dropping our newborn baby in the wild and saying, “Good Luck Little Nathan, I hope you survive”.  I guess this strategy worked for that Jungle Book guy so maybe it isn’t too bad.  Anyway, back to my point!  Yes, the female earwig is a proud mother and will take extreme measures to ensure the safety of her young ones.  If you ask me this is a pretty impressive trait for this heroic insect!

So you still haven’t rushed out to buy the latest Earwig T-Shirt? (could you imagine if they actually had these)  Maybe you will be a little less scared of the earwig after I clear up the myth that they crawl into your ear and bore into your brain.  I can tell you right now that they have better things to do such as caring for their young!

You have to admit that the maternal instinct of the earwig is pretty impressive and unique.  I think they deserve and a little appreciation and I hope you see that now too.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

I had so much fun yesterday writing about an animal that looks like a cat, which is named after a cat but is not a cat that I thought it would great to actually write about a cat! No, the Caracal isn’t your friendly, fluffy, neighbourhood cat but it is pretty interesting nonetheless.  Why don’t you hop on the Wild Facts Train and find out more about this medium-sized cat from Africa and the Middle-East.

Please ensure that your seats and tray tables are locked in the upright position because here we go.  Wait! I don’t think you have to worry about your seats and trays on a train, do you??  Oh well, moving on! The caracal has often been compared to the Eurasian Lynx and at one time was thought to be a close member to the lynxes. This is not the case as the caracal is more closely related to the serval (keep your eyes peeled for a Wild Fact on the Serval in the coming days).

Have you ever wondered where people come up with these weird names for animals? Who thought of the name “Caracal”?  Apparently, the term “Caracal” is turkish for black ear! Pretty original, eh?  If you are observant you may say to yourself that their ears are not that black so why are they named after it.  Then I will tell you that the young caracal cats ears are black on the outside but this colour disappears as they become adults.  Imagine what those awkward teenage years are like for the young caracal’s.  One black ear and one normal coloured ear!  The other cats laughing and pushing at poor Carl the Caracal just because he matured faster than the others.  Awww, that poor cat! Oh, before I forget I wanted to mention that the ears of the caracal are actually controlled by 20 different muscles. If I remember my human anatomy correctly, the human ear only has 2 muscles.  These ear muscles are significant for the caracal since it relies heavily on hearing to capture its prey.

For the record, they will prey on rodents, gazelles, antelopes and birds.  In my opinion the caracal is like most house cats that I am familiar with.  They are fussy and spoiled.  In fact, the caracal is such a fussy eater that it will actually use its claws to peel off the fur of the larger prey species.  The fur bothers them but apparently feathers are fine for them to eat.  I guess I am just a dog person since I have never understood cats.

This is the last stop for the Wild Facts Train.  I will be sure to pick you up the same time tomorrow.  Maybe we should just start car pooling?

Oh boy!  We are all in for a real treat today!  No I am not giving out candy although that might be a good idea.  Little Wild Facts chocolates in the shape of different animals! See how easy I get side-trac…..oooooh a shiny quarter! We are lucky today because we will be learning about the Binturong!  Anyone know what a Binturong is? Well, stick around and you will find out plus I will tell you some pretty cool things about this odd animal.

Good, you are still here!  That means you are as excited about the binturong as I am OR you are procrastinating from something important! Oddly enough the Binturong is also called the Asian Bearcat, although it is neither a bear nor a cat.  Apparently the culture that named this animal “Bearcat” is now extinct, which is sad since we will never know why they received that name.  If I had to guess, I would say it is simply because they have the face of a cat and the body of a small bear but that is just me!

So what is so darn interesting about the bearcat? These little guys love the trees so their legs have adapted to their living environment.  Climbing down trees can be tricky but the binturong is able to rotate their hind legs so the claws can still grip as they bolt down the tree head first.  Just think, you would never have to call the Fire Department to get this “Cat” out of your tree.

Communication plays a very important role in the binturong’s life.  They have been known to make a lot of different noises.  Believe it or not, when this bearcat is in a happy and playful mood, they will actually make a chuckling sound! Besides them laughing at you from the trees you may also hear them hissing, grunting or howling.  They will also use their scent glands for communication. They will wave their tail in order to spread their musky scent to the nostrils of other animals in the area.  You have any idea what this might smell like? Would you believe me if I told you the binturong actually smells like buttered popcorn!! Their scent glands give off a smell similar to Theatre Style Popcorn.  I wonder if you could get extra butter?  Imagine trying to research these little guys.  I would be so hungry and have such a craving for popcorn!

I told you that you were in for a treat today!  A popcorn-smelling treat!  Enjoy the rest of your day!

Nile Crocodile - Photograph by Chris Johns

I am not sure what animal today’s post will be about but I can tell you that I am pretty excited to pass on this information.  I know you have probably read the title and think that the post is about the Nile Crocodile, however, I am actually going to talk about the “Cave Crocodiles” which are most likely a subspecies of the Nile Crocodile.

The locals in Madagascar near Ankarana Nature Reserve have long known about crocodiles that live hundreds of feet below ground.  In 2003, Scientists managed to go down there and find out if their were indeed crocodiles living in underground caves.  Of course, the locals were right and there are numerous crocodiles living below the nature reserve.  The Nile Crocodile is a large croc that can be over 16 feet in length.  There have been reports that these Cave Crocodiles can get up to 20 feet long.  Like most reptiles, crocodiles depend on the sun to warm them up enough so they actually have enough energy to eat or do anything for that matter.  I may not be a genius but I don’t think there is much sunlight hundreds of feet underground, so why are they there and how do they survive?

Those are both excellent questions which I don’t have definite answers for as of yet but I have a few ideas.  First, why are they there? The normal Nile Crocodiles are feared and hunted by man quite frequently since they destroy livestock, etc. It is believed that these Cave Crocodiles went undergound to escape.  Whether it was to protect themselves from human or some other force, I don’t know.  But I can tell you that they managed to survive underground leading to generations of cave crocodiles (I couldn’t make up a better example of “Survival of the Fittest”). So lets assume that they went underground because of a serious threat and ended up surviving.  How did they manage to survive? Crocodiles are able to survive up to a year on one meal alone since they can consume up to 20% of their body weight at one time.  It is believed that they will leave their protected shelters to grab a bite to eat before returning and surviving for the rest of the year on that meal.  I wonder if they are able to go through the Drive Thru to speed things up?  Yes, I will have 25 Cattle Happy Meals and a Large Coke!

I just wanted to make you all aware of these incredibly unique crocodiles living underground in Madagascar.  I guess this is just one more reason to take a trip there! I highly recommend reading this National Geographic Article about the Cave Crocodiles at http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/06/0620_030620_cavecrocs.html

That does it for me!  See Ya Later, Alligator……………After NILE Crocodile!

Brady Barr with a captured Cave Crocodile beneath the Ankarana Nature Reserve in Madagascar. Photograph copyright Brady Barr/NGT&F

Happy Monday Everyone!  You all know I am going to start today’s post talking about the Olympics.  Currently I am typing this up just after the closing ceremonies.  My nerves are still shot from the Canada vs. USA hockey game, which by the way was one of the best games I have ever seen.  I wanted to take this opportunity to Congratulate all of the athletes and especially the Canadians for an incredible Olympic Performance!  Canada set a Winter Olympic record with 14 Gold Medals and managed to achieve the most medals in Canadian history.  Every one who had a hand in the Olympic Winter Games has made me proud to be Canadian.  The athletes, volunteers and of course the fans were absolutely spectacular.  Now, I don’t know what to do with myself! I really enjoyed watching and cheering on our Canadian men and women.  Oh well, I guess I will just have to focus on Wild Facts.  Speaking of Wild Facts, I suppose we should get on with today’s fact.  That pesky reader from Man Over Board (by the way, I like the new look to your site) mentioned something about not having a Killer Whale post.  Since, I never like disappointing my readers, today’s post is of course about the Killer Whale!

The Killer Whale or Orca is the largest member of the Dolphin family.  Yeah, I said dolphin! They can be found in all of our oceans ranging from the Arctic and Antarctic to the Caribbean Seas.  Now, don’t let the name fool you though, the killer whale isn’t really that vicious.  Oh wait, yes they are! Killer whales prey on seals, sea lions and even whales!  To make matters worse they travel in families of up to 40 individuals.  The hunting strategy of the orca has often been compared to wolves since they both use co-operative hunting techniques. Nothing better than the thought of 40 killer whales working together to catch you.  In all honesty, the attack rate on humans is very low so there is no need for you to have nightmares and wet your bed tonight.

Scientists are discovering that there may be 3 to 5 different sub-species or possibly different species of killer whales. For instance, their are resident killer whales which feed primarily on fish species and have the large, complex family structure I discussed above.  Then there are the transient killer whales which feed primarily on marine mammals such as seals.  The transient orcas have smaller families and don’t rely as heavily on each other as the resident species.  Finally, there are the offshore killer whales which may eat both fish and mammals.  They will travel in groups of 60 or more, however, little is known about this sub-species but they are genetically different then the other two mentioned above.  I never knew that the killer whales taxonomy was so complicated.

Well, I guess that is just about enough from me today!  I will carry on with my Team Canada Celebrations now!  Have a good day everyone!