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Nature Fun Facts #18

Did you know?

Birds are known for making some incredible migratory flights - across continents and even across oceans. But this tiny songbird, the Blackpoll warbler, makes an incredible journey that, pound for pound, may beat every other bird species in the world.

Blackpoll warblers can be found throughout the United States and Canada, even as far north as Alaska. But every year they travel to the East coast where they then embark on an incredible three-day long journey across the Atlantic ocean before arriving in their over-wintering grounds in South America.

This means that in total they travel up to 20,000 km (around 12,450 miles) every year.

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Animal of the Week #4

Quokka (Setonix brachyurus) - Vulnerable

Often referred to as "the happiest animal" the Quokka has become famous for it's adorable, rolly-polly looks and ever-smiling face. But there's much more to this animal than just it's good looks!

Quokkas are the only species within the genus Setonix, but being marsupials they are in the family Macropodidae and they are closely related to Kangaroos and Wallabies.

Like other marsupials, Quokkas give birth to a single small, undeveloped joey which spends about 6 months inside the mother's pouch, and then stays with the mother outside of the pouch for another 6 months before going off on it's own. But sometimes, it's not always safe with mom. Female Quokkas have been known to throw their joeys out of their pouches when being pursued by a predator, in the hopes that the predator will be distracted by the helpless joey, allowing the mother to escape.

Endemic to South-Western Australia, Quokkas were once quite prevalent on the mainland and several surrounding islands. But due to habitat loss, invasive predators such as foxes and cats, and devastating wildfires, Quokkas now only inhabit three main areas on the mainland.

There is a population in the northern jarrah forest (north of Perth), some in fragmented preserves around Albany, and in the southern forest between Nannup and Denmark. However the largest populations are now on two islands: Rottnest Island (near Perth) and Bald Island (near Albany). Currently the total Quokka population is around 7,500-15,000 mature individuals, which is a decline of around 50% within the last few decades.

So far it seems that the best method of conserving the Quokka is by reducing the invasive fox populations, and preventing the spread of wildfires in their remaining habitat. But more studies are being done to insure that "the happiest animal" will remain smiling well into the future.

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Wow it's been a while. The last few month have been an absolute whirlwind. But, now I'm back and ready to post more amazing animal and nature fun facts for you all to enjoy!

Nature Fun Facts #17

Did you know?

Blobfish are famous for their...rather unique appearance. But that's actually not what blobfish look like at all!

Blobfish are deep see fish that live at depths of around 2,000-3,900 feet (600-1,200 meters). At those depths there is extreme water pressure constantly bearing down on them. And just like it would be dangerous for humans not made to survive under such pressure to dive too deep, it's also dangerous for animals adapted to living under pressure to suddenly be in an environment with no pressure at all.

That's exactly what happened to the famous Blobfish everyone knows. The pink, gelatinous body became that way because of extreme tissue damage caused by the fish being rapidly pulled from the sea by fishers. So what does a Blobfish actually look like? Surprisingly, quite normal!

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Nature Fun Facts #16

Did you know?

Male giraffes have fierce neck battles over mates. The two males stand side-by-side and swing their necks at each other, while also trying to hit their opponent with their ossicones (the horn-like knobs on their heads). These fights can be so brutal that males will leave with serious, sometimes even fatal injuries.

Male giraffes learn how to fight from the time they are teenagers, and they develop their skills in sparring matches with other males around the same age and size. These fights, however, are very gentle and surprisingly fair and honorable, with the giraffes often taking turns to strike and allowing each other to switch to more favorable fighting positions.

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Animal of the Week #3

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) - Near Threatened

The Loggerhead Shrike is a medium sized passerine, endemic to North America. They tend to inhabit open, grassy habitats, such as pastures and grasslands, but they also require some trees in which to build nests and look out for prey.

These birds are most famous for their hunting ability. Despite being passerines, they are a predatory species, capable of killing prey larger than themselves. Although they mostly eat insects, they will also eat arachnids, reptiles, amphibians, rodents, small bats, and other birds. Loggerhead Shrikes often eat insects in flight, but for larger prey, they sever the neck, and then impale the prey on thorns or barbed wire. They will also impale prey they want to save for later.

Unfortunately, Loggerhead Shrike populations have been decreasing since the 1960s. While they were once prominent throughout the U.S, Canada, and Mexico, they are now almost extinct in Canada, with fewer than 35 known breeding pairs remaining. They are also gone from most northern U.S states, including every New England state. The reasons behind their decline are not fully understood, however the most likely reasons include habitat loss, pesticide contamination, and human disturbance.

But thankfully, there is conservation work in progress to hopefully save the Loggerhead Shrike. The Toronto Zoo and McGill University in Canada established a captive breeding population, and an experimental field breeding and release program is currently being managed by Wildlife Preservation Canada, which so far is seeing success with young they've released into the wild. So hopefully, before long we'll be seeing the Loggerhead Shrike making a comeback!

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Nature Fun Facts #15

Did you know?

In my last post I wrote about the ferocious Honey badgers, and how very few animals will try to mess with them. Well, cheetahs have evolved to use this to their advantage.

Cheetahs rely mainly on their speed, not only to catch prey, but also to evade larger predators like lions. But young cheetah cubs aren't able to run very fast, so instead their mother will leave them hidden in tall grasses for much of the day, while she goes out hunting. This is where the Honey badger comes in. Cheetah cubs are born with white fur down their backs and grey flanks, very similar to how Honey badgers look. This means that when a predator comes across a cheetah cub curled up in the grass, it looks similar enough to a Honey badger that most of the time, the predator will decide not to risk an attack.

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Daily Nature Fun Facts #14

Did you Know?

When you think of the most ferocious animal in Africa, the first animals that usually come to mind are lions or maybe crocodiles. But what about the Honey Badger? These ferocious members of the Mustelid family are known to fearlessly attack almost any other species, and they are able to repel large predators like lions and Hyena. They'll even drive away animals like horses, cattle, or cape buffalo that get too close to their burrows.

Because of their tough skin, animal bites, bee stings, and porcupine quills rarely injure Honey Badgers. So they can easily raid bee hives for the honey and larvae, one of their favorite snacks, without worrying about being swarmed.

All this means that most animals, even tough predators like lions, will prefer to steer clear of the mighty Honey Badger.

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Daily Nature Fun Facts #13

Did you know?

There are several different species of moths which have adapted to living primarily on sloths! These "Sloth moths" make their homes in the sloth's thick fur and are thought to feed on the secretions of the sloth's skin and the algae that grows on the fur. Female sloth moths even lay their eggs in the sloth's feces, and the larvae live there until they transform into adult moths and fly off in search of their own sloth hosts.

It has been found that sloth moths tend to prefer three-toed sloth species rather than two-toed sloths, the reasons for which are yet unknown. But some individual three-toed sloths have been recorded carrying more than 120 moths in their fur.

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Daily Nature Fun Facts #12

Did you know?

The Cuvier's Beaked Whale holds the record for both the deepest and the longest dives by any mammal. These whales often make deep dives over 800m (2,624ft 8in) followed by several shorter, shallower dives. But in 2014, a Cuvier's Beaked Whale, living off the coast of California, was recorded diving 2,992m (9,816ft) below the surface, deeper than any other mammal. Then, in 2020, scientists reported a Cuvier's Beaked Whale making a dive that lasted for 222 minutes, the longest dive of any mammal.

Scientist believe the reason behind these extraordinary dives is to hunt deep sea squid and fish. But as to how they are able to go so deep and for so long, that mystery is yet to be solved.

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Daily Nature Fun Facts #11

Did you know?

It's commonly known that owls are able to fly almost silently through the air. But how do they do it? Well, for starters their wings are large compared to their body mass, allowing them to fly very slowly, up to 2 mph, with very little flapping. But the real secret is in their feathers. The leading edge of their flight feathers have a comb-like structure which breaks up the turbulence of the air into smaller streams. Those streams are then further dampened by the feather's silken texture and soft fringes on the wing's trailing edge. All this together allows owls to fly quietly and undetected through the air.

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Daily Nature Fun Facts #10

Did you know?

For a long time, Giant Panda populations have been struggling in the wild, and though captive breeding populations were established, it was discovered that breeding pandas is not as simple as one would think. One big reason for this is that female pandas only go into estrus for 2-3 days per year, and this can happen anytime between March and May. If that time slot is missed for any reason, then the female is unable to mate for another year.

Thankfully, captive breeding methods have improved over time, and Giant Pandas have been making a comeback in the wild, with their IUCN status being changed from Endangered to Vulnerable.

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Daily Nature Fun Facts #9

Did you know?

The world's largest living structure is the Great Barrier Reef, located off the coast of Queensland, Australia. It consists of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands spanning over 133,000 square miles, making it big enough to be seen from space. In 1997 it was named one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

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Daily Nature Fun Facts #8

Did you know?

Armadillos have tough shells made of dermal bone and keratin which protect them from predators. In fact, the shells are so strong that they have been known to withstand gunshots! A man in Texas was sent to the hospital after he fired a shot at an armadillo and it ricocheted off, hitting the man in the face.

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Daily Nature Fun Facts #7

Did you know?

Hermit crabs are constantly outgrowing their shells, meaning they are always on the lookout for a bigger upgrade. But it can be tough sometimes to find a shell that's just the right size. So, when a hermit crab finds a shell that is just a bit too big, it will wait by the shell for a larger hermit crab to come by and take that shell. That way the smaller crab can then take the old shell of the larger crab. In the meantime, while the crab waits, other hermit crabs will gather. And when finally a crab big enough to fit into the empty shell arrives, the crabs will form a line from biggest to smallest, each taking the old shell of the slightly larger crab in front of them. This is called a vacancy chain.

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Daily Nature Fun Facts #6

Did you know?

Acacia trees, which are native to Africa, warn each other when acacia eating herbivores in the area. When an animal starts to eat the leaves of an acacia tree, it sets off the tree's natural defense system of producing tannin in the leaves, which in high enough quantities, can be lethal. The tree then also emits ethylene into the air. The ethylene can travel up to 50 yards, and it functions as a message to other acacia trees to start producing tannin too.

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Animal of the Week #2

Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) - Near Threatened

Gila monsters are one of just a handful of venomous lizards in the world, and the only one native to the United States. They are also the largest lizard in the US, growing to an impressive 20 inches in length. They are inhabit the Southwestern US and Northwestern Mexico, and live in dry areas such as the Sonoran, the Mohave, and the Chihuahuan deserts.

Gila monsters spend about 90% of their lives underground, either in burrows they've taken over from other animals, or ones they dug themselves using their long claws, and they only rarely come out to mate and find food. They are able to store large amounts of fat in their tails, so they only need to eat 3-4 large meals each year. Typically, Gila monster's favorite food is bird, tortoise, and snake eggs, but they will sometimes also eat baby rabbits and ground squirrels.

Since their food is mainly things that can't fight back, Gila monster only use their venom against predators. However, unlike many other venomous animals which inject their venom using hollow fangs, Gila monsters have grooved teeth in their lower jaws which inject venom as the Gila monster chews. This means that they have extremely powerful jaws allowing them to hold on to their victims, sometimes for over 10 minutes.

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Daily Nature Fun Facts #5

Did you know?

Kiwis, which are endemic to New Zealand, lay the largest eggs compared to body size of any other bird in the world. While Kiwis are about the size of a domestic chicken, their eggs are about six times the size of an average chicken egg, and weigh up to one-quarter the weight of the female. Because of how large the egg is, the female is forced to fast for the last few days before the egg is laid, because there is not enough space for her stomach to expand.