Pygmy Marmoset
The Pygmy Marmoset is a monkey native to the rainforest canopies of western Brazil, southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, and eastern Peru. It's one of the smallest primates, with its body length ranging from 5.5 to 6.5 inches (14 to16 centimeters) excluding its 6 to 8 inch tail. Males weigh around 5 ounces (140 grams), and females 4.2 ounces (120 grams).
The Pygmy Marmoset bears a tawny coat and a ringed tail that can be as long as its body. Their claws are specially adapted for climbing trees. Although omnivorous, much of their diet comes from tapping trees for sap. Up to two-thirds of their time is spent gouging tree bark to reach the gummy sap. The Pygmy Marmoset has specialized incisors for gouging holes in bark.
Proboscis Monkey
The Proboscis Monkey ?- also known as Long-nosed Monkey ?- is a reddish-brown arboreal Old World monkey.
Its most distinctive trait is the male's large protruding nose. The purpose of its large shnoz is unclear, but it's been suggested that it's a result of sexual selection. The female Proboscis Monkey prefers big-nosed males.
Males are much larger than females, reaching 28 inches (72 centimeters) in length, with tails up to 29 inches, and weighing up to 53 pounds (24 kilograms). Females are up to 24 inches (60 centimeters) long, weighing up to 26 pounds (12 kilograms).
The Proboscis Monkey has a large belly as a result of its diet. Its digestive system releases a lot of gas, resulting in the monkey's ?'bloated' bellies.
Pink Fairy Armadillo
The Pink Fairy Armadillo is the smallest of its species. It's about 3.5 to 4.5 inches (90 to115 Milimeters) long excluding the tail, and pale rose or pink in color. It's found in central Argentina inhabiting dry grasslands and sandy plains with thorn bushes and cacti. It has the ability to bury itself completely in a matter of seconds if alarmed.
The Pink Fairy Armadillo burrows small holes near ant colonies in dry dirt where it feeds upon them.
Narwhal
The Narwhal is an Arctic aquatic mammal, one of two species of white whale ?- the other being the beluga whale.
The most conspicuous characteristic of male narwhal is their single extraordinarily long tusk, an incisor that projects from the left side of the upper jaw and forms a left-handed helix. The tusk can extend up to 10 feet (3 meters) long. About one in 500 males has two tusks, which occurs when the right tooth, normally small, also grows out. Although rare, a female narwhal may also produce a tusk.
Scientists believe the tusk is primarily used for showmanship and for dominance ?- males with larger tusks are more likely to successfully attract a mate. This hypothesis was suggested by the activity of ?'tusking', in which two males rub their tusks together.
Male narwhals weigh up to 3500 pounds (1600 kilograms), the female around 2200 pounds (1000 kilograms). Most of the body is pale with brown speckles in color, though the neck, head and edges of the flippers and fluke are nearly black. Older animals are usually more brightly colored than younger animals.
Komondor Dog
The Komondor is a livestock guardian dog breed originally from Hungary
Females are 27 inches (69 centimeters) at the shoulders. Male Komondorok are a minimum of 28 inches at the shoulders, but many are over 30 inches tall. People unfamiliar with the breed are often surprised by how quick and agile they are.
Its long, thick, strikingly corded white coat resembles dreadlocks or a mop. The puppy coat is soft, fluffy and wavy, curling as the puppy matures. A fully mature coat is formed naturally from the soft undercoat and the coarser outer coat combining to form tassels, or cords. Maintenance is required in separating the cords so the dog doesn't become a large matted muddle. The length of the cords increases with time as the coat grows.
Hagfish
Hagfish are marine vertebrates, with some debate as to whether they're strictly fish. Their unusual feeding habits and slime-producing capabilities have led to the hagfish being dubbed as the most ?'disgusting' of all sea creatures.
Hagfish are long worm-shaped creatures that exude copious amounts of a sticky slime or mucus. When captured and held by the tail, they escape by secreting the fibrous slime, which turns into a thick and sticky gel when combined with water. They clean themselves off by tying in an overhand knot which works its way from the head to the tail of the animal, scraping off the slime as it wriggles.
Hagfish have elongated, ?'eel-like' bodies, and paddle-like tails. Colors vary by species, ranging from pink to blue-grey, and may have black or white mottling. The eyes may be non-functional or absent. With no true fins or jaws, they have six barbels around their mouths and a single nostril. They have a pair of horizontally moving structures with tooth-like projections for pulling off food. They average 18 inches (45 centimeters) in length.
Hagfish enter both living and dead fish, feeding on the insides. They often enter through the openings of the mouth, gills or anus. They tend to be quite common in their range, sometimes becoming a nuisance to fishermen by devouring the catch before it can be pulled to the surface.
Frill-Necked Lizard
The Frill-necked Lizard ?- also known as the Frilled Lizard or Frilled Dragon ?- has been nicknamed as such due to the large ruff of skin which usually lies folded back against its head and neck. The neck frill is supported by long spines of cartilage. When the lizard is frightened, it gapes its mouth showing a bright pink or yellow lining, and the frill flares out, displaying bright orange and red scales. The frill may also aid in maintaining body temperature.
They can grow up to 3 feet (1 meter) in total length and often walk 2-legged when on the ground. When frightened they begin to run on all-fours and accelerate onto the hind-legs.
The lizard is found in southern New Guinea, the Kimberley region of Western Australia and across northern Australia. It primarily inhabits savanna woodlands, but may also be found in tropical to warm temperate forests.
Emperor Tamarin
The Emperor Tamarin is a primate supposedly named for its similarity with the German emperor Wilhelm II. The name started as a joke, but stuck and became the official scientific name.
This tamarin is found in the southwest Amazon Basin, east Peru, north Bolivia and in the west Brazilian states of Acre and Amazonas. The primate inhabits tropical rain forests, living deep in the forest and in open tree-covered areas.
They're predominantly grey with yellowish speckles on their chest. The hands and feet are black and the tail is brown. The most notable feature is its long white mustache, extending to the sides beyond its shoulders. They reach to a length of 9.5 to 10.5 inches (24 to 26 centimeters), with a 14 inch (35 centimeter) long tail, and weigh approximately 11 to 14 ounces (300 to 400 grams).
Dumbo Octopus
This octopus is sometimes nicknamed ?'Dumbo octopus' due to the ear-like fins protruding from the top of its ?'head' (actually body), resembling the ears of Walt Disney's flying elephant Dumbo. They live at extreme depths, and are some of the rarest of the Octopoda species.
Blobfish
The Blobfish inhabits the deep waters off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania. Due to the inaccessibility of its habitat, it's rarely seen by humans.
Blobfish are found at depths where the pressure is several dozens of times higher than at sea level. To remain buoyant, the flesh of the Blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water; which allows the fish to float above the sea floor without expending energy on swimming. The relative lack of muscle is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats by in front it.
Aye-Aye
The Aye-aye is native to Madagascar, that combines rodent-like teeth with a long, thin middle finger. Being the world's largest nocturnal primate, It's characterized by its unique method of finding food, tapping on trees to find grubs, then gnawing holes in the wood and inserting its elongated middle finger to pull the grubs out.
The Aye-aye is currently an endangered species. They're the world's largest nocturnal primate, and dwell predominantly in forest canopies, weighing about 5.5 pounds (2.5 kilograms).
Axolotl
The Axolotl is the most widely known of the Mexican mole salamanders. The species originates from the lake underlying Mexico City. Axolotls are used extensively in scientific research for their ability to regenerate body parts. They're commonly kept as pets in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, and Japan.
A sexually-mature adult axolotl, at age 18 to 24 months, ranges in length from 6 to18 inches (15 to 45 centimeters) although 9 inches is most common.
Agora Rabbit
The Angora rabbit is a variety of domestic rabbit bred for its long, soft hair. They're believed to have originated in Turkey, along with the Angora cat and Angora goat. The rabbits made for popular pets with French royalty in the mid 1700s, spreading to other parts of Europe by the end of the century.
Angoras are bred mainly for their soft silky wool. Most are calm and docile but should be handled carefully. Grooming its fur is necessary to prevent the fur from matting and felting on the animal. Prone to hairballs, they require daily grooming.
Alpaca
The Alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid derived from the wild alpacas. It resembles a sheep in appearance but larger, with a long erect neck. The Alpaca has varied colors, whereas sheep are generally bred to be white and black.
Alpacas graze in herds on the level heights of the Andes of Ecuador, southern Peru, northern Bolivia, and northern Chile
Smaller than llamas, they're valued only for their fiber. Alpacas have fleece fibers ?- not woolen ?- used for making knitted and woven items much as sheep's wool is. Alpacas and llamas differ in that llamas have banana shaped ears and long tails and alpacas have straight ears and stubby tails.
Platypus
The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. It is the sole living representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record.
The bizarre appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed mammal baffled naturalists when it was first discovered, with some considering it an elaborate fraud. It is one of the few venomous mammals; the male Platypus has a spur on the hind foot which delivers a poison capable of causing severe pain to humans. The unique features of the Platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology and a recognizable and iconic symbol of Australia; it has appeared as a mascot at national events and is featured on the reverse of the Australian 20 cent coin.
Until the early 20th century it was hunted for its fur, but it is now protected throughout its range. Although captive breeding programs have had only limited success and the Platypus is vulnerable to the effects of pollution, it is not under any immediate threat.
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