How does a mudskipper fish manage to walk on land? Why is the Hoatzin also known as The Stinkbird? And once the female Pipa toad has laid her eggs, where does she put them? The answers? The mudskipper can walk using its pectoral fins, the Hoatzin has a unique digestive system which gives the bird a manure-like odour, and the female Pipa Toad embeds its eggs on its back where they develop to adult stage. Illustrated throughout with outstanding full-colour artwork and detailed photographs, The Atlas of the Worlds Strangest Animals presents an in-depth look at 50 of the most unusual species. The selection spans a broad spectrum of wildlife, from the tallest land living mammal, the Giraffe, to the light, laughing chorus of Australian kookaburra birds to the intelligence of the Bottlenosed dolphin to the slow pace of the three-toed sloth. With chapters devoted to each of the continents and the worlds oceans, the books text describes the unusual characteristics of each animal and a map illustrates its geographical distribution. Four pages is given to each animal, with a Key Facts box offering fascinating details on the animals vital statistics such as weight, length, height, as well as information on their typical diet and life span. Ranging from the Worlds Oceans to the tropics and including egg-laying mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, cannibalistic insects and other invertebrates, The Atlas of the Worlds Strangest Animals is a fascinating introduction to some of natures most curious beasts.
Papildus informācija
Illustrated fact-filled guide to over 50 of the strangest species of animal
Contents
AFRICA Aardvark A long-nosed, burrowing, sub-Saharan mammal. Jacksons
chameleon A reptile that can change colour depending on mood, health and
temperature. Giraffe The tallest of all land-living animal species, and the
largest ruminant Hoopoe A colourful bird that is found across Africa and
Eurasia, the hoopoe is notable for its distinctive 'crown' of feathers. It is
the only extant species in the family Upupidae and was considered sacred by
the Ancient Egyptians. Naked Mole Rat An extremely ugly mammal with very
little hair. Gecko A brightly-coloured lizard that is able to walk on
ceilings.
ASIA Gharial One of the longest living crocodiles. It has an unusual snout
that gets thinner with age. Japanese Macaque The most northern-dwelling
non-human primate, the Japanese macaque is a very intelligent species. It is
the only animal other than humans and raccoons that is known to wash its food
before eating it. Mudskipper An amphibious fish that can use its pectoral
fins to walk on land. Probiscus Monkey A distinctive trait of this monkey
is the male's large protruding nose, from which it takes its name. Ratel
(honeybadger) A mammal that is known for being an intelligent tool-maker
and is one of the most fearless animals. Siamese Fighting Fish A colourful
fish that follows an elaborate mating system in which the male has to protect
the fertilised eggs from being eaten by the adult female. Tarsier A
quirky-looking primate with enormous eyes.
AUSTRALASIA Duck-billed Platypus The only mammal that lays eggs. It also
has a bizarre appearance. Red Kangaroo The baby (joey) Kangaroo is only the
size of a kidney bean when born, but has sufficient forearm strength to climb
into its mothers pouch and grow there for nine months. Emu The second
largest bird in the world. The Emu is the only bird with muscles in the lower
leg (calf muscles). Koala The Koala is a thickset tree-dwelling marsupial
herbivore. Its brain has shrunk over generations, perhaps due to its low
nutrition diet of eucalyptus branches. Laughing Kookaburra Known for its
distinctive call, the small and stocky Kookaburra bird starts with a low,
hiccupping chuckle, then throws its head back in raucous laughter: often
several others join in. Short-Beaked Echidna The Short-beaked Echidna is
covered in fur and spines and has a distinctive snout and a specialized
tongue, which it uses to catch its prey at a great speed. Sugarglider This
small gliding marsupial is native to Australia and New Guinea.
NORTH AMERICA American Bullfrog This amphibian possesses a just-visible
parietal eye between its eyes, which is photoreceptive and used for
regulating the animals circadian rhythm. American Mink The mink is very
territorial and males will fight other minks that invade their territory. Big
Brown Bat - Big Brown Bats navigate through the night skies by use of
echolocation, producing ultrasonic sounds through the mouth or nose. It is
one of two vespertilionids to produce audible sound during flight. Its voice
is a click or a sound like escaping steam. Southern Flying Squirrel have a
furry membrane called a patagium which extends between the front and rear
legs, used to glide through the air. Great Grey Shrike This songbird sings
to its mate, to neighbours and mimics the song of smaller birds to lure them
in for food. American Cockroach Is one of the fastest running insects.
Praying Mantis A cannibalistic insect. Females are known to decapitate
males after mating.
CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA Giant Otter This is the noisiest otter species and
distinct vocalizations have been documented that indicate alarm,
aggressiveness, and reassurance. Hoatzin A bird with an unusual digestive
system. Scientists are unsure where it fits into the world of birds in
general. Emperor Tamarin A small mammal with a long curly, white moustache
that lives in the rainforests. Pipa (Surinam) Toad A toad that looks like a
leaf. Pygmy Marmoset An unusual, small, tree-dwelling monkey. Red Howler
Monkey A monkey that is considered to be the loudest land animal. Southern
Tamandua An anteater: one of the only mammals where the adults have no
teeth. Three-toed Sloth An odd-looking, four-legged mammal, the three-toed
sloth swims well, lives mainly in trees and can only move on the ground by
dragging itself along.
EUROPE Compass Jellyfish Unlike many animals, jellyfish do not have a
brain, a central nervous system, a respiratory or a digestive system. The
Compass jellyfish is coloured white with brown. Cuckoo The adult female
cuckoo lays her egg in the nest of smaller birds, throwing one of those eggs
out. The cuckoo chick then grows bigger than the other chicks in its nest and
evicts them. Deaths Head Hawkmoth A moth that mimics the scent of bees.
European Honey Bee This insect uses quorum sensing, a method of collective
decision making to decide where to build the next nest. Skylark A small
brown bird renowned for its display flight and song. Great Diving beetle A
sizeable aquatic diving beetle. Wels Catfish A freshwater fish that is
scaleless and has six barbels on its mouth.
THE WORLDS OCEANS Bottlenose Dolphin Dolphins are noted for their use of
echolocation, their intelligence, sociability and friendliness towards humans
and other mammals. Cleaner Wrasse This fish is notable for its symbiotic
relationship with bigger fish at cleaning stations: the bigger fish allow the
Wrasse to eat parasites off its skin. Also, all Cleaner Wrasse are born
female. Common Octopus An Octopus is intelligent enough to learn how to
unscrew a jar and is known to raid lobster traps. Angler Fish A fleshy
growth from the fish's head acts as a lure. Also, anglerfish are
bioluminescent. Narwhal A whale with a characteristic long, straight,
helical tusk extending from its upper left jaw. Opalescent Squid An
Opalescent squid can change its colour shades depending on mood and for
camouflage. Sea Anemone A Sea Anemone is capable of both sexual and asexual
reproduction. Seahorse A distinct-looking fish. During social moments or in
unusual surroundings, seahorses turn bright colours.
Index
Paula Hammond is the author of a range of childrens books, including Atlas of the World's Strangest Animals, Atlas of the World's Endangered Animals, and Sharks & Underwater Monsters. She lives in London.
Biežāk uzdotie jautājumi par e-grāmatām