July142011

Cantor’s Giant Softshell Turtle

Asia // Endangered // Testudines // image source

Fun Fact: This softshell turtle almost always remains buried in sand underwater. It only comes up to breathe twice a day.

turtle turtles testudines endangered asia reptiles weird animals 

July132011

Giant Freshwater Stingray

Southeast Asia // Vulnerable // Cartilaginous Fish // image source

Fun Fact: The giant freshwater stingray is one of the largest freshwater fish. There have been reports of them weighing up to 600 kg.

animals asia cartilaginous fish fish southeast asia vulnerable weird chondrichthyes 

July122011

Babirusa

Southeast Asia // Endangered // Artiodactyla // photo source

Fun Fact: Babirusa literally means “deer pig” in Indonesian. Males have two special tusks that pierce the roof of their mouth from the inside.

mammals artiodactyla endangered southeast aisa asia animals 

July22011

Chinese Water Deer

East Asia // Vulnerable // Artiodactyla // photo source

Fun Fact: Male water deer have tusks instead of antlers.

artiodactyla asia east asia mammals vulnerable weird animals 

June252011

Temminck’s Tragopan

Asia // Least Concern // Galliformes // photo source

Fun Fact: Tragopans are a type of pheasant. The name comes from tragos, the Greek word for “goat”, and Pan, an ancient Greek nature god who had goat legs and horns.

asia birds galliformes least concern animals 

June242011

Binturong

Southeast Asia // Vulnerable // Carnivora // photo source

Fun Fact: Believe it or not, the musk of the binturong smells like buttered popcorn.

mammals southeast asia asia vulnerable carnivora animals 

June232011

Hummingbird Hawk Moth

Eurasia, North Africa // Conservation Status Unknown // Lepidoptera // photo source

Fun Fact: The hummingbird hawk moth has a wingspan of up to 45mm (almost 2 inches)

africa animals asia eurasia europe insects lepidoptera north africa moths moth 

June222011

Ambulocetus

South Asia // Paleogene (50 million years ago) // Cetacea // image source

Fun Fact: It is known that Ambulocetus was an early ancestor of whales because its teeth, ear bones, and nostrils are similar to those of later cetaceans.

animals asia cetacea cetaceans eocene evolution extinct mammals paleontology south asia whales weird 

June152011

Luzon Bleeding-Heart

Southeast Asia // Near Threatened // Columbiformes // image source

Fun Fact: The Luzon bleeding-heart is found only on certain islands in the Philippines. 

asia birds columbiformes near threatened southeast asia weird 

June142011

Colugo

Southeast Asia // Least Concern // Dermoptera // image source

Fun Fact: Reaching a length of almost a foot and a half, Colugos are some of the largest gliding mammals. They are sometimes known as “flying lemurs”, but they are not closely related to lemurs.

animals asia dermoptera least concern mammals southeast asia weird 

← Older entries Page 1 of 2