Animals

Sunday, 12 October 2025
27 facts about turtles
27 facts about turtles
The only vertebrates so armored
The first turtles appeared on Earth at the end of the Permian about 240 million years ago. Although the first ones had neither plastron nor carapace, ...

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Siberian roe deer
On average, the Siberian roe deer grow to 145 centimeters tall and weigh approximately 60 kg.
Black-headed python
Except for humans and dingoes, they do not have many enemies.
However, this does not apply to juveniles, which can fall prey to larger predators.
Pink river dolphin
Although solitary, they seek human attention.
They are friendly toward humans and are said to push them back ashore when they go too far in the river.
Asian elephant
Calves are born after 18 to 22 months of gestation.
Given proper circumstances, the female can give birth to one calf every 2.5 to 4 years.
Blue-Tongued Lizard
They are not poisonous, but color of their tongues may fool a predator.
Bites can cause pain and leave a bruise but are not dangerous to humans.
American mink
Minks are a great threat, especially to seabirds that live in colonies, on islands several kilometers away from the mainland.
A mink can swim to an island and kill up to a hundred chicks in one night. A single individual can thus decimate a colony of several thousand birds.
Ocean sunfish
Colors vary from brown through grey to white.
Different patterns on the skin seem to be determined by the area of occurrence. While endangered or in stress, ocean sunfish can change skin coloration to darker.
Lemon shark
One female breed once a year.
The gestation lasts for 12 months, and after the female gives birth, she takes a year-long break between the litters.
Goblin shark
Their jaws are sought after by collectors who pay a good price for them because of their uniqueness.
Common cuckoo
The common cuckoo is mostly an insectivore.
Its delicacy is hairy caterpillars, which are not a treat for many bird species. Cuckoos sometimes eat the chicks and eggs of other species.