Animals

Wednesday, 22 July 2026
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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Hawksbill sea turtle
Hawksbills are listed as Critically Endangered by the UICN Red List.
They face several threats to survival, the most threatening being the wildlife trade. Their unique s ...
Malaysian trumpet snail
The red-rimmed melania living in the waters of Israel has usually darker shells, allowing them to camouflage better against the basalt rocks.
Hedgehogs
Despite their ability to fend off most predators, hedgehogs are defenseless against badgers.
Badgers’ long and durable claws are not prone to injury while in contact with hedgehogs’ spikes. The hedgehog population in habitats domiciled by badgers is typically very small.
Insects
The size of currently living insects seems "just right" to us. However, if we moved back in time about 285 million years, we might get a shock.
At that time, the Earth was inhabited by giant dragonfly-like insects, the largest of which was Mega ...
Leopard geckos
The sex of their offspring is determined by the temperature within the first two weeks after an egg is laid.
In cooler temperatures like 26 °C - 29 °C (78,8 °F - 84,2 °F) more females will be produced, and more males in warmer temperatures like 34 °C - 35 °C (93,2°F - 95 °F).
Brittle stars
They reach sexual maturity in two to three years.
Most of them reach complete adulthood in the fourth year of life.
Ball python
They were once considered sacred.
People of the Igbo Tribe in Nigeria would throw funeral ceremonies for every individual accidentally killed.
Boa constrictor
They are solitary and group together mostly during the mating season.
They spend most of their time on the ground, although they can climb and are sometimes found in trees.
Sloth
They have feeble sight and hearing.
Their best-developed sense is taste.
Manatees
Manatees do not have many natural predators.
In addition to humans, they are threatened by sharks, crocodiles, and alligators, but this is rare b ...