Animals

Tuesday, 1 September 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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Javan leopard
It is solitary.
It forms groups only for mating purposes.
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.
Platypus
The platypus breathes using its lungs.
The lungs are not symmetrical. On the right side they consist of two lobes and on the left side they consist of one lobe. Below the lungs is the diaphragm.
Leopard geckos
Its tail, which is as long as its body, serves as fat storage.
It comes in handy while food is scarce.
Axolotl
Axolotls reach sexual maturity usually at a year old.
Black-headed python
Although this is not their natural habitat, they can also be found in trees.
They are good climbers although they do not often use this ability.
Hippopotamus
Aside from eating, the entirety of a hippo's life takes place in water.
They spend up to 16 hours a day in it - as a way to cool off. They live mainly in freshwater habitat ...
Hippopotamus
Hippos reach an average of 3.5 - 5 meters in length and 1.5 meters in height at the withers.
Their head can weigh up to 225 kg. Hippos can open their mouths to a width of about 1 meter, and the length of their teeth reaches a maximum of 30 cm.
Shoebill
Drawings of the shoebill have been found in Egyptian tombs and date back to around 3500 BC.
Among some African tribes, hunting shoebills is forbidden and the bird is the subject of superstition. Some say that the mere mention of the bird's name on a boat trip can bring on a storm.
Giant panda
Despite a primarily plant-based menu, the panda's digestive system and dentition are still characteristic of carnivores.
The digestion efficiency of plant foods is very low in pandas which translates into small amounts of energy and protein.