Animals

Thursday, 1 January 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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Wombat
Wombats are a solitary, territorial species, with each individual having a fixed range in which it lives and feeds.
They dig a burrow system with multiple exits in the ground or under limestone rocks. Burrows are dug ...
Hedgehogs
Ancient Persians regarded hedgehogs as sacred animals.
They believed Ahura Mazda, god of the sky, created them as envoys of truth and light. They valued hedgehogs for consuming vermin that destroyed crops.
Hawksbill sea turtle
The pattern on their carapace is called tortoiseshell.
It is amber, with an irregular black and dark-brown pattern. It is unique because of its overlapping scutes—five central, and four lateral.
Basking shark
The basking shark's most distinctive feature is its five pairs of giant gill slits.
They encircle its body behind its head like a collar and almost meet at the top and bottom. 
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.
Platypus
It has a characteristic beak that is large and soft.
It does not act as a mouth, it is a sensory organ, while the mouth is located underneath it. The nostrils are located on the top of the beak.
Sea otter
They forage on the bottom of coastal waters.
Their main food is clams and mussels, but they can also hunt squid, octopus and fish. In general, over 100 species make up their menu.
Stingrays
To swim, stingrays use paired pectoral fins.
Their moves look like an underwater flight.
Gila monster
Gila monsters fell prey to coyotes, badgers, snakes, and birds of prey.
Otters
Females give birth to one pup after two to three months of gestation.
Pups become fully independent after a year, until which time they stay with their family.