Blog Feed: Discovering flora and fauna of distinction. Biggest, smallest, fastest, oldest, etc.
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Fastest predatory appendages.
Published on 2012-03-09 00:57:00
Image: Luisa Mota via Flickr From the tropics and subtropics. Trapjaw Ants (Odontomachus sp.) have the fastest moving predatory appendages of any animal. You probably realise that the appendages in question are those huge mandibles. They can move at speeds up to 230 kilometres per hour (140 mph), snapping shut with incredible force to kill and maim prey. When the shoe is on the other foot they can bite the ground to propel themselves backwards and escape predators. Interesting that their ja [..]
Smallest tortoise in the northern hemisphere.
Published on 2012-03-01 01:06:00
Image: Wikipedia Image: Wikipedia From Libya. Kleinmann's Tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni) is the smallest tortoise in the northern hemisphere. They reach a length of about 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 inches). This little trooper lives in the arid heat of deserts and other dry areas. They were once found in Egypt but habitat destruction has just about wiped them out there. I hope this critically endangered little tortoise makes it, they make the desert just that little bit more friendly! More on K [..]
Only North American marsupial.
Published on 2012-02-28 00:23:00
Image: Jay Dugger via Flickr Image: Wikimedia From North and Central America. The Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is the only American marsupial that can be found north of Mexico. They're one of those animals that do really well in the urban environment, like rats, pigeons, raccoons and foxes. Isn't it interesting, the strange diversity of successful, city wildlife? More on the Virginia Opossum.
Biggest eared seal.
Published on 2012-02-23 01:58:00
Image: Wikimedia Image: Wikimedia From the northern Pacific. Eared seals are the sea lions and fur seals of the family Otariidae. The biggest of them is the Steller Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus). A big male can be 3.25 m (10.7 ft) long and weigh up to 1,120 kg (2,500 lb), but the average weight is about half that. Females are only a little shorter but weigh a lot less. They feed on all sorts of fish and squid. I guess the male just eats a lot more of them to support that expansive waistl [..]
Biggest land animal in Europe.
Published on 2012-02-21 01:54:00
Image: psteenhoff via Flickr Image: Wikimedia From a few parts of eastern Europe. Europe's biggest land animal is the Wisent, also known as the European Bison (Bison bonasus). They can reach up to 3.1 m (10 ft) long and 2 m (7 ft) tall. A really big male might weigh 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). The Wisent was finally hunted to extinction in the wild in 1927, leaving only a few dozen individuals in zoos. There has since been an ongoing process of reintroduction and they're now doing quite well. [..]
Biggest snail.
Published on 2012-02-18 05:59:00
From northern Australia and adjacent areas like eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea,etc. The world's biggest snail is the Australian Trumpet (Syrinx aruanus), which can reach 91 cm (36 in) ilong and weigh up to 18 kg (40 lb). It's a seasnail which lives in shallow waters and eats worms. That's about all that's known about it!
Only land mammal native to Hawaii.
Published on 2012-02-17 01:53:00
From Hawaii. Before humans came along, the Hawaiian Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus semotus) was the only land mammal on the island. And it has wings and it flies! That's what happens when you're a bunch of islands miles away from anywhere!
Biggest hornbill.
Published on 2012-02-16 01:56:00
Image: Wikimedia Image: Wikimedia From southern Africa. The world's biggest hornbill is the Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri). A large male can be up to 129 cm (51 in) long and weigh 6.2 kg (13.6 lbs). They use their size to catch insects, lizards, mammals as large as hares and any other meaty thing they can get their beak around. Just like Velociraptors! Only more scary because they're black and red. More on the Southern Ground Hornbill.
Most northerly shark.
Published on 2012-02-09 02:03:00
Image: JLplusAL via Flickr Image: Wikipedia From Arctic and north Antarctic waters. The Greenland Shark (Somniosus microcephalus) lives further north than any other shark. They have a whole host of adaptations for dealing with the cold, not least among them is a slow, lethargic lifestyle which involves them swimming around with all the speed of a glacier. Must be nice to have an excuse for your idleness! More on the Greenland Shark.
Only newt in Ireland.
Published on 2012-02-03 04:22:00
Image: Henk Wallays Image: Henk Wallays From most of Europe. The only newt native to Ireland is the Smooth Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris). Along with its famous lack of snakes, Ireland seems to be a herpetologist's nightmare! More on the Smooth Newt.
Biggest mole.
Published on 2012-02-02 02:33:00
Image: source From Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. The biggest mole in the world is the Russian Desman (Desmana moschata). It reaches about 20 centimetres (8 in) long, not including a tail of about equal length. It weighs 400 to 520 grams (14 to 18 oz). They live in small groups of 2 to 5 individuals in burrows on the edge of ponds and streams. In fact, they are semi-aquatic, and eat insects, crayfish and amphibians. In other words, your lawn is probably safe! More on the Russian Desman.
Biggest ray.
Published on 2012-02-01 00:17:00
Image: Wikimedia Image: Wikimedia From warm waters worldwide. The Batoids are the skates and rays and the biggest of the lot is the Manta Ray (Manta birostris). A particularly large individual can be 7.6 metres (25 ft) across, with a weight of about 1,300 kilograms (2,900 lb). Despite all that they are incredibly graceful swimmers and only eat tiny plankton. Ahhh! Nice to have a peaceful giant who's nice to look at for a change! More on the Manta Ray.
Smallest marsupial.
Published on 2012-01-31 01:46:00
Image source From northern Australia. The world's smallest marsupial is the Long-tailed Planigale (Planigale ingrami). They reach about 6 cm (2.4 in) long, not including a tail of about equal length. Their weight is little more than 4 grams (0.14 ounces). The have a head just 4 millimetres (0.16 in) deep and 5 times wider. This allows them to squeeze through leaf litter and soil in search of prey. Can you believe this teeny creature is actually a ferocious lion? They eat insects, lizards a [..]
Biggest tiger beetle.
Published on 2012-01-30 09:33:00
Image: berniedup via Flickr From southern Africa. The biggest Tiger Beetles are those that belong to the genus Manticora. They can reach a length of 4.5 cm (1.8 inches) or more. Most of them live in deserts and are nocturnal. Needless to say, they are formidable predators of other invertebrates. Some people in Africa consider them to be the personification of Death. I think I'll stick with the Grim Reaper, at least he doesn't have 2 scythes coming out of his face! More on Manticora.
Smallest sea urchin.
Published on 2012-01-10 01:38:00
Image: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Invertebrate Zoology The world's smallest sea urchin is called Echinocyamus scaber. It reaches just 6 mm (0.24 in) across! Sea Biscuit? Sand Dollar? Try Sea Crumb and Sand Cent!
Biggest moth in Australia.
Published on 2012-01-05 00:59:00
Image: Lepido-france ALF Image: emjanda via Flickr From New Guinea and Northern Australia. Australia's biggest moth is the Hercules Moth (Coscinocera hercules). It has a wingspan of about 27 cm (10.6 in) across. These moths do all their eating as caterpillars, so the adults don't need to feed at all. They just burn off the baby fat and devote their last week or so of life to finding a mate. Must be nice to be able to focus on one thing at a time like that! More on the Hercules Moth.
Longest bony fish.
Published on 2011-06-30 06:24:00
Image source From oceans all over the world at great depth. The longest bony fish in the world is the Giant Oarfish (Regalecus glesne), also known as the King of Herrings. The longest ever recorded was 17 m (56 ft) long, longer even than the confirme
Slowest flying bird.
Published on 2011-06-29 05:53:00
Image via WikipediaImage by renwest via Flickr From eastern North America. The slowest recorded flight speed for a bird was seen in an American Woodcock (Scolopax minor). It was flying at just 8 km/h (5 mph). Much slower than that and it would
Biggest flower in Britain.
Published on 2011-06-23 03:20:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia From Europe. Britain's biggest native flower are those of the White Waterlily (Nymphaea alba), which can reach about 20 cm (8 in) across. The entire plant can take up well over a metre (3.3 feet) o
Proportionally biggest testicles.
Published on 2011-06-22 13:52:00
Image by Richard Richards, University of Derby Oh dear. The Tuberous Bushcricket (Platycleis affinis) has the biggest testicles in proportion to weight of any animal. They take up 13.8% of its overall mass. That's like a man having some 22 pounds (10
Smallest frog.
Published on 2011-06-15 07:18:00
There are two contenders for the smallest frog and, consequently, the world's smallest tetrapod. Image source From 2 small areas of Cuba. One is the Monte Iberia Eleuth (Eleutherodactylus iberia). It's the smallest frog in the northern hemisphere,
Only canid that hibernates.
Published on 2011-06-11 05:37:00
Image via Wikipedia From east Asia, introduced into Europe. The Raccoon Dog is the only canid who hibernates for the winter. Canids include other dogs, wolves, jackals and coyotes, while the actual raccoon is a much more distant relation. They eat a
Deepest living fish.
Published on 2011-06-10 02:42:00
Image source From tropical and subtropical oceans, worldwide. A Cusk Eel known as Abyssobrotula galatheae is the deepest living fish ever caught. In 1970, one was trawled up from a deep sea trench near Puerto Rico at a depth of 8,370 m (27,453 ft).
Biggest freshwater fish.
Published on 2011-06-09 04:35:00
Image source From Southeast Asia. The Mekong Giant Catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) is the biggest freshwater fish in the world. One was caught in 2005 that was 2.7 metres (8.9 feet) long and weighed 293 kg (646 lb). It's regarded as the biggest freshwa
Smallest bird of paradise.
Published on 2011-06-08 04:28:00
Image via Wikipedia From New Guinea. The King Bird-of-Paradise is the smallest of them all at just 16 cm in length. It turns out that a tiny size is absolutely no bar whatever to heart-rending magnificence. The richness of those colours alm
Only jumping cockroach.
Published on 2011-06-07 04:41:00
Image source From South Africa. Discovered in 2009, the Leaproach (Saltoblattella montistabularis) is the world's only jumping cockroach. It's only 1 cm long and has big hindmost legs for their acrobatics. It's pretty strange looking, but it's nice
Deepest living land animal.
Published on 2011-06-06 03:17:00
Image source Known only from South Africa. So far, at least. Two roundworms have been discovered eking out a living in 48°C (118°F) water 1.3 km (0.8 miles) beneath the Earth's surface. One is the previously known Plectus aquatilis, the other is ne
Animal with the most vertebrae.
Published on 2011-06-05 09:13:00
Image: libarynth.org From tropical to temperate deep sea waters, worldwide. The Slender Snipe Eel really is extremely thin. Even if it reaches 1.5 metres (5 feet) long it will still only weigh a "few ounces." They also have a backbone made up of 750
Biggest bony fish.
Published on 2011-06-04 09:42:00
Image via WikipediaImage via Wikipedia From temperate to tropical ocean waters worldwide. The biggest, bulkiest bony fish in the world is the Ocean Sunfish, Mola mola. An unusually massive one can reach 3.3 m (10.8 ft) in length and 4.2 m (14 ft) tal
Only vegetarian spider.
Published on 2011-06-03 03:31:00
Image by R.L. Curry From Central America and Mexico. A spider called Bagheera kiplingi is the only one so far known to be primarily vegetarian. It's a kind of jumping spider, but it now uses its amazing eyesight and agility to avoid ants as it snips
Cat with the proportionally biggest canines.
Published on 2011-06-02 05:26:00
Image via Wikipedia From southeast Asia and China. At most, Clouded Leopards reach about 1 metre (3.3 feet) long excluding a tail of around equal length, yet their canine teeth are some 5 cm (2 inches) long. This is about equal to those of tigers, ca
Biggest cat.
Published on 2011-06-01 10:24:00
Image via WikipediaImage via Wikipedia From far eastern Siberia. The biggest of all the cats is the Tiger. Now, there's only one species of Tiger, but there are several subspecies and the biggest of them all is the Siberian Tiger. Males are larger th
Most venomous snake.
Published on 2011-05-31 00:12:00
Image via Wikipedia From Australia. The Inland Taipan, also more hysterically known as the Fierce Snake, can be regarded as the most venomous snake in the world. They have an LD50 (Lethal Dose 50% or Median Lethal Dose) of 0.025 mg/kg. This means tha
Biggest centipede.
Published on 2011-05-25 16:10:00
Image source Image by todbaker via Flickr From western South America. The biggest centipede in the world is the Giant Amazonian Centipede, which can reach over 30 cm (1 foot) in length. At this size insects just isn't for this predatory
Fastest animal.
Published on 2011-05-24 17:06:00
Image via WikipediaImage via Wikipedia From every continent except Antarctica. The fastest animal of them all is the Peregrine Falcon, specifically a Peregrine Falcon diving towards the ground like a lunatic. Doing this, they can reach speeds of 320
Longest snake.
Published on 2011-05-23 06:55:00
Image via Wikipedia Image by wolfgang.wedenig via Flickr From Southeast Asia. The longest snake in the world is the Reticulated Python. They usually really reach 10 or 20 feet but one lady in a zoo in Pittsburgh was measured at 8.7 me
Heaviest snake.
Published on 2011-05-18 17:31:00
Image via WikipediaImage via Wikipedia From South America. While not the longest, the heaviest snake in the world is the Green Anaconda. The biggest recorded was a female who reached 5.2 m (17 ft) long and 97.5 kilograms (215 lb) in weight. There h
Most abundant bird.
Published on 2011-05-17 10:24:00
Image via WikipediaImage via WikipediaImage via Wikipedia From most of Africa. The world's most abundant bird is the Red-billed Quelea. It is estimated that there are about 1.5 billion breeding adults and a full population of some 10 billion. They co
Biggest brain, EVER!
Published on 2011-05-16 15:48:00
Image via Wikipedia From oceans all over the world. The Sperm Whale has the biggest brain of any animal ever to exist. It weighs in at some 7.8 kg (17.2 pounds), more than 5 times that of humans. That's pretty impressive. I'd still beat them at Scra
Only frog to break its own bones.
Published on 2011-05-15 15:52:00
Image via Wikipedia From Central Africa. The Hairy Frog has an incredibly odd and rather drastic defence mechanism. When the going gets really tough, it breaks its own toes such that a sharp bone rips through its skin like a claw. This bone can later
Biggest monkey.
Published on 2011-05-14 05:00:00
Image via Wikipedia Image by Pickersgill Reef via Flickr From western Central Africa. The world's biggest monkey is the Mandrill. Males can reach more than 90 cm (36 in) in length and weigh over 35 kg (77 lb), females are quite a lot smaller. Domina
Most abundant deep sea fish.
Published on 2011-05-04 17:27:00
Image via Wikipedia From deep sea oceans world wide. With a biomass of some 550 - 660 million metric tonnes the 250 species of Lanternfish are the most abundant of the deep sea. The largest of them are just 30 cm (1 foot) in length while most are hal
Biggest frog.
Published on 2011-05-01 16:16:00
Image source From a small area of west Africa. The biggest frog or toad in the world is the aptly named Goliath Frog. It reaches some 33 cm (13 inches) in length and that doesn't include the hugely long legs. I've never eaten frog's legs,
Only flightless parrot.
Published on 2011-04-29 17:00:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia From New Zealand. The Kakapo is the only parrot that can't fly. It reaches 60 centimetres (2 feet) in length and weighs up to 4 kilograms (9 lb). Their wings haven't quite kept up so they are used more for bala
Biggest ant in the Americas.
Published on 2011-04-28 13:31:00
Image via Wikipedia The biggest ant in the Western hemisphere comes from South America and is called Dinoponera australis. It reaches about 3 or 4 cm (1.2 or 1.6 in) in length. I can't find much information about this ant; maybe most people just run
Smallest bovid.
Published on 2011-04-25 17:04:00
Image via Wikipedia Image by Travis S. via Flickr From West Africa. The bovid family includes all the buffalo, bison and antelope, as well as sheep, goats and cattle. The smallest of them is the Royal Antelope. At most, it's just 30 cm (
Smallest shark.
Published on 2011-04-23 16:28:00
From depths of 300 to 450 m (1,000–1,500 ft) off the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia. The smallest shark discovered thus far is thought to be the Dwarf Lanternshark. As yet, none has been found to be more than 21.2 cm (8.3 in) long. These deep s
Biggest bovid.
Published on 2011-04-20 12:29:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia From south and southeast Asia. The bovid family includes all the buffalo, bison, antelope, sheep, goats and good old cattle. The biggest of the lot is the Gaur. It can reach 3.6 metres (10 f
Smallest hamster.
Published on 2011-04-19 16:28:00
Image by OMP Production via Flickr Image via Wikipedia From the Gobi Desert. The world's smallest hamster is Roborovski's Hamster. Reaching just 5 to 7 centimetres (2 or 3 inches) in length, they are just a little bit smaller tha
Biggest bird.
Published on 2011-04-18 16:24:00
Image by State Library and Archives of Florida via Flickr Image by State Library and Archives of Florida via Flickr Image via Wikipedia From Africa. The Ostrich is the biggest bird in the world. Its tiny head at the end of a long neck is held up to
Only animal with fused neck bones.
Published on 2011-04-15 02:35:00
Image via Wikipedia From the deserts of western Australia. Like almost all mammals, the Marsupial Mole has 7 vertebrae in its neck. Uniquely though, those vertebrae are fused together to increase rigidity as it burrows through the desert sand.
Fastest land mammal in the Americas.
Published on 2011-04-14 04:28:00
Image via Wikipedia Image by mikebaird via Flickr From western and central North America. The Pronghorn is usually accepted as the fastest land mammal in the New World. It's hard to measure and differs between individuals, but their maxi
Smallest armadillo.
Published on 2011-04-13 15:00:00
From Argentina. The smallest armadillo in the world is known as the Pink Fairy Armadillo. It reaches just 10 centimetres (4 inches) in length and spends its time digging through dry, sandy land in search of ants to eat. OK, I understand the "pink",
Biggest reptile.
Published on 2011-04-12 16:27:00
Image source Image via Wikipedia Ranging from east India, through Southeast Asia and into North Australia. The biggest reptile in the world is the Saltwater Crocodile. Exactly how big they can get is, however, up to some debate. A particularly large
Smallest seahorse.
Published on 2011-04-11 16:35:00
Image by Stephen Wong and Takako Uno, via National Geographic From Indonesia. The smallest seahorse yet discovered seems to be Satomi's Pygmy Seahorse. They reach just 1.3 centimetres in length. Pygmy seahorses are both tiny and excellent at camouf
Most northerly primate.
Published on 2011-04-10 11:07:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia From Japan. Most primates live in the warmth of the tropics, but the Japanese Macaque is able to survive terrible winter temperatures of -15 °C (5 °F) in mountainous areas of Japan. Of course, when I say pri
Only solar powered insect.
Published on 2011-04-09 11:20:00
Image via Wikipedia Ranging from the near East to India. Oriental Hornets have the remarkable ability to harvest sunlight for their own metabolic use. It all happens in the bright yellow band on their abdomen and means that they are most active durin
Biggest butterfly.
Published on 2011-04-07 10:46:00
Female, Image via Wikipedia Male, Image via Wikipedia From Papua New Guinea. The world's biggest butterfly is Queen Alexandra's Birdwing. Females reach up to 30 cm in wingspan with a body length of 8 cm. Males have a wingspan of a bit over half that
Only bird with nostrils at the end of its beak.
Published on 2011-04-06 01:32:00
Image via Wikipedia From New Zealand. Most birds don't have much of a sense of smell (looking at some their nests, that's probably a good thing). Kiwis are different and are the only birds who's nostrils are at end of their beak rather than closer to
Strongest animal in proportion to size.
Published on 2011-04-04 07:25:00
Image by manual crank via Flickr From almost any bit of water anywhere in the world. Copepods are tiny little crustaceans that form a major part of marine plankton. Most of them are about 1 millimetre long, but they are still very keen on not getting
Highest density of foraging ants.
Published on 2011-04-03 15:02:00
Image source Speculated to originate from west Africa, now found in tropical and subtropical countries and islands all over the place. On Christmas Island, the fearsome Yellow Crazy Ant was recorded at densities of up to 2,254 foraging ants per squa
Only poisonous primate.
Published on 2011-04-02 11:42:00
Image via Wikipedia From south and southeast Asia. The Slow Loris is the world's only poisonous primate. The poison is actually secreted by a gland near their elbow, which they lick to get the poison into their mouth as they prepare to bite. In human
Biggest jellyfish.
Published on 2011-03-31 05:08:00
Image via Wikipedia From northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, right up to the Arctic. The biggest jellyfish in the world is the Lion's Mane Jellyfish. It can reach up to 2.5 metres (8 feet) across, with its tentacles reaching up to 36.5 metres (120
The only truly green birds.
Published on 2011-03-28 08:00:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia From sub-Saharan Africa. Turacos are the only birds thus far known to have green pigments. Other birds have yellow pigments that are scattered by the structure of the feather to appear green. They als
Heaviest recorded adult insect.
Published on 2011-03-26 13:07:00
From New Zealand. The heaviest insect ever recorded was a female Giant Weta, specifically of the species Deinacrida heteracantha. She was about 10 cm (4 inches) long, not including legs and antennae, with a weight of 71 g (2.5 oz). This is about twic
Most venomous fish.
Published on 2011-03-25 15:09:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia From coastal regions of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The most venomous fishes are the Stonefish. Venom in the spines of their dorsal fin can cause pain, swelling, shock and death in just about any creature th
Biggest arthropod on land.
Published on 2011-03-23 14:29:00
Image via Wikipedia From a host of islands throughout the Indian and Central Pacific Oceans. The Coconut Crab is the biggest arthropod on land, reaching up to about 40 cm (16 in) in length and 0.91 m (3.0 ft) in leg span. They weigh some 4.1 kg
Fastest lizard.
Published on 2011-03-22 06:52:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Image by ornitholoco via Flickr From Mexico and Central America. The Costa Rican Spiny-tailed Lizard is the fastest sprinting lizard, attaining a speed of 21.5 mph or 34.6 km/h. They are also really good at cl
Smallest monkey.
Published on 2011-03-16 15:11:00
Image via Wikipedia Image by Ashelia via Flickr Image by dr_XeNo via Flickr From an area in north-western South America. The smallest monkey in the world is the Pygmy Marmoset. It reaches just 15 centimetres in body length, with a tail that might be
Biggest snail on land.
Published on 2011-03-15 15:26:00
Image by Vince_Lamb via Flickr Image by joysaphine via Flickr Image via Wikipedia From west Africa. The Giant African Land Snail is the biggest snail on land. Their shell can reach 18 centimetres in length with a diameter of 9 c
Highest flying bird.
Published on 2011-03-13 18:53:00
Image by Richard Towell via Flickr Image by Richard Towell via Flickr The highest flying bird was a kind of vulture called the Rüppell's Griffon. On November 29, 1975, one of these intrepid fellows was sucked into a jet engine 37,900 feet above the
Longest mammalian migration.
Published on 2011-03-10 15:00:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia From all oceans everywhere. Humpback Whales find lots of krill to eat in the Antarctic, but come the (even more) bitter cold of Winter they make their getaway. In fact, they have been seen to travel about
Smallest member of Carnivora.
Published on 2011-03-09 17:07:00
Image by law_keven via Flickr Image via Wikipedia From the northern half of North America, Europe and straight through to Russia and northern Asia. Carnivora is an order of mammal that basically breaks down into "cats and dogs". It's just that "cats
Biggest hornet.
Published on 2011-03-07 16:23:00
Image source From eastern Asia. The Asian Giant Hornet is the biggest of the lot, reaching 5 centimetres (2 inches) in length and 7.5 centimetres (3 inches) in wingspan. A sting from this beast is said to dissolve human tissue... AAAAAAAARRRRRGGGHH
Biggest bat by wingspan.
Published on 2011-03-06 14:20:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia From Southeast Asia. The Large Flying Fox has the biggest wingspan of any bat, reaching 1.8 metres (6 feet) across! It's scientific name is Pteropus vampyrus. Thankfully, it isn't vampiric at all and eats noth
Biggest bat by weight.
Published on 2011-03-03 10:45:00
Image via Wikipedia From the Philippines. The Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox is a fruit bat that can reach 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) in weight, making them the heaviest of all bats. Their wingspan can reach 1.5 metres (5 ft), which is terrifyingly massive. T
The only cephalopod in the Oxygen minimum zone.
Published on 2011-03-02 14:28:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia The Oxygen minimum zone is the depth of oceans where oxygen content is at it's minimum. It's different for different parts of the world, but it's somewhere around 200 to 1,000 metres below the surface. The Vamp
Smallest rodent.
Published on 2011-02-28 13:22:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia From sub-Saharan Africa. The smallest rodent is probably the African Pygmy Mouse, which reaches 3 to 8 cm (1.2-3.1 in) in length excluding tail, with a weight of 3 to 12 g (0.11-0.42 oz). That's some sign
Tallest flying bird.
Published on 2011-02-27 16:28:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia From parts of India, Southeast Asia and Australia. The Sarus Crane is the tallest of all flying birds in the world, reaching a maximum height of 1.8 m (5.9 ft). They look striking and their
Biggest fish.
Published on 2011-02-25 16:07:00
Image via Wikipedia Image by jon hanson via Flickr Image via Wikipedia From tropical oceans worldwide. The biggest fish in the world is the Whale Shark. The longest recorded was 12.65 metres (41.50 ft) in length, the heaviest weighed more than 36 ton
Smallest flower.
Published on 2011-02-24 17:19:00
Image via Wikipedia From various different parts of the world. The smallest flower belongs to a plant called Watermeal, which has no roots and just floats in water instead. The flower is just 0.3 millimetres long. That's less than half a tenth of a c
Biggest spider family.
Published on 2011-02-23 13:13:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia From just about everywhere except the South Pole. With some 5,000 species, Jumping Spiders account for about 13% of all species of spider, more than any other. I really like jumping spiders, so it sounds like
Biggest herb.
Published on 2011-02-22 13:49:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Originally from South and Southeast Asia before spreading throughout the tropics. The Banana Tree has no wood, meaning it isn't a tree at all and is actually the biggest herb in the world. The stem is made up o
Fastest animal in the sea.
Published on 2011-02-21 09:34:00
Image by Rob Hughes via Flickr From warm oceans worldwide. The Sailfish is the fastest animal in the oceans, reaching speeds of 110 km/h (70 mph). They cut through the water with their pointed snout, lifting their sail during hunt
Bird with the longest bill.
Published on 2011-02-19 09:36:00
Image via Wikipedia From Australia. New Guinea, Fiji, parts of Indonesia and New Zealand The Australian pelican has the longest bill in the world. The record was 49 cm (19.5 in) long. Up to 1.8 m (5.3–6 ft) long and a wingspan of up to 2.5 m (8.3
Smallest cricket.
Published on 2011-02-18 07:50:00
Image via Wikipedia Orthopterans are all the crickets, katydids, grasshoppers and locusts. The smallest ones are the Ant Crickets, which are seldom more than 2 millimetres in length. You are unlikely to ever see one, and size isn't the only rea
Only amphibian that tolerates marine water.
Published on 2011-02-17 09:10:00
Image via Wikipedia From mangrove swamps and marshes in south-eastern Asia. The Crab-eating Frog is the only amphibian in the world known to tolerate marine or brackish environments. They still do best in freshwater but at least they don't die w
Biggest lizard.
Published on 2011-02-16 17:36:00
Image via Wikipedia From various islands in Indonesia The Komodo Dragon is the biggest lizard in the world, averaging 2 to 3 metres (6.6 to 9.8 ft) in length with a weight of around 70 kilograms (150 lb). They are also slightly poisonous, but the hu
Smallest penguin.
Published on 2011-02-15 16:38:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia From New Zealand and southern Australia. The Little Penguin is the smallest penguin in the world, usually reaching just 30 centimetres (1 foot) in height. They're tiny, cute and sort of blue. I wonder if they
Primate with the proportionally biggest brain.
Published on 2011-02-14 13:10:00
Image via Wikipedia From Central and South America. Squirrel monkeys only grow to about foot long not including an even longer tail, but they have the biggest brain compared to body mass of all primates, including humans. As is often the case w
Biggest moth.
Published on 2011-02-13 11:46:00
Image via Wikipedia Image by gustaffo89 via Flickr Image via Wikipedia From tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia. The Atlas Moth is considered the biggest in terms of wing surface area, reaching as it does ov
Smallest parrot.
Published on 2011-02-12 08:25:00
Image source From West Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. At just 8.6 cm (3.4 in) tall and weighing in at 11.5 g (0.41 oz), the Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot is the smallest parrot in the world. Not much is known about them, probably because of just h
Biggest family society.
Published on 2011-02-10 14:18:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia From central and east Africa and parts of tropical Asia. Driver ants live in colonies that can number up to 20 million individuals, all born of a single queen. These are the biggest family
Biggest venomous snake.
Published on 2011-02-09 10:20:00
Image via Wikipedia Image by Enygmatic-Halycon via Flickr From Southeast Asia and parts of India. The King Cobra is the biggest venomous snake in the world, reaching up to 5.6 metres (18.5 ft) in length They are also fast, agile and one bite can ki
Smallest tortoise.
Published on 2011-02-08 08:23:00
Image: scienceray.com From South Africa. The Speckled Padloper is the smallest tortoise in the world. Males measure just 6 to 8 centimetres (2.4–3.1 in), females up to 10 centimetres (3.9 in). Weight varies between 95 and 165 grams (3.4–5.8 oz).
Biggest tree dwelling animal.
Published on 2011-02-07 13:38:00
Image via Wikipedia Image by papaija2008 via Flickr From rainforests on the Southeast Asian islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Orangutans are the biggest tree living animals in the world, even building nests to sleep up there. They stand around 1.2
Smallest bear.
Published on 2011-02-06 06:57:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia From the rainforests of Southeast Asia. The Sun Bear stands just 1.2 m (4 ft) tall, making it the smallest of the bears. The "sun" part of its name comes from the bright patch on its face. It lives in dense ra
Biggest true bug.
Published on 2011-02-05 06:44:00
Image source From the Americas and east Asia. True bugs are members of the order Hemiptera. The biggest Giant Water Bugs can get over 12 cm (4.7 in) in length. Bugs have piercing mouth parts, usually for sucking sap from plants. This horror struts i
Only cephalopod with colour vision.
Published on 2011-02-04 06:05:00
Image via Wikipedia From the deep sea, worldwide. Most cephalopods appear to be colour blind, but the Firefly Squid has all sorts of adaptations to its eyes that seem to allow it to see in colour. They may live in the darkness of the deep sea, but f
Moth with the longest proboscis.
Published on 2011-02-03 06:45:00
Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia From West Africa and Madagascar Morgan's Sphinx has a proboscis that is just over 30 centimetres (1 foot) long. It's used to reach nectar in an orchid that hides its nectar almost a foot deep into the flower. T
Only mammals to use electrolocation.
Published on 2011-02-02 07:00:00
Image via Wikipedia
Image by Arthur Chapman via Flickr
Monotremes are those peculiar mammals in Australia that lay eggs. How wonderfully retro! A few of them are also capable of locating prey by sensing the electrical energy of muscle contractions. T