| We all know what wolves and coyotes look like, and | | | | have to breathe through their skin. They are the only |
| nearly everyone is familiar with bears, deer and turtles; | | | | mammal found that can do this. As their lungs continue |
| what about some less familiar animals such as | | | | to develop, they gradually start to take over the |
| capybara, kiwi, or tapirs? There are so many lesser | | | | breathing process until eventually, when fully developed, |
| known animals on this planet that we hear little or | | | | their skin no longer plays a role in breathing. They are |
| nothing about most times, it is interesting to investigate | | | | carnivorous by nature, eating insects, small birds, |
| a few of these creatures and understand them a little | | | | reptiles and small mammals. |
| more. | | | | Birds |
| Mammals | | | | Of the various birds in the world, the kiwi bird is one of |
| Capybara are first on our list of unusual mammals. | | | | the most unique. It is similar to the chicken in that it can't |
| They are the world's largest rodent, averaging 100 | | | | fly. Their "wings" are only two inches long and for all |
| pounds. They are called rodents because they have | | | | practical purposes are useless. They are the sole |
| sharp front teeth that never stop growing. They are | | | | survivor of an ancient order of birds including the now |
| semi-aquatic, spending a lot of time in the water. They | | | | extinct moas. They are semi-nocturnal animals, so |
| live in grasslands and forests alongside water in | | | | catching a glimpse of them in the wild rarely happens. |
| Central and South America. They are most active | | | | They can only be found in New Zealand and its |
| during the early morning and late evening and rest | | | | surrounding islands. The reason they have survived the |
| during the heat of the day. | | | | ages in New Zealand comes from the fact that there |
| Our next animal is a cute little miniature "bear" called | | | | are no snakes or large mammals native to New |
| the kinkajou. These are a unique animal in that they are | | | | Zealand. A bird the size of a kiwi, without the capability |
| the only mammals that help to pollinate plants. They | | | | to fly would be an especially attractive target to |
| have very long tongues that they use to lick the nectar | | | | snakes. Also...the island has no bears, bobcats, tigers, |
| inside flowers. While they are licking, they get pollen on | | | | etc., with also makes it easier for the kiwi to survive. |
| their fur and noses and this gets transplanted to other | | | | With the coming of humans to the island, especially the |
| flowers as they feed. They are sometimes called | | | | colonization by England, house pets such as cats and |
| honey bears because they love honey so much, but | | | | dogs have become the main predators of the |
| they are different from regular bears in that they are | | | | decreasing kiwi population. Some of the biggest birds in |
| very small, most times not weighing more than 8 | | | | the world are condors. They can have wingspans up |
| pounds. They are fun loving animals that even make | | | | to 11 feet; they use their large wingspan to "float" on air |
| good pets. They feed on fruit, honey and eggs in the | | | | thermals for miles without having to move their wings, |
| wild and their closest cousin is the panda bear of Asia. | | | | which conserves their energy as they look for food. |
| Another unusual mammal is a tapir. It looks like half | | | | They are in the vulture family, feeding on the remains |
| anteater, half pig, yet they are not related to either. | | | | of animals and thus they play a very significant role in |
| They descend from primitive horses and rhinos. They | | | | the animal kingdom. They have highly evolved immune |
| come in various color patterns depending on the region | | | | systems to ward off infection from the various |
| they are from. All baby tapirs, however, are born with | | | | bacteria left on the animal carcasses they feed on. |
| a pattern of dots and stripes which make them look | | | | They are very clean birds, spending much of their time |
| like a watermelon with legs. As they age, these | | | | cleaning their feathers and heads after eating to |
| markings fade away to be replaced with their adult | | | | further keep them safe from disease and bacteria. |
| color patterns. They feed on fruit, berries and leaves, | | | | Their heads are featherless allowing them to stay |
| and can live to be 30 years old. | | | | clean during eating. |
| Our last animal is a Marsupial Mouse. While this may | | | | The last unusual bird is the worlds smallest, weighing in |
| seem like just any other mouse, there are some very | | | | at only 1.8 grams, which is less than a US penny. The |
| distinct characteristics about the marsupial mouse that | | | | bee hummingbird's nest is only 3 cm wide. Its tiny wings |
| make it stand out. Being a marsupial, its young are | | | | beat 80 times per second. Using all this energy requires |
| "hatched" from inside their mothers and then they | | | | them to eat half their body weight in food each day as |
| crawl through her fir up to their mother's underside | | | | well as drink eight times their body weight in water. |
| where they attach and feed until they are fully | | | | That's like a 150 pound adult human drinking 144 gallons |
| developed. When they come out of their mother, they | | | | of water each day. They are found only in Cuba and |
| are so underdeveloped that in order to survive, they | | | | the Isle of Pines. |