The Giant otter is one of the rarest freshwater otter species and they grow to a size of a massive one and a half a metre length, not including the tail. These large creatures live in Brazil, Guiana. Small but dying populations also inhabit Argentina and Uruguay. The Giant Otter is about 2,1 metres long,
Recently, the scientific community discovered the final resting place of an ancient sperm whale in the middle of the Peruvian desert of Pisco-Ica called the Leviathan melvellei. This sperm whale had teeth that are much larger than today’s sperm whales. The genus name refers to Leviathan from the Bible, while the species epithet is named
The Common Earwig, also known as the European Earwig is a rather peculiar looking bug with a pair of impressive claws. The name comes from a common superstitious belief that the creature can crawl in a human’s ear and pierce the eardrum with the claws. When in danger, the Earwig may indeed seek shelter in
The African people are afraid of the Puff Adder, and for a reason – if in danger, the snake rises up and makes a loud hiss, which is followed by a bite that can be deadly even for humans. In fact, more than half of the snake bites that result in casualties in Africa are
A dugite is an Australian species of snake that is highly venomous that can inflict death in simply one bite. It is sometimes refered to as a brown snake and was first described by Albert Gunther in 1872. There are 3 sub-species of dugites, and they are: Pseudonaja affinis affinis Pseudonaja affinis exilis Pseudonaja affinis
The Red Lionfish is a deceptive creature – the beautiful, colourful fins cover stings coated with venom and despite their overall impressive appearance, the Lionfish are in fact ruthless hunters. People who live near waters where this fish is seen, consider it a very dangerous sea creature and will avoid it at all costs. Although
Native to Australia, the largest kangaroo is the red kangaroo. It is also the largest surviving marsupial on earth. It is found all across the mainland of Australia, except for the fertile areas in the south, the east coast, and the rainforests in the north. The red kangaroo The red kangaroo has short, red-brown fur
The chum salmon, also known as the dog salmon or the keta salmon, is a Pacific type of salmon that is marketed as a Silverbrite salmon. Its name is derived from the Chinook jargon word for ‘spotted’ or ‘marked’ which is tzum, while the keta part in its latin name is from the Evenki language
Also known as the silver salmon or “silvers”, the coho salmon is an anadromous fish in the salmon family. Its name is from the Russian кижуч (kizhuch) and is also the state animal of Chiba, Japan. The traditional range of the coho salmon is around the North Pacific Ocean. This means it ranges from the
The Common European Adder is the most widespread venomous snake in Europe. Luckily, it’s very skittish and would rather run than attack a human. Adders adapt easily and they can be seen in a variety of landscapes – be it a sandy seashore, a mountain alley or a typical forest. This snake lives in the
The pink salmon (also known as the humpback salmon) is the smallest and most abundant Pacific salmon species. Its latin name derives the Russian name of this fish, gorbuša. Some people think that ‘pink salmon’ derives from the color of the fish, like how the sockeye salmon is called the red salmon because it is
Also known as a red salmon or a blueback salmon, the sockeye salmon is a species that is found in the northern Pacific Ocean and the bodies of water such as rivers nearby that discharge into it. There are also similar species found in landlocked area called the kokanee. It is the 3rd most common
Common Snapping Turtles are quite different from the peaceful, calm turtles we know. They are ferocious predators that eat everything that crosses their path, even young alligators. In the past, these animals were used in crime investigation – the Snapper was put into a lake to find a dead body, when the turtle stopped, it
Also known as the humped cattle or indicus cattle, the zebu are a type of cattle from South Asia. There are 75 different breeds of zebus, and they have been split up into African and South Asian breeds. The main zebu breeds include the Gir, Guzerat, Krankej, and more. There is also a hybrid zebu
Also known as the seladang or the Indian Bison, the Gaur is a large bovine animal found in the forests of South Asia and South East Asia. However, the largest population of gaurs are in India. The gaur’s claim to fame is that it is the largest species of wild cattle, including the extinct Aurochs
