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All of you who are following Hal on his photography website (Hal Brindley.com) know that on January 1st he started a little project: the Daily Creature. Every day, he posts a photograph of a different animal species with a fun and quirky fact.
I am really digging his Daily Creature posts. They are great for people with a short attention span like myself. Colorful, short, and to the point. Not only that, but he seems to find the weirdest facts about animals.
So I decided to list my favorites each month. Here are my 15 favorite Daily Creatures from January! (in no particular order)
1- Western Gray Kangaroo
Western Gray Kangaroo fact: They are also commonly known as “stinker”. Yeah, they smell. Like curry. Serious.
2- Steenbok
Steenbok fact: This little desert-adapted antelope can survive without drinking any water at all! It can get all the moisture it needs from fruits, roots and tubers found in the Kalahari desert.
3- Stromatolite
Stromatolite fact: They are a living example of some of the oldest forms of life in the planet (3.5 billion year ago!). They are colonies of Cyanobacteria, a blue-green algae. The one in the photo is in Shark Bay, Australia, and it is over 2,000 years old!
4- Humpback Whale
Humpback Whale fact: The song of a humpback whale is the most complex of any song in the animal world. These can last up to 15 minutes, and while it is repeated over and over, its composition changes gradually. What is even more interesting is that all the whales in the same population sing the same ever-changing song.
5- Brown Booby
Brown Booby fact: Their feet are made for walking…and heating! They use their webbed feet to transfer heat to their eggs while incubating. Genius!
6- Green Sea Turtle
Green Sea Turtle fact: This sea turtle gets its name from the the color of its fat. Green fat!
7- Baird’s Tapir
Baird’s Tapir fact: The tapir is the largest mammal found in Central America. Even larger than a jaguar!
8- Canada Lynx
Canada Lynx fact: The back legs of a lynx are substantially larger than their front legs. This is so they can leap with almost no effort.
9- Chilean Flamingo
Chilean Flamingo Fact: When chicks are born they are moved to a huge nursery, with up to 30,000 young! Not only that but parents manage to find their chicks in between all this craziness.
10- Tuatara
Tuatara Fact: Now, this is creepy! The tuatara has a third eye on top of its head with a retina and a lens! It is only visible as a baby and then is gradually absorbed!
11- Walrus
Walrus Fact: When sunbathing, walrus are red colored. When diving, they are white. Why is that? To conserve oxygen while diving, walruses reduce the blood flow to the skin! You can see a white walrus emerging from the sea on Hal’s original post.
12- Thorny Devil
Thorny Devil Fact: This crazy looking lizard uses capillary action to collect dew and channel it to its mouth! One of the fascinating adaptations for living in deserts.
13- Polar Bear
Polar Bear Fact: A mother polar bear can spend up to 8 months in the den without eating, pooping, peeing or even drinking!
14- Burrowing Owl
Burrowing Owl Fact: Unlike most owls, burrowing owls are active during the day.
15- Guira Cukoo
Cuckoo Fact: Guira Cuckoos lay their eggs in communal nests. Some nests may hold eggs from 20 different parents!
Which is the craziest fact? Don’t forget to visit Hal’s site for more Daily Creature facts!