Interesting and Unbelievable Facts

The snow leopard is one of the five species of big cats . The other name of this mammal is ounce . The snow leopard remained on the IUCN “endangered” list from 1986 to 2017. However, the organization changed its status to “vulnerable” in 2017 after finding errors in the 2008 Population assessment. The current estimated population of snow leopards is up to 10,000 adults in the wild. China , with an estimated population of over 2,000 individuals, has the largest population of snow leopards. Several factors have declined the population of snow leopards. The biggest threats are hunting for illegal animal trade of their hides and bones, killing by herders to protect their livestock, and habitat destruction due to the expansion of herding and ranching. Snow leopards are present in the mountains of Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. They inhabit an elevation of around 18,000 feet in the summer and 6,000 feet in the winter. The name suggests snow leopards are closely related to le...

Gazelles are hoofed mammals related to antelopes . They inhabit arid (desert, semi-desert, and waterless steppe) regions of Asia and Africa. Gazelles are now present only in Asia and Africa, but were  once also present in Europe . Gazella borbonica was the last gazelle species in Europe , which became extinct nearly 1.8 million years ago. The maximum speed of gazelles is 50 mph (80 km/h), but can escape from the world’s fastest animal cheetah, with a top speed of 68 mph (110 km/h). Cheetahs can maintain their full speed for only 400 yards, while gazelles have this ability for 5 km (5,468 yards). Additionally, gazelles cheat their predators by changing directions quickly. ( Source ) Gazelles are highly social animals . They live in large herds in areas with abundant food and relatively smaller ones in dry regions. They establish bachelor, female, and mixed herds according to their habitat and species. These groups are usually without any leader. Gazelles generally mark their territ...

Porcupines are large herbivorous rodents present in many parts of the world. Their most prominent feature is quills (spines) on most parts of their body. The meaning of its name is “quill pig” due to its spines and resemblance to a pig . Porcupines have two families according to their location: Old World and New World porcupines. Old World Porcupines are present in Asia , Africa, and southern Europe , while the locality of New World Porcupines is the Americas. Old World porcupines are further divided into 11 species in three genera, while there are 16 species in five genera of New World porcupines. These include hairy dwarf porcupines (9 species), prehensile-tailed porcupines (four species), stump-tailed porcupines (one species), bristle-spined porcupines (one species), and North American porcupines (one species). The three Old World porcupines are short-tailed porcupines (8 species), long-tailed porcupines (one species), and brush-tailed porcupines (two species). Both porcupine fami...

Horseshoe crabs are marine arthropods currently present in Asia and North America. Their name is a misnomer because they are not related to crabs . The closest relatives of horseshoe crabs are scorpions , spiders , and mites. Horseshoe crabs are at least 450 million years old. They survived three extinction events during this period, particularly the Great Dying that exterminated nearly 96% of all marine species 250 million years ago. Reasons behind their survival include their tolerance of various habitats, feeding any available organic matter, unique blood that fights bacteria and heals wounds, and their ability to live in areas with low oxygen levels. Trilobites, their close relatives, had 20,000 species, but all vanished during the Great Dying. ( Source ) Scientists found the oldest fossil of horseshoe crab in 2008 from Canada . It is 445 million years old, nearly 100 million years older than any previous fossil. This discovery proves the status of horseshoe crabs as “living foss...

Dugongs are large marine herbivorous mammals with thick and smooth skin. They are the only living members of their family (Dugongidae) and one of the four species of the mammalian order Sirenia, alongside three species of manatees. Paleontologists discovered a skull of a marine mammal from Panama in 2019. This skull, which belongs to a species of dugongs, is 20 million years old, making it the oldest known marine mammal in Central America. Scientists have so far recovered nearly 30 extinct species of dugongs. The last of these species, Steller’s Sea Cow, became extinct in the 18 th Century. ( Source ) Dugongs are also called sea cows because their primary food is sea grasses and other aquatic plants. However, these herbivorous mammals may sometimes eat algae and small invertebrates. Their preferred habitats are shallow bays and other coastal regions with plenty of seagrasses. Dugongs eat nitrogen-rich plants low in fiber. Their eating behavior regenerates sea grass and  prevent...

Capybaras are large brownish rodents native to South America. These semiaquatic mammals have short legs, small ears, short hairs, and negligible tails. Their closest relatives are rock cavies and guinea pigs. There are two species in the genus Hydrochoerus : capybaras and lesser capybaras. Capybaras are also called greater capybaras to distinguish them from their smaller cousins. Capybaras are present in almost all parts of South America (except Chile), from Venezuela to Argentina in the Amazon River Basin. The location of lesser capybara is limited from Panama in Central America to the northern part of Venezuela. Capybaras are the largest living rodents . They can reach a head and body length of 1.3 m (4 ft. 4 inches) and weigh up to 79 kg (174 lb.). ( Source ) The most prominent difference between greater and lesser capybaras is their size. Lesser capybaras are significantly smaller than capybaras. They can grow up to 1 meter (3 inches) and weigh around 28 kg (62 pounds). Accord...

The Tasmanian devil is a carnivorous marsupial limited to Tasmania . They are present in all parts of Tasmania, including the outskirts of urban areas. However, their favorite habitats are coastal woodlands and Australian bushland. The Tasmanian devil is the largest living marsupial carnivore . Males are larger than females, having a length and mass of 78 cm (30 in) and 12 kg (26 lb.). They use their strong jaws and long teeth to eat all parts of their varied prey: small mammals, birds , insects , and reptiles. ( Source ) The Tasmanian devil has the  strongest bite  among carnivorous mammals. Its bite force quotient (BFQ) is 181, which is far more than the BFQ of famous carnivores, such as  tigers  (127), lions (112), and Himalayan black bears (44). ( Source ) Adult male devils have large and  powerful heads and necks , contributing nearly a quarter of their weight. It assists in achieving a powerful bite and grip. Unlike most other  animals  with baby...

Tapirs are large, herbivorous mammals that belong to one of the three branches of odd-toed ungulates. Tapirs are the only living member of their family. They have four recognized species in Central America, South America, and Southeast Asia. The heavy bodies and short legs in tapirs make them look like pigs , while their protruding nose is slightly similar to the trunk of elephants. However, their closest extant relatives are horses , zebras , rhinos, and other odd-toed ungulates. Apart from elephants, tapirs are the only living vertebrates that possess a prehensile (capable of grasping) trunk . Compared to elephants , they have a short proboscis, an extension of the nose and upper lip. ( Source ) Tapirs have  poor eyesight and monocular vision  (see with a single eye at a time). These nocturnal  mammals  compensate for this deficiency through their strong senses of smell and hearing. Captive tapirs, particularly Malayan tapirs, often have corneal cloudiness due t...