Tiny snake

Although little is known about the habits of the Barbados threadsnake, some scientists hypothesize that its small size combined with its burrowing lifestyle probably compels it to feed on insect larvae, especially those of ants and termites, found in the soil. Female members of the species are egg layers that produce a single large elongated egg. Hatchlings are approximately one-half the size of a full-sized adult. The Barbados thread snake only measures 4 inches long when full grown. This means he won’t be swallowing rodents or other small mammals like most snakes do. It’s unlikely that a smaller snake is to be discovered, since diet could make it impossible for a baby snake to survive. The offspring of a snake smaller than the Barbados thread snake would likely be unable to find anything small enough to fit in its tiny mouth. Due to its small stature, the Barbados thread snake only lays one egg at a time, rather than the large clutches of larger snakes. When hatched, the infant snakes are already 2 inches long, half their adult length. 

Hippopotamus

Common hippos are recognisable by their barrel-shaped torsos, wide-opening mouths revealing large canine tusks, nearly hairless bodies, columnar legs and large size; adults average 1,500 kg ((3,310 lb)) and 1,300 kg ((2,870 lb)) for males and females respectively. Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it is capable of running 30 km/h ((19 mph)) over short distances. The common hippopotamus inhabits rivers, lakes and mangrove swamps, where territorial bulls preside over a stretch of river and groups of five to thirty females and young. During the day, they remain cool by staying in the water or mud; reproduction and childbirth both occur in water. They emerge at dusk to graze on grasses. While hippopotamuses rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos are not territorial on land. The hippopotamus is among the most dangerous animals in the world as it is highly aggressive and unpredictable. They are threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their meat and ivory canine teeth.

European earwig

European earwigs spend the day time in cool, dark, inaccessible places such as flowers, fruits, and wood crevices. Active primarily at night, they seek out food ranging from plant matter to small insects. Though they are omnivorous ((eat both meat and plants)), they are considered scavengers rather than predators. Often they consume plant matter, though they have also been known to feed on aphids, spiders, insect eggs, and dead plants and insects, among other things. Their favorite plants include the common crucifer Hedge-mustard, the white clover Trifolium repens, and the dahlia Dahlia variabilis. They also like to feed on molasses, as well as on nonvascular plants, lichens and algae. They prefer meat or sugar to natural plant material even though plants are a major natural food source. European earwigs prefer aphids to plant material such as leaves and fruit slices of apple, cherry and pear. Adults eat more insects than do nymphs. European earwigs survive well in cool, moist habitats and have an optimum mean growth temperature of 75°F ((24°C.)) Their daily abundance in a given year has been linked to factors such as temperature, wind velocity and the prevalence of easterly winds. The development of European earwigs also depends on temperature. Thus, the occurrence of European earwigs can be predicted based on weather parameters. Hibernating adults can tolerate cool temperatures, but their survival is reduced in poorly drained soils such as clay. To avoid excessive moisture, they seek the southern side of well drained slopes. Sometimes they also occupy the hollow stems of flowers where the soil is poorly drained. Their eggs are capable of resisting damage from cold and heat.

Mantis

Mantises are among the insects most widely kept as pets. Because the lifespan of a mantis is only about a year, people who want to keep mantises often breed them. In 2013 at least 31 species were kept and bred in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States. In 1996 at least 50 species were known to be kept in captivity by members of the Mantis Study Group. Typically green or brown and well camouflaged on the plants among which they live, mantis lie in ambush or patiently stalk their quarry. They use their front legs to snare their prey with reflexes so quick that they are difficult to see with the naked eye. Their legs are further equipped with spikes for snaring prey and pinning it in place. By any name, these fascinating insects are formidable predators. They have triangular heads poised on a long "neck," or elongated thorax. Mantids can turn their heads 180 degrees to scan their surroundings with two large compound eyes and three other simple eyes located between them.

Peafowl

Peafowl is a common name for three species of birds in the genera Pavo and Afropavo of the Phasianidae family, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl as peahens. The two Asiatic species are the blue or Indian peafowl originally of the Indian subcontinent, and the green peafowl of Southeast Asia; the one African species is the Congo peafowl, native only to the Congo Basin. Male peafowl are known for their piercing calls and their extravagant plumage. The latter is especially prominent in the Asiatic species, which have an eye-spotted "tail" or "train" of covert feathers, which they display as part of a courtship ritual. The Indian peacock has iridescent blue and green plumage, mostly metallic blue and green, but the green peacock has green and bronze body feathers. In both species, females are as big as males, but lack the train and the head ornament. The peacock "tail", known as a "train", consists not of tail quill feathers, but highly elongated upper tail coverts. These feathers are marked with eyespots, best seen when a peacock fans his tail. Both sexes of all species have a crest atop the head. The Indian peahen has a mixture of dull grey, brown, and green in her plumage. The female also displays her plumage to ward off female competition or signal danger to her young. Green peafowl differ from Indian peafowl in that the male has green and gold plumage and black wings with a sheen of blue. Unlike Indian peafowl, the green peahen is similar to the male, only having shorter upper tail coverts, a more coppery neck, and overall less iridescence. The Congo peacock male does not display his covert feathers, but uses his actual tail feathers during courtship displays. These feathers are much shorter than those of the Indian and green species, and the ocelli are much less pronounced. Females of the Indian and African species are dull grey and/or brown. Chicks of both sexes in all the species are cryptically coloured. They vary between yellow and tawny, usually with patches of darker brown or light tan and "dirty white" ivory.

Blobfish

It inhabits the deep waters off the coasts of mainland Australia and Tasmania, as well as the waters of New Zealand. Blobfish are typically shorter than 30 cm ((12 in)). They live at depths between 600 and 1,200 m ((2,000 and 3,900 ft)) where the pressure is 60 to 120 times as great as at sea level, which would likely make gas bladders inefficient for maintaining buoyancy. Instead, the flesh of the blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water; this allows the fish to float above the sea floor without expending energy on swimming. Its relative lack of muscle is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats in front of it such as deep-ocean crustaceans. Blobfish are often caught as bycatch in bottom trawling nets. The popular impression of the blobfish as bulbous and gelatinous is partially an artifact of the decompression damage done to specimens when they are brought to the surface from the extreme depths in which they live. Their diet consists of small crustaceans like crabs, sea urchins, and shellfish. These goodies are sucked into the blobfish’s mouth as it floats along. Lacking both bones and teeth, they do not actively hunt. In fact, their extremely low muscle mass doesn’t allow for much movement at all. Besides eating, conserving energy is the blobfish’s main job. The female lays thousands of small pink eggs on the seafloor. Either the female or male blobfish will sit on the eggs to protect them from predators.

Vulture

Vultures in south Asia, mainly in India and Nepal, have declined dramatically since the early 1990s. It has been found that this decline was caused by residues of the veterinary drug Diclofenac in animal carcasses.The government of India has taken very late cognizance of this fact and has banned the drug for animals. However, it may take decades for vultures to come back to their earlier population level, if they ever do: without vultures to pick corpses clean, rabies-carrying dogs have multiplied, feeding on the carrion, and age-old practices like the sky burials of the Parsees are coming to an end, permanently reducing the supply of corpses.The same problem is also seen in Nepal where government has taken some late steps to conserve remaining vultures. Similarly, in Central Africa there has also been efforts to conserve the remaining vultures and bring their population numbers back up. This is largely due to the bushmeat trade, "it is estimated > 1 billion kg of wild animal meat is traded" and vultures take up a large percentage of this bushmeat due to their demand in the fetish market. The substantial drop in vulture populations in the continent of Africa is also said to be the result of both intentional and unintentional poisoning, with one study finding it to be the cause of 61% of the vulture deaths recorded.

Elephant shrew

Elephant shrews mainly eat insects, spiders, centipedes, millipedes, and earthworms. An elephant shrew uses its nose to find prey and uses its tongue to flick small food into its mouth, much like an anteater. Eating large prey can pose a challenge; an elephant shrew struggling with an earthworm must first pin its prey to the ground with a forefoot. Then, turning its head to one side, it chews pieces off with its cheek teeth, much like a dog chewing a bone. This is a sloppy process, and many small pieces of worm drop to the ground; these are simply flicked up with the tongue. Some elephant shrews also feed on small amounts of plant matter, especially new leaves, seeds, and small fruits. The species as a whole is widely distributed throughout Africa, excluding western Africa and the Sahara region, but despite their wide distribution range, sightings are still rare. The four-toed elephant shrew is one of the most widespread of the species, occurring from Central and Eastern Africa to the Northeastern corner of South Africa. The four species of giant elephant shrew prefer to live in forests, closed-canopy woodlands, and thickets, usually with a floor densely covered by leaf litter. The checkered elephant shrew is found in Central Africa; the golden-rumped elephant shrew is endemic to Kenya; the grey-faced shrew is confined to two forests in Tanzania, and the black and rufous elephant shrew is found in East Africa. Smaller elephant shrew species can be found in the uplands of southern, eastern, and northwestern Africa, in dry forests, scrub, savannas, and open country covered by sparse shrubs of grass.

Tasmanian devil

Tasmanian devils have a notoriously cantankerous disposition and will fly into a maniacal rage when threatened by a predator, fighting for a mate, or defending a meal. Early European settlers dubbed it a “devil” after witnessing such displays, which include teeth-baring, lunging, and an array of spine-chilling guttural growls. Tasmanian devils are strictly carnivorous, surviving on small prey such as snakes, birds, fish, and insects and frequently feasting communally on carrion. They are at their most rowdy when jockeying for position on a large carcass. Like other marsupials, when they are well fed, their tails swell with stored fat. Devils are solitary and nocturnal, spending their days alone in hollow logs, caves, or burrows, and emerging at night to feed. They use their long whiskers and excellent sense of smell and sight to avoid predators and locate prey and carrion. They'll eat pretty much anything they can get their teeth on, and when they do find food, they are voracious, consuming everything—including hair, organs, and bones. 

Meerkat

Meerkat ((aka suricate)) just as humans can identify our friends’ and family’s voices over the phone, a 2011 study showed that meerkats can distinguish between the calls of different members of their clan.

While most of the gang is out foraging and hunting for food—or standing guard—one male or female, adolescent or young adult stays behind in the burrow to “babysit” any pups. This is not an official job—whichever adult is least hungry is put on pup-sitting duty—but the other meerkats do reward their sitter with food at the end of the day.

Although they are social and even affectionate within their clan, meerkats are highly territorial and will engage in violent, all-out turf wars with neighboring gangs. The fights are waged as a collective, with each gang posturing and attempting to intimidate the opposition first. If this fails, the fight will be brief but deadly—less than half all adult meerkats survive any given year. Also, a Meerkat mother will bring its pups live bugs and teach them how to kill the prey.

Hyena

Though many people compare hyenas to dogs, they are actually much more like cats. In fact, they are members of the suborder Feliformia, which is a classification for cat-like carnivores. The spotted hyena is the largest species, and it grows to 4 to 5.9 feet ((1.2 to 1.8 meters)) long and 2.5 to 2.6 feet ((77 to 81 centimeters)) tall from paw to shoulder. They weigh 88 to 190 lbs. ((40 to 86 kg)).

Brown hyenas are the second largest, ranging from 51 to 63 inches ((130 to 160 cm)) long and weighing 75 to 160 lbs. ((34 to 72.6 kg)). Brown hyenas can be distinguished from other hyenas by the long, shaggy hair, which is dark brown or black on the body and tan on the shoulders and neck. Hair on the neck grows to about 12 inches ((30.5 cm)), in contrast to the short hair on the legs, face and ears. The tail is short and bushy. The forelegs, which are horizontally striped, are much longer and more massively built than the hind legs, giving the brown hyena the appearance of always climbing a hill.

The striped hyena is 39 to 45 inches ((100 to 115 cm)) long and 26 to 30 in ((66 to 75 cm)) tall from paw to shoulder. Their tails add another 12 to 16 in ((30 to 40 cm)) and they weigh from 57 to 90 lbs. ((26 to 41 kg)). Striped hyenas have long hair that is gray to straw-colored. Their muzzle is black, and there are black stripes on the head, torso and legs. 

Aardwolves are the smallest species of hyena. They weigh from 17.6 to 30.8 lbs. ((8 to 14 kg)), and their length ranges from 33 to 41 inches ((85 to 105 cm)) — and about one-fourth of that is the tail.

Lycaon pictus

African wild dog ((a.k.a. Lycaon)) is the largest of its family in Africa. It's a highly social animal, living in packs with separate dominance hierarchies for males and females and they have a hypercarnivorous diet ((more than 70% of their food is meat)). The species is a specialised hunter of antelopes, which it catches by chasing them to exhaustion. The African wild dog is mostly found in savanna zones, generally avoiding forested areas. They have an extremely powerful bite with specialised molars for shearing meat and breaking bone and have exceptionally keen senses of sight, smell and particularly hearing. They have a unique social hierarchy - At first pups are fed by the dogs regurgitating fresh meat after returning from a hunt, but once old enough, they are taken to the kill and given first choice over the spoils. The other dogs patiently wait on the side lines, standing guard until their turn to feed. They almost never fight amongst themselves over food due to this ranking system. When a dog becomes ill, injured or elderly restricting or even incapacitating their effectiveness as a hunter, the rest of the pack cares for and feeds them. Recently the alpha female of a pack in Botswana lost one of her forelegs during a hunt. For any other predator, this would be a death sentence. However, she remained the alpha female for a few years afterwards continuing to breed and raise pups while being looked after by the pack. Also, the 80% success rate in wild dog hunts can be attributed mainly to the coordinated nature of the pack. Communication is key and the dogs constantly let one another know both their location and that of the prey. Their high intelligence and teamwork allows them to adapt to changing scenarios during a hunt.

The Maned Wolf

This mammal is found in open and semiopen habitats, especially grasslands with scattered bushes and trees, in south, central-west, and southeastern Brazil, northern Argentina, Bolivia east and north of the Andes, and far southeastern Peru. It is very rare in Uruguay, possibly being displaced completely through loss of habitat. Unlike other large canids ((such as the gray wolf, the African hunting dog, or the dhole)), the maned wolf does not form packs. It hunts alone, usually between sundown and midnight. Maned wolves rotate their large ears to listen for prey animals in the grass. They tap the ground with a front foot to flush out the prey and pounce to catch it. They kill prey by biting on the neck or back, and shaking the prey violently if necessary. Monogamous pairs may defend a shared territory around 30 km2, although outside of mating, the individuals may meet only rarely. The territory is crisscrossed by paths that they create as they patrol at night. Several adults may congregate in the presence of a plentiful food source, for example, a fire-cleared patch of grassland that would leave small vertebrate prey exposed while foraging. Generally, the maned wolf is shy and flees when alarmed, so it poses little direct threat to humans. Popularly, the maned wolf is thought to have the potential of being a chicken thief. 

Giant Centipede

This centipedes can be even 12inches ((30 cm!)) and they can kill prey 15 times bigger than they are. This species is found in various places in South America and the Caribbean, where it preys on a wide variety of animals, including other sizable arthropods, amphibians, mammals and reptiles. It is a carnivore that feeds on any other animal it can overpower and kill. It is capable of overpowering not only other invertebrates such as large insects, spiders, millipedes, scorpions, and even tarantulas, but also small vertebrates including small lizards, frogs, snakes, sparrow-sized birds, mice, and bats. Large individuals have been known to employ unique strategies to catch bats in which they climb cave ceilings and hold or manipulate their heavier prey with only a few legs attached to the ceiling.

You don't want to mess with this guys. One day, Coyote Peterson got bitten by giant desert centipede. He describes his pain as "immediately searing" and "completely eclipsesing all of the insect stings he've taken". He is professional who's been bitten by and fire ants, which is nothigh compare to this centipede. Coyote started crying at the end and for the first time used venom extractor and didn't end the episode because of pain, that throws strong adult man on the ground.

Wolverine

The wolverine is nocturnal but it can be active at any time of the day. In addition to being a good runner and climber, the wolverine is also an excellent swimmer. Except during breeding season, the wolverine is solitary. A male's homerange can be more than than 1,000 square miles. Both the male and female are very territorial and will aggressively defend and mark their territories. The elusive wolverine  has a fearsome reputation - it is the largest member of the weasel family. The remoteness and voracious appetite of these creatures have led to an aggressive reputation. Males are much heavier than females and both have a stocky body and short legs. They are well adapted to the cold habitat of their northern range with a thick, bushy coat and broad, hairy paws. The glossy coat is dark brown with a paler stripe across the rump and along the sides of the body; some individuals have white throat patches. The powerful jaws and large teeth are able to demolish frozen carrion and bone. Wolverines carry their head and tail lower than the arched back and their gait appears somewhat humpy and lumbering although they can move very quickly when necessar

In the wild, wolver­ines gen­er­ally live for 5 to 7 years but some can live up to 13 years. Fe­males in cap­tiv­ity have bred up to 10 years old and live up to 17 years. The main causes of death are star­va­tion, being killed by com­peti­tors (such as wolves), and trap­ping.

In the wild, wolverines generally live for 5 to 7 years but some can live up to 13 years. Females in captivity have bred up to 10 years old and live up to 17 years. The main causes of death are starvation, being killed by competitors (such as wolves), and trapping.

Dinosaur

Adult southern cassowaries are 5-6ft ((1,5-1,8m)) tall, although some females may reach 6,6ft ((2m)) and weight 129lb ((58,5kg)). Their second toe, the inner one in the medial position, sports a dagger-like claw that can be 5in ((12,7cm)) long. This bird can run at up to  31 mph ((50 km/h)) through the dense forest and can jump up to 5ft ((1,5m)). They are good swimmers, crossing wide rivers and swimming in the sea.

 All cassowaries are usually shy birds, found in the deep forest, but they have a reputation in folklore for being dangerous to people and domestic animals. This claw is particularly fearsome since cassowaries sometimes kick humans and animals with their enormously powerful legs. This assessment of the danger posed by cassowaries has been repeated in print by authors including Gregory S. Paul and Jared Diamond. A 2003 historical study of 221 cassowary attacks showed that 150 had been against humans. 75% of these had been from cassowaries that had been fed by people. 71% of the time the bird had chased or charged the victim. 15% of the time they kicked. Of the attacks, 73% involved the birds expecting or snatching food, 5% involved defending natural food sources, 15% involved defending themselves from attack, and 7% involved defending their chicks or eggs. The 150 attacks included only one human death.

Interesting thing is that they look like Corythoraptor found in China. 

Slow loris

Slow lorises are rare, small mammals. They are nocturnal and live on trees in South East Asian countries like India or China. All Slow Lorises have a protecting layer over their eyes, which reflects the light. Cats have the same layer. They are venomous and scienceist still does not know the antidote. They also have opposable thumbs, so they can grab things without any troubles. Slow Lorises are considered to have supernatural powers and thought to cure about 100 diseases. They are killed so that they can be used as medicine. It has a patch filled with venom under its elbow used for protection against the predators. When faced with danger, loris licks its elbow and covers its teeth with poison. As soon as animal bites its enemy, it will deliver the venom.

There are people who want loris as their pet, which is illegal. But that doesn't mean they can't but it. This animals are very common in illegal pet trage, they have their front teeth cut or pulled before being sold as pets, due to their venom. This often causes infection and death. Poachers also keep lorises in small cages, which of course causes pain and can lead to death too. Similar things happens if they are forced to live in brightly lit room ((incredibly uncomfortable since they live at night in wild, causes pain and suffering)).

Eyelash viper + ogre-faced spider

They can be find in Central and South America. They live in trees, palms, shrubs and vines, they have strong prehensile tail and usually prefer to stay near a permanent water source and eat small birds or rodents, frogs, lizards. It's not known to be very aggressive snake, but will not hesitate to strike if harassed. Adult female snake can grow up to 32 inches ((about 82 cm)), males can grow to about 27 inches ((69 cm)), weight is about 10-15 lbs ((4,5 - 6,8 kg)), life span usually 10-12 years, up yo 16 in captivity. This species is well-known for its lightning fast strikes. Its bite contains a dose of hemotoxic venom, capable of killing adult human. This beautiful snakes can be seen in green, yellow, reddish brown, golden and many more combinations. Interessing fact is they have extremely sensitive fleece between their eyes and nostril. According to one of the sources - with 1000 nerve endings per square millimeter Eyelash viper can notice a change in temperature of 0,026 degrees Celsius.

Their bodies are a little over 1 inch ((more than 2,5 cm)) long, With legs stretched out, this slow moving, stick-like creature can be more than 3 inches ((more than 7,6 cm)) long. This spider does not build web like a normal spider, instead it's holding a web between its forelimbs while hangling upside down, waiting for a insect or other spider to pass by. When unsuspecting victim appears they wraps net over them like some kind of spider-gladiator. They can be find from Australia to Africa and the Americas.

A little ball of happiness

Meet this little guy. He is huntsman spider, and he's a "little ball of happiness". Huntsman spiders are renowned for the enormous size, with males able to achieve a leg span of between 10 and 12 inches ((25 and 30 centimeters)). This spiders are known to inflict a defensive bite if provoked by humans or other animals. They have been known to bite people but they are not generally regarded as being a danger to humans. They are common in Australia but have been introduced accidentally to parts of the USA, Pakistan, India, China, and Japan. They can't build webs, so you never need to worry about walking into one and you never need to worry about where he is because, usually, he's in plain sight. In your house. A lot of people are scared of spiders like black widow because it is so small and hard to find. You would never miss this guy. If he sees you coming at him, he'll run all around insane. But he don't run like a normal spider - he is better than that. He majestic gallop with light speed like a eight-legged cheetah. Huntsman is also good at killing smaller spiders, nothing escapes. He's like a natural bug-spray.

The spider you see on the photo is Charlotte. Specialists say they the huntsman is believed to be a green giant species with a legspan of 20 centimetres. Woman who found her says that she was a beautiful, calm spider, not aggressive in any way.

See you next time!

Satanic Gecko + Rainbow Snake

This mystical species is very rare in the wild and reportedly remaining within only three protected areas of Madagascar. The satanic leaf-tailed gecko is unique in appearance and makes for a sought-after animal in the pet trade. They grow up to 6 inches ((15 cm)) including tail. They usually live in small shrubs, it's very rare to see this guys higher than 1 meter. When they sleep, they're hanging on their feets from branchs. Satanic leaf-tailed geckos are capable of living longer than 10 years.

Second animal I want to tell you about is Brazilian rainbow boa. Brazilian rainbows are a popular subspecies because of their outstanding appearance. Males reach sizes of  66 to 72 inches ((1,68 to 1,83 meters)) long. Large females can grow to 72 to 84 inches ((1,83 to 2,13 meters)) and weigh up to 9 pounds. These boas are readily available at exotic pet stores, or local reptile shows with several morphs available. When they are younger they are more prone to bite due to natural defense instincts, but as they become more used to handling tend to calm down. Like other species, the young Brazilian rainbow boas are probably preyed upon by birds of prey, small mammals or other reptiles. Their lifespan in the wild is estimated to be around 10 years, but in captivity, the species may live up to 30 years.

See you next time!