The Platypus

Funny thing about this unlikely creature is that it was made popular by Disney Channel’s Phineas and Ferb’s pet platypus named Perry the Platypus, code-named Agent P, the secret agent for the government organization of animal spies better known as O.W.C.A (The Organization Without a Cool Acronym or simply called, The Agency).

Although this does not pertain to the popular show, it is great to know an interesting character which is actually a semi-aquatic mammal native to Tasmania, Australia and New Guinea. The first time scientists were able to examine this animal they were baffled because of the combination of features it shared from ducks, otters, beavers and some venomous reptiles.

They lay eggs and have a queer appearance ranging from a bill that looks like a duck’s bill, a tail that is beaver-like in characteristic and a foot that is an exact form as that of the otter. It is also one of the few mammals with venom most definitive in the male platypus having a spur on the hind foot that gives out venom that brings about severe pain in humans and can cause a toxic effect on their enemies.

How in the world can a mammal lay eggs? The platypus is an unusual mammal, the one of only two mammals that lay eggs, the Echidnas as the other one. Mammals that lay eggs are under the animal group called Monotremata. These Monotremes have eggs with a flexible, sticky and leather-like shell which are then incubated and eventually, hatched outside the body of the mother.

All platypuses feed very well by going underwater as they use their front webbed feet in swimming altogether with their hind feet and their strong tails like the beaver’s. What is noteworthy is their ability to stay in water for approximately two minutes or more. They have this special kind of skin those folds on their eyes and ears to keep the water from coming in the eyes and ears providing them the capability to hunt food underwater effectively. Their nostril can just shut off easily like a lock that prevents water from going in as well.

So, the next time you see Perry the Platypus, he is more than just a secret agent but a unique mammal with a story to tell.

 The Platypus Video

 

White-faced Saki Monkey

The White-faced Saki Monkey is one of the different types of monkeys of the Pithecia genus, which is categorized as a member of the New World Monkey order.

Found in the Northern and Central areas of South America, Saki Monkeys are found in different parts of the South American continent including Peru, Colombia and the Northern portions of Bolivia, with the White-faced Saki Monkey found in Brazil.

Characterized as a small monkey that is built for arboreal habitats, the White-faced Saki Monkey is defined by a head that is “hooded” with fur, a physical characteristic that has led its naming to be so. Also found in Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela and in French Guiana, the White-faced Saki Monkey’s looks has also led many in referring to  them as the Golden-faced Saki.

As a species, the White-faced Saki Monkey is known to spend a lot of time atop trees, mostly in the lower canopies of forests. With a diet that is dominated by fruits, they are also known to consume quantities of different seeds and nuts, as well as having a certain penchant for feeding on small insects.

One unique trait found in White-faced Saki Monkeys is in how their “mating rites and rituals” are setup, with White-faced Sakis typically mating with only one partner for life.

As with most male and female mammals, physical differences between male and female White-faced Saki Monkeys are known to be present, with most male White-face Sakis sporting dark-black hued coats which are complemented with a reddish-white hued tone on their face, throat and forehead. Females are known to sport a lighter hued coat, typically brownish grey, which is matched with brown stripes located in the ends of their eyes and mouth.

Being native to the forests of Central America, the White-faced Saki Monkeys are not an endangered species. Different types of Sakis are known to be kept in captivity, with further studies and understanding devoted to the species being given their due.

With their small physiques and their distinct “hooded” faces, the White-faced Saki Monkey is truly an interesting monkey that stands out from the rest.

White-faced Saki Monkey Video

 

Raccoon Facts

As “woodland critters” raccoons are perhaps the most iconic, typically found prowling in the wild as well as finding their way in to suburban, real estate developments.

The 1969 Disney live-action feature entitled Rascal focused on the story of a child meeting up with a baby raccoon, engaging on fun-filled adventures with the little tyke.

Given their cute and cuddly looks, one would think that animal lovers would keep them as pets, but as the facts would prove, they are not the best pet options to have in homes and households.

Below are some facts about the raccoon, with reasons which justify their un-ideal standing as pets as well as some fascinating facts about them.

Parasites – Raccoons are known to carry different diseases, with raccoon roundworms – a microscopic parasite – being the most notorious.

As a threat to the health and well being of humans, this parasite is known to cause blindness and even death, something which any homeowner wouldn’t want to risk by brining a wild or stray raccoon into his or her home.

Cat-like Abilities – Though not exactly related to cats, raccoons are known to have cat-like abilities, with their ability to easily land from 35 to 40 feet heights.

Unlike cats though, raccoons have a “tactile” sense, which is defined by their human-like forepaws which they can use to accomplish all sorts of tasks such as foraging for food. Also, unlike cats, a raccoon’s tail takes up as much as 52% of its overall length, measuring as long as 405mm.

16-Year Lifespans – Raccoons are known to live as long as 16 years in the wild, but the longest living raccoon is reported to have lived as long as 21 years in captivity.

Swimming – Just as they are well-built for land-based terrains, raccoons are also adept swimmers.

However, they are not exactly fond of swimming, since their fur isn’t “waterproof” in the sense that their wet fur tends to add more weight.

 

The Emperor Tamarin

As a member of the tamarin species, the Emperor Tamarin is known to stand out due to one of its subspecies’ bearded chin forms, but its black-chinned subspecies is also known to have its own unique set of Emperor Tamarin traits and characteristics.

Found in the eastern portions of Peru, west of the Amazonas and Acre in Brazil and north of Bolivia, the Emperor Tamarin is essentially native to the Southwestern Amazon Basin, with its name alleged to have been taken after Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany, who is described to mirror the general looks of Emperor Tamarins.

With body lengths that measure as much as 9 to 10 inches, the Emperor Tamarin’s tail is known to grow as long as 14 inches, with the average weight of an Emperor Tamarin measuring somewhere around 300 to 400 grams.

Sporting a grey-hued coat that is matched with yellowish spots on its chest, it is the Emperor Tamarin’s beard which really stands out, which is generally white hued and typically growing long enough to lengths which go beyond its shoulders.

Typically found deep in rain forests, the Emperor Tamarin spends a lot of its time up on trees, known to be diurnal with the ability to walk or run on its four limbs. Like most tamarins, they live in groups typically consisting somewhere between two to eight members, and are even known to take in other tamarins species like the Brown-Mantled Tamarin as members of certain groups.

One interesting thing about Emperor Tamarin groups, apart from the fact that they aren’t “exclusive” only to Emperor Tamarin species, is that it is the oldest female that stands as a group’s leader, not the male.

Also, apart from their unique group hierarchy setup, Emperor Tamarins are known to have their own set of “cries”, each set to effectively identify potential threats and dangers.

Smart and highly organized, the Emperor Tamarin truly stands out as one of the world’s unique creatures of the jungle.

 The Emperor Tamarin Video

 

Sun Bears

As a member of the Ursidae or bear family, the Sun Bear is known for being the smallest in terms of size, sporting a coat that is described as sleek and short.

Primarily found in parts of Southeast Asia and in Northeast India, Sun Bears are characteristically known for a U-shaped coat pattern found on its chest, typically bearing a light pale-orange hue that contrasts with the dark hued coat that covers its entire body.

As with most bears, Sun Bears are omnivores, with a notorious reputation for consuming a wide range of food types, including insects, plants, lizards, birds, roots.

Known to be solitary bears, Sun Bears are not typically found in groups, with a number of theories noting that this particular Sun Bear trait is borne from the reality of food source competition. Non-hibernating, Sun Bears are also known to reproduce all-year long, not owing the rise of Sun Bear populations to mating seasons or periods.

Though they are the smallest of bears in the world, adult Sun Bears doesn’t really have their own “set” of natural predators, though instances of adult Sun Bears being overwhelmed by pythons, tigers and leopards are known to happen.

But when human threats are concerned, Sun Bear populations have been drastically affected, mostly in cases involving “nuisance bears”, where bears find their way into human habitats thereby causing damage to crops or stores, leaving them to be “hunted down” by affected parties.

Mostly nocturnal, the Sun Bear’s name is somewhat a paradox, a twist to the “Sun” word that is used to define it as a bear species. Given their size, they are also kept as pets in certain households where they are found, but regulations and control on their keeping as pets is being closely watched over by authorized enforcement agencies.

 

Sled dogs

Though reindeers are typically associated with sleds during the holidays, there aren’t all that may reindeers drawing sleds generally encountered nowadays, with more people more inclined to used motorized sleds as opposed to the use of animals.

However, sled dogs are still quite prevalent, mostly used for recreational purposes and not as a primary means for transport.

The 1994 Walt Disney feature, Iron Will, stands as a representative to the still-ongoing popularity of sled dogs, with the movie telling the tale of how a young man took part in a cross country sled dog race.

Though the time and setting of the story can’t be described as the most modern of tenses, the film managed to look into the world of sledding, along with significant focus and emphasis on sled dogs.

The term sled dogs doesn’t exactly denote a certain dog breed, but it does refer to a working dog type, with the practice known to have been around since 2000 BC. One of the most popular dog breeds used as sled dogs would be the Greenland Dog, which is characterized by its dense coat and wide-padded paws.

The Alaskan Husky would be another popular sled dog breed, along with the Canadian Eskimo Dog. When talking about sled dogs, two traits are generally considered to be basic attribute, the first being a dog’s strength, the second, a dog’s endurance/stamina.

Since sled dogs are expected to draw sleds through snow or iced surfaces, their strength, matched with their robust endurance capacities are highly valued.

As with most working dogs, sled dogs are quite smart and intuitive as individual dogs, making them popular in different households taking the role of the household’s pet. With their generally cool temperaments and quick-to-adapt traits, they continue to be iconic fixtures in the world of sledding.

Sled dogs Video

 

Lemurs

Lemurs are typically mistaken to be monkeys, but this assumption doesn’t define them as such, in the sense that the lemurs are not descendants of ancient primates, even if they do bear certain similarities with them.

Found in the island of Madagascar, the 2005 animated hit Madagascar doesn’t miss on its Madagascar-based premise, a credit to the movie’s creators.

Telling the story of how a group of New York Zoo animals managed to find themselves in the island of Madagascar, the adventures of Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the Giraffe, and Gloria the hippo are the main focus in Madagascar, where the four encounter a group of merry lemurs who are simply out to live the “good island life”.

Though not exactly responsible for sparking interests on lemurs, the movie did manage to stoke the fires of interest in them, effectively putting lemurs on the map.

As creatures, all types of lemurs share a set of basal primal traits, characterized by tails and divergent digits found in their hands and feet. Highly social and very interactive, these characteristics have once made them popular as exotic pets, but their status as a pet is well guarded by officially sanctioned wildlife conservation agencies.

The fact that they were quite popular as pets has actually driven different organizations into officially monitoring and controlling lemur populations, giving focus on emphasis on how properly housed they are, how pet owners are in the capacity to provide them with their dietary staples, etc.

Though it is not generally illegal to keep lemurs as pets, there are certain considerations and restrictions involved in keeping them, something which someone who is entertaining the thought of getting a lemur should be well aware of.

Do you own a lemur? What did you have to do to legally keep it?

 Lemurs Video

 

Collies

As a dog, collies have long been considered as a dog breed, but that title is actually incorrect in the sense that collies are not exactly a breed but rather a type of herding dog that hails from the Northern parts of England and Scotland.

Lassie, from the 1943 released feature Lassie Come Home, has become iconic for collies, with the name Lassie loosely used as household term that defines the dog type, in general.

Essentially a “Rough Collie”, Lassie, as a character, has defined a lot of doggy attributes which countless households look for in the ideal family dog, steadfast in its resolve, strong in its overall constitution and intelligent in assessing situations and scenarios.

In Lassie Come Home, Lassie is separated from her family, a separation which was caused by the fact that her family had to sell her to a new master. Ever loyal to her masters, Lassie managed to escape from her buyers, going on an adventure in finding her way back home from Scotland to Yorkshire.

A lot of Lassie’s positive attributes stand true with collies in general, with most collies exhibiting significant capabilities for intelligence, stamina and generally “trainable” temperaments.

Though not exactly the poster-dog for all collies, Lassie’s popularity has defined collies in a lot of ways, leading to the organization of different collie types for shows, with a known number of mixes known to exist.

As a herding dog, collies are quite popular in the United Kingdom, and with Lassie Come Home, it has also become popular in different parts of the world.

Collies Video

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