[Racoon]

There are some really cool animals that have evolved!

I don't watch much T.V. anymore, but when I babysit my nephews, Animal Planet is a crowd favorite.

There already is a Birding thread, so this is dedicated to flightless critters.
Is there an animal you think is really cool?
If so, let us know! Give everyone a description or link, and why they are cool and/or fascinating.

To start, I have been looking into the Platypus. What was evolution thinking?? what a cool animal.

A mammal that lays eggs! Swims with its eyes closed with the aid of webbed feet and a sensitive duck-like beak.
Males have a poisonous spur on their hind feet, powerful enough to kill a dog, or make a human very sick.
Too bad they live in Australia, far away from here.

heres some more quick links to check out this mighty marvel!

http://www.genevaschools.org/austinb.../gray/platypus
&
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platypus

[Boerseun]

These guys are monotremes, and they indicate an 'in-between' state from true reptiles to true mammals. They don't have proper nipples like mammals have, rather, they have enlarged specialised sweat glands that just dribble (or sweat) a rich substance that is lapped up by the young.

A question:

The plural of platypus - whill that be platypusses, platypi, or platypussies?

[Racoon]

Originally Posted by Boerseun

The plural of platypus - whill that be platypusses, platypi, or platypussies?

Dunno'?
but speaking of platypussies,

The Beaver is another cool animal!
Ever been Busy as a Beaver ?

Oregon is the Beaver state, and Beavers are the national symbol of Canada.
These large rodents build really cool lodges, or dams, That help restore wetlands! Beaver dens are really neat I think.
Beavers can chew down a tree overnight. And they also mate for life.
There is the European and North American varieties, although similar.

learn more about them.

http://www.beaversww.org/beaver.html
&
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver

[Racoon]

Snow Leopards!

Now that is a cool animal!

Too bad they are so endangered. Why do humans insist on eliminating so many wonderful species? Like most Big Cats, they are in serious dire straights.

Seems that Snow Leopards aren't really leopards in the pantherine family at all. In fact they are relatively unique, and belongs in its own category.

Their long tail seperates them from other big cats, and is used for balance in the high altitude terrains it quietly stalks at night!

They are absolutely stunning! Beautiful creatures that deserve protection.

Take a look.

http://www.kewa.org/snow.html
&
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_leopard

[Drip Curl Magic]

Originally Posted by Racoon

Snow Leopards!

Now that is a cool animal!

Too bad they are so endangered. Why do humans insist on eliminating so many wonderful species? Like most Big Cats, they are in serious dire straights.

Seems that Snow Leopards aren't really leopards in the pantherine family at all. In fact they are relatively unique, and belongs in its own category.

Their long tail seperates them from other big cats, and is used for balance in the high altitude terrains it quietly stalks at night!

They are absolutely stunning! Beautiful creatures that deserve protection.

Take a look.

http://www.kewa.org/snow.html
&
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_leopard

Snow leopards have always been one of my favorites because of their beautiful fur coat and the extreme climate that they live in.

Incredibly creatures.

[Racoon]

There are lots of cool animals.

Porcupines are another one!

These rodents have quills that really hurt if you try to eat them!
Great evolutionary defense. Right up there with Skunks.

InfiniteNow and Pyrotex probably have more experience with these guys, along with Armadillos in Texas...?

Check these lil' dudes out!

http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1/eretdors.htm
&
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porcupine

So whats cool to you??

[Cedars]

Grey Fox. Beautiful, smart, agile...

I have a pair, but I havent seen them lately. Its coming up on the fourth summer now this pair has been here. First time I saw them, they would come thru one at a time and eat bird food. So I started adding dog food to the ground mix. Then they came everyday around noon. As I read up on them I found out they are expanding their territory into this area and were once uncommon. They are known to climb trees. I saw the female up on the roof of the garage once and figured out how she got up there. I also suspect it was them and not racoons running around on my roof one winter.

Later they brought the babies. That was a cool morning for me. I went out later to mow and encountered the male. He stood between me and his kits. I talked to him for a few minutes, he snorted at me and disapeared around the corner of the fence.

The following year I saw no babies.

Last summer I had the female so tame she would let me get within 20 feet of her. I could call out to her and she would come within minutes to get food. I debated to myself whether I should take away her fear of me. I shouldnt have, but I couldnt help it. They love french fries, spagetti, bread, cookies and a host of other people foods. Yeah, I know I shouldnt have done that either....

I only saw one baby last year.

Once she began bringing the baby, we had the fearful wild animal again. This winter I had too many racoons around and they managed to drive away the foxes for the most part.

I could write several pages of the interactions I had with her. The male never got comfortable with me.

Heres a pic that is very close to my girl but her brown came further up on her cheeks, almost to her eyes:
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.ed...iew_large.html

This pic is almost a twin of the male fox:
http://www.canids.org/species/Urocyo...oargenteus.htm

More info on them:
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.ed...argenteus.html

Good pics here:
http://www.nhptv.org/Natureworks/grayfox.htm

[GreekTTC]

All cats are amazing. Purpose built assassins. Earth's true ninjas.

All animals are fantastic though. Can you imagine the wild forms of animal life out there somewhere in the vastness of the cosmos? I love looking at the contents of our planet with unbiased "alien" eyes. Trying to imagine being someone from another planet...looking at everything on this Earth as it's my first time ever seeing it. Not easy to do, but if you get your mind right...you can.

My favorite animals, however, are the cepahalopods: a word of Greek origin meaning, literally, "head with feet." Octopus, squid and the like. Truly fantastic in terms of the evolution of their species. I would love to have multiple arms, photo cells in my skin so I can change color however and whenever I wanted, and no bones, so I could fit pretty much anywhere! OH, and can't forget the hundreds of suction cups that double as tongues...able to taste everything they touch. And the smoke screen ink release maneuver could come in handy, too

[Boerseun]

Pit Vipers!

These suckers have evolved a sense unmatched in the Animal Kingdom!

Besides the normal senses, they have specialised pits between their eyeballs and nostrils, that can scan infrared! They can pick up temperature differentials of 1/300th of a degree from meters away!

Now that is cool...

[Drip Curl Magic]

lets not neglect the sea creatures that make up most of the earth's populace.

Whenever I visit the aquarium, one of my favorite creatures to observe through glass would have to be the JELLYFISH.

The way they move trips me out so much. They all look so graceful the way their weird shaped body and dangly tenticles all wave in unison.

Made up of 98 percent water.

has no brain.

And carries a mean sting.

What an odd creature....

I'm in love.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jellyfish