The post 5 Fun Facts About Zebra Stripes That You Probably Don’t Know appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>100% Unique
Zebra stripes can be compared to human fingertips because they make each zebra 100% unique, even though they may look the same at first glance.
Black Coats + White Stripes
Many people believe that zebras have white coats with black stripes, but a closer look at their unstripped belly and legs proves that it’s actually the other way around.
Social Factor
Stripes can play an important role in the social life of zebras because they can help them recognize each other.
Protection
Stripes make zebras visually striking, but that’s not their main purpose and they actually serve many different functions. They can help these animals protect themselves in the wild because they can use stripes as a form of camouflage, making it difficult for predators to identify them when in large herds.
Bug Repellant
Studies have shown that zebra stripes can be used as a bug-repellant because they play a crucial role in helping zebras regulate their body temperature, thus keeping certain types of insects at bay.
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]]>The post Mother and Daughter Discover Their Hotel Room Was Already Occupied By an Adorable Ball of Fur appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>According to a story shared by Amarillo, Texas-based non-profit Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center on social media, the mother and daughter entered the bathroom and saw a prairie dog resting in the bathtub.
After recovering from the initial surprise, they noticed the hotel staff, which gave a call to Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation. The rescuers swiftly arrived to the scene and got the animal into a carrier before taking it to their facility.
“The extraction went smoothly, leaving a heartwarming anecdote for the family and friends to cherish. Welcome to Texas!,” Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center wrote in a Facebook post. “On a side note, the hotel manager was very kind and handled this beautifully.”
Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center added in the comments section that they don’t know how the animal ended up in the hotel room or in the area, considering there “is no prairie dog town nearby.” The rescued prairie dog spent several days on observation before being released to the wild.
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]]>The post Cool Facts About Red Pandas You’ll Want to Share With Your Friends appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>Red Pandas Are the Original “Pandas”
Interestingly, red pandas are actually considered the original pandas. They were first documented in 1825, while the giant pandas were first described in 1869. They both got their name from the Nepalese word “ponya”, which means “bamboo eater”, which describes their diet.
Red Pandas Spend Most of Their Time Sleeping and Eating
Red pandas have the perfect lifestyle: they just sleep and eat. This is mainly due to the low nutrition content of the food they eat, meaning that they need to conserve their energy.
Red Pandas Have an Interesting Defense Mechanism
When they feel threatened, red pandas will stand on their hind legs. They do this in order to make themselves look larger, hoping to intimidate their aggressor.
Red Pandas Rely on Their Tail More Than You Would Expect
One of the most recognizable features of red pandas is their thick tail. They rely on it more than you would expect, using it to keep balance, as a source of warmth, and as a pillow to rest their head on.
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]]>The post Woman Saves an Abandoned Mini Horse Baby and Raises it in Her House appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>Addie was prematurely born and abandoned by its mother shortly after. The mother would kick the baby horse and didn’t want to have anything with it. Even the veterinarian couldn’t do anything to create a bond between the two, and it seemed like there was nothing anyone could do to save the foal.
At that point, Catherine decided to step in and take Addie. She brought it to her home, fed the baby horse, took care of it, and did everything to help it survive.
Catherine’s effort paid off as Addie grew up to be an energetic mini horse who quickly made friends with the family’s dogs. It also developed a habit of running around the house and chewing everything in its sight.
“Our house is definitely not made for a horse so we have moved our kitchen island out of the kitchen it’s pretty much destroyed now anyway she’s chewed most of it,” Catherine told The Dodo in a recent chat.
Now, Addie has become strong enough to be able to be outdoors and take care of itself. Catherine found it a new home on a farm but regularly visits the horse and shares their adventures on social media.
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]]>The post Cool Facts About Zebras That Will Surprise You appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>There Are Actually 3 Different Species of Zebras
We don’t blame you for thinking that all zebras belong to one species. However, there are actually three species of zebra—plains zebra, Grévy’s zebra, and mountain zebra—with each having its unique characteristics.
Zebra Stripes Are Unique
Every zebra has a unique stripes pattern similar to fingerprints in humans. Scientists believe that the black and white color of the stripes helps confuse predators and has some kind of role in regulating heat.
Baby Zebras Can Run One Hour After Being Born
Baby zebras, commonly known as foals, can stand on their own less than 10 minutes after being born. Even more impressive, they can run just one hour later.
Zebras Are Social Animals
Zebras are social animals and usually live in a family that exists as part of herds. The number of individuals in a particular herd varies but sometimes can reach more than 1,000 zebras during migrations to new feeding grounds. It isn’t uncommon that antelope or wildebeest join them in the latter case.
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]]>The post Cool Facts About Cougars You’ll Want to Share With Your Friends appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>Cougars Hold a Guinness World Record
Cougars, as a species, are an official Guinness World Record holder for being the animal with the most names. In the English language alone, there are 40 different names attributed to this cat.
Cougar Cubs are Born with Spots and Blue Eyes
When they are born, cougar cubs have spots covering their fur to help them go unnoticed, as well as blue eyes. Gradually, their fur loses its spots after two years while their eyes become amber.
Cougars Can’t Roar But Can Scream Like a Human
Despite being considered a big cat, cougar can’t roar. However, they are able to produce a high-pitched noise that resembles a human scream.
Cougars Can Jump Really High
We know that all cats are great jumpers, but the jumping ability of cougars is really something else. They can jump 18 feet in the air from a standing position and 40 feet forward.
Cougars’ Size Depends on How Close They Are to Equator
Interestingly, the size of cougars depends on where they live in relation to the equator. Studies have shown that cougars living further away from the equator are bigger, while those living closer to it are generally smaller.
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]]>The post Scientists Are Making a Groundbreaking Attempt at Saving Australia’s Northern Quoll appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>The northern quoll has been listed as Endangered since 2005, and some researchers estimate that the species could disappear within the next 10 years. The major threat to the northern quoll population in Australia are cane toads, as coming in contact with cane toad’s toxic skin is often fatal for the mammal.
Now, scientists are looking to genetically modify northern quolls to make them resistant to cane toad toxins. The initial results have been promising, and there is hope that a toad-toxin-resistant population of quolls will roam the wild in the next five years.
In 1935, 100 cane toads were imported to #Australia
— Colossal Biosciences® (@itiscolossal) May 9, 2024to deal with beetles eating crops. By 2011, cane toads had multiplied to over 200 million. We’re using gene editing technology to rebalance this environment, and save the #northernquoll from extinction. pic.twitter.com/Ywcz9aAkrd
Cane toads were introduced in Australia in 1935 in an attempt to suppress a bug population that had been damaging the country’s sugar cane crops. However, without previous encounters with cane toads and their inability to build resistance, a lot of Australia’s native species became susceptible to its toxins, especially those that prey on them, like the northern quoll.
“This is a simple [genetic] edit that would have evolved naturally. We’re adding a naturally occurring resistance, and it gives the quoll a fighting chance,” University of Melbourne’s Prof Andrew Pask told the Guardian.
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]]>The post Grizzly Watcher Timothy Treadwell Lived With Bears for 13 Years, Then He Was Eaten By One appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>However, the bear whisperer’s life mission came to a tragic end when his and his girlfriend’s bodies were found mauled to death in Katmai National Park where they had stayed for the summer, living with the very bears that killed them. What happened in the wilderness that October night? Did Treadwell know what he was getting himself into? Well, the whole deadly encounter was covered on Treadwell’s video camera.
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]]>The post Cool Facts About Sloths You’ll Want to Share With Your Friends appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>Sloths are Lazy for a Reason
Sloths are not lazy because they want to be like that; they are lazy because they need to be. Their metabolism is extremely slow, and their diet, which mostly includes leaves, doesn’t give them tons of energy. This is why they were forced to adapt their lifestyle and spend as little energy as possible in order to survive.
Sloths are Speedy Swimmers
Sloths are really slow when on the ground, being able to cover less than 10 feet in a minute. However, they are much faster in the water, reaching a speed of 44 feet per minute in short bursts.
Sloths Can Fall From 100 Feet and Remain Unharmed
Sloths spend most of their life on trees, so it makes sense that they frequently fall from them. However, they never get hurt. Their body is quite resistant to falling from large heights, and they could fall from 100 feet without being harmed.
Sloths Have Unusual Pooping Habits
Sloths are known for their unusual pooping habits. They poop only once a week and lose up to a third of their body weight in the process. Also, they only do it on the ground, near the base of the tree they call their home.
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]]>The post Kind Humans Act Swiftly to Rescue a Fox Cub That Had Her Head Stuck in a Jar appeared first on penguinmd.
]]>The British charity organization The Fox Project recently shared a rescue story about a curious fox cub that got her head stuck in a jar and lived to “tell” about it.
The fox was spotted by a “compassionate individual” who immediately alerted the experts from The Fox Project. The rescuers acted swiftly, containing the fox, and cut the hole in the jar in order to allow the wild animal to breathe properly.
The fox cub, now named Jar Jar, was later taken to a hospital to have the entire jar removed and treated for dehydration at ticks.
The Fox Project later shared an update on Jar Jar, revealing that the fox cub is doing great after receiving care, rest, and nourishing meals.
“Jar Jar has joined a group of four other rescued cubs, and is happily enjoying their company in an outdoor pen. We will continue to keep you updated on her journey as she prepares for her slow release back into the wild at natural dispersal time,” The Fox Project added while sharing a photo of Jar Jar with her new friends.
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