Unusual Animals From Around The World

Spike, the Hickory Horned Devil caterpillar, was found by Logan Darland, 9, in the front yard of his house in July 2004 in Kentucky.

This two-headed baby crocodile was born at Samut Prakarn Crocodile Farm on the outskirt of Bangkok in June 2001.

Stumpy, a four-legged duck who hatched at Warrawee Duck Farm in Copythorne, Hampshire in April 2007,grew to full size, despite his deformity.

This two-headed ‘Macroprotodon Cucullatus’ snake was found by some workers in a hotel garden on the Mediterrannean island of Mallorca in 2002.

Noel Daniels of Wellington discovered this one month old two-headed South African Tortoise in the Western Cape in 2003.

More images and info: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Przewalski´s Horses - The Most Primitive Of Living Horses

The rare Przewalski´s horse (also known as the Asian Wild Horse or the Mongolian Wild Horse) is the only truly wild relative of domestic horses and probably the most primitive of modern members of the horse family. It is smaller than most domesticated horses (standing about 122 to 142 centimeters at the shoulder and weighing about 200 to 340 kilograms). Some other differences are that it has a heavier head, an erect mane and a tail which almost reaches the ground.

Mares reach sexual maturity at about two years of age but generally do not breed until they are three years old. Mares give birth to single foals, which are born after an 11 to 12 month gestation period. The foals are usually up and moving with the group approximately 30 minutes after birth. In captivity, Przewalski´s horses lives to about 30 years of age.

Przewalski´s horses once freely roamed the steppe along the Mongolia-China borders in great numbers, living in small herds. But, at one time, they became extinct in the wild. These horses have ever since been kept and bred in captivity and have recently been reintroduced to its native habitat in Mongolia at several sites such as the Khustain Nuruu National Park, Takhin Tal Nature Reserve and Khomiin Tal. Nevertheless, on the IUCN Red List, they were reclassified from "extinct in the wild" to "critically endangered" after a reassessment in 2008.

Image and Info: National Geographic

Awesome Image Of Lizard Disguised As Autumn Leaf!

This amazing creature, which is known as a Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus), has blended itself into its surroundings so well that its coil-shaped body is hard to spot in the middle of the foliage. Its body is twisted into a corkscrew shape, camouflaging its outstanding leaf-shaped tail against the brown leaves. This awesome picture was taken at the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park in Madagascar, off the eastern coast of Africa.

The species is endemic to Madagascar and are found nowhere else. Their given name is because of their apparent ´horns´ and some species red eyes. The skin can occur in a variety of colors, ranging through orange, brown, yellow or green. Inactive during the day, they hunt for insects including crickets and moths during the night. Geckos are pretty much impossible to see when at rest on a mossy or lichen covered branch. They can flatten themselves to the branch, creating a perfect match to their environment and avoiding any shadow being cast. Modified scales form an uneven edge to the body that blends in nearly seamlessly with the bark. When bothered, larger members of the species tend to stand up, open mouthed and let out a large hiss. The geckos are adapted to life in a rainforest and their camouflage is so good that species and sub-species are still being discovered.

Image and Info: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Dalmatian Horse Spotted On Dartmoor

The British spotted pony, which was named “Spotty”, as you would have thought, was born in April (2010) at Wembury Point, near Plymouth despite the fact that his family usually grazes on Dartmoor. The young horse, who was born to a chocolate brown mare, shares the same out of the ordinary coloring as his father.

British spotted ponies have a diversity of color types including white spots on a dark background which are identified as "snowflake". Spotty's black spots on a white background are known as "leopard spot".

The markings were a natural camouflage for ponies wandering the heaths and woodlands of ancient Britain and are included in a number of Stone Age paintings and on manuscripts of great age. During Roman times the horses were presented to notable officers as a sign of their power. Approximately 170 are born in Britain every year.

From the: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Why Should We Chip Our Pet?

I´m sure that many of you know what it feels like to lose a dog or cat. Well a few years ago my Aunt deceased and I decided to adopt her cat. After about 5 to 6 months later my cat disappeared, never to be found again. It really broke my heart. The reason why I mention this story is because if I had microchipped my Aunt´s cat, the probability in finding her would have been much greater.

Numerous pets can be microchipped including dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and even reptiles. Each year thousands of lost and abandoned animals are taken in by shelters and humane societies. Sadly, a number of these animals are never reunited with their owners because they can’t be identified.

What exactly is a microchip? A microchip is a small device that is about the size of a grain of rice, and can be injected under the skin in just a matter of minutes. This gives the pet its own unique code, which helps animal shelters and local humane societies locate the pet's owner. The process is rapid and painless. Once the chip has been introduced, the animal and the owner are unable to feel it.
Don´t think twice about having your pet microchipped! It is the best option due to many reasons such as:

• Only true everlasting method of pet identification;
• Best chance of your pet returning to you after getting lost;
• Rapid and painless process, similar to vaccination;
• Lasts your pets entire lifetime.

Maybe your pet doesn't know what a microchip is, but he definitely knows how important your companionship is. So keep him safe…

Image and more info...