Category Archive: Animals

Kangaroo is one of Australia’s most recognizable and popular animals. Indeed, its image is even present on the state emblem of the Green Continent! For every Australian kangaroo is a symbol of progress, non-stop forward movement, and all because this animal is purely physically unable to jump back.
Despite the fact that the kangaroo appeared in the scientific world more than a hundred years ago and has been closely studied by biologists since then, this beast remains a mystery to scientists. Even the name itself – the kangaroo – for a long time baffled everyone. The most popular version of the origin of this name was a mythical story that the “kangaroo” from the local dialect is translated as “I do not understand.” Allegedly, this is exactly how the natives answered the questions of the curious captain Cook, who poked his finger at a jumping marsupial animal unknown to Europeans. So the version that the “kangaroo” actually translates as “big jumper” is much more believable. And the word was heard not by Captain Cook, but by a completely different English navigator William Dampier. And if you stick to the first version, then all the animals and plants of Australia would have been called “kangaroo” by the Europeans.
More »

Finches are songbirds of the finch family.
The Latin word “fringilla” is closely related to the word “frigor” which means cold. These birds come back among the first in the very early spring, that is, they return to the end of March, when the snow has not melted yet.
This bird is the size of a sparrow with body length of about 14.5 centimeters. The wingspan is 24.5-28.5 centimeters and it weighs 15-40 grams.
Male finch is one of the most brightly colored birds in Europe. They are easily recognizable by the grayish-blue crown of the head, the tawny chest, the chestnut back and the bottle-green base of the tail. Females are not so bright. Their body is covered with brownish feathers, on the wings and tail they have white stripes.
More »

From time immemorial a dove is considered a bird of peace. There are monuments to this bird in more than 30 cities of the planet.
These are the first birds domesticated by humans. Human relations with pigeons date back to the dawn of civilization, and probably even earlier. Domestic pigeons were first pictured on clay tablets in the Mesopotamian period, dating back more than 5000 years. They were constantly used as postmen at great distances. Famous historical figures, such as Genghis Khan, Julius Caesar and others, used them to deliver messages. In the 11-12 centuries, the dove had the same value as the thoroughbred stallion, because at that time there were no phones or mail. After the Franco-Prussian War, several pigeons were awarded medals for bravery. During the war, birds transmitted important letters much faster than the telegraph.
There are more than 300 species of these birds on the planet Earth. They live in every part of the world, except, of course, the coldest regions, but most pigeons live in the tropics.
More »

Ferrets are long and slender, and are determined hunters. Their color varies from yellowish to all black, and they are about 60 cm long, including the tail.
The word “ferret” comes from the Latin word “furonem”, which translates as “thief.”
Without a doubt, ferrets are some of the funniest creatures. They are curious, playful and love a variety of interactions with their owners. The better the ferrets are socialized at an early age, the more they love contact with people.
These animals are successfully used in such a serious industry as aircraft manufacturing. Due to their flexibility and ability to slip into the narrowest slots, these animals stretch cables in the bodies of new Boeing. Moreover, they installed communications of the Large Hadron Collider. Also, they pulled wires at Buckingham Palace while preparing for the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.
More »

In the summer twilight, at the edge of the forest, by a country road or in a meadow, you can see a “living star” in the high wet grass. If you come closer to observe the mysterious “bulb” you will most likely be disappointed to find a soft worm-shaped body with a luminous end. It’s probably better to admire the firefly from a distance. But what kind of creature is it?
An ordinary firefly is an insect from the Lampyridae family. Unfortunately, in the summer cottages near large cities, a “live flashlight” has long been a rarity.
After all, our heroes are underdeveloped creatures. The greenish “light bulb” is a wingless larva-like female. At the end of her unprotected abdomen there is a special luminous organ with the help of which the bug calls the male.
More »

Pink necked fruit dove (Latin Ptilinopus porphyreus) – beautiful representative of the kind of a small colorful fruit dove. All in all, in the world there are about 50 of its various relatives, each with its colorful plumage and a taste for the fruit and the fruit trees. The neck, head and chest of the dove is purple-pink. The lower part of the breast is outlined with white strip, becoming a little thinner on the sides of the body. The upper part of the body is dark green with a metallic sheen on the wings and tail. The belly has ash-gray color, the sides are olive green. The beak is greenish-yellowish, lighter on top. The iris is orange, the bill is greenish, and feet are pink. However, the female is duller than the male.
More »

The fantastic speed of a swordfish is still a mystery to scientists.
At the very end of World War II, the British tanker Barbara sailed on the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The weather was calm. And suddenly the sailor on duty noticed that a long torpedo was flying at a huge speed right toward the tanker, leaving a foamy mark on the surface of the ocean. The sailor raised the alarm, but after a few moments the torpedo had already reached its target, hit the tanker, but … there was no explosion. And the “torpedo” quickly turned around and again rushed at the ship. It turned out that it was a swordfish. At the second attempt to ram the ship, the fish broke its weapon – a sword, and was stuck in a hole. When the aggressive fish was pulled out onto the deck, it turned out that the length of the sword exceeded one and a half meters, the body was five meters, and the weight of the live torpedo was 660 kilograms.
More »