bizarre creatures: February 2008

Monday, February 25, 2008

Shovel Nosed Guitarfish

The VERY rare Shovel Nosed Guitarfish

read more about them here:

http://www.aquariumteam.com/creatures.htm

http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/R/Rhinobatos_productus.asp

http://www.timsaxon.co.uk/shovelnosedray.html

Friday, February 22, 2008

The adult Giant Pangolin has been known to reach a size of 140 cm (55.1 inches) and weigh as much as 33 kg (73 lbs.). These scaly creatures walk with most of their weight is on their columnar rear legs as it curls the front paws, walking on the outside of the wrists rather than the palms to protect the claws. By using its tail for balance, the Giant Pangolin will often walk upright as a biped.

Newborns cannot walk on their legs, but can move on their stomach.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Pangolin#Physical_description

http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/pangolin

video here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btkVS7uYNwM

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Giant Sea Spider

Giant Sea Spiders found, photos and video online! Scientists have discovered Giant Sea Spiders in Antarctic waters and have collected some, among other creatures.

The scientists were sure to film the fascinating sea creatures that were about a foot in length. They also captured other odd sea creatures.

Martin Riddle, the Australian scientist who led the underwater research says: "Gigantism is very common in Antarctic waters -- we have collected huge worms, giant crustaceans and sea spiders the size of dinner plates..."

-taken from http://www.postchronicle.com/news/science/article_212131385.shtml

check out a video of them on the link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWEw9jUHYMc

Giant Freshwater Stringray

http://www.underwatertimes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=507

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/ecology/hunt-for-the-mega-fish/149

cool video of giant saltwater stingray
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8807235055259100098

Sunday, February 17, 2008

UPDATE on the gobi desert creature post

After some research, It has come to my attention that this creature could be, or may be similar to, the Triops longicaudatus (commonly called longtail tadpole shimp.) The longtail tadpole shrimp is considered a living fossil because its basic morphology has changed little in the last 200 million years.

Triops longicaudatus is among the oldest animal species to still exist.

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

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

View the original post here: http://bizarrecreatures.blogspot.com/2007/12/gobi-desert-creature.html

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Golden Snub-nosed Monkey

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Snub-nosed_Monkey

http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/mammals/Rhinopithecus_roxellana/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/346.shtml

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Golden Poison Frog

Golden poison frog is currently considered the most poisonous vertebrate worldwide.

The Golden Poison Frog's alkaloid poison, one of a number of poisons common to dart frogs, prevents nerves from transmitting impulses, leaving the muscles in an inactive state of contraction. This can lead to heart failure or fibrillation . Alkaloid batrachotoxins can be stored by frogs for years after the frog is deprived of a food-based source, and such toxins do not readily deteriorate, even when transferred to another surface. Chickens and dogs have died from contact with a paper towel on which a frog had walked.

The average dose carried will vary between locations, and consequent local diet, but the average wild P. terribilis is generally estimated to contain about one milligram of poison, enough to kill about 10,000 mice. This estimate will vary in turn, but most agree that this dose is enough to kill between 10 and 20 humans.

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

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Phyllobates_terribilis.html

http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/frogs/vivarium/golden.php