Category Animal World

How Wister donkey and Safi a German shepherd form a close bond?

Wister, a donkey and Safi, a German shepherd forged a friendship on a ranch in Wyoming, USA, in the 1990s. the two would romp about, with the dog even teaching Wister to fetch a stick! If Safi did not appear, Wister would stand at the door and bray. If he accidentally kicked Safi during play, he would stand still as if to say sorry. Safi would jump up and nip his neck gently in acceptance!

They love to chase and nip each other. They share the same food bowl and take naps together.  Safi taught Wister to fetch a stick and carry it around. When Safi and her owner go on hikes, Wister follows them.  In the morning, Wister stands outside the house and brays until Safi comes out to play.

 

Picture Credit : Google

How Bella dog and Tara an Asian elephant form a close bond?

At the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, USA, Bella, a dog and Tarra, an Asian elephant, were best buddies. Bella played, slept and ate with her. Elephants are very careful around their young ones, so Tarra was equally careful with Bella. When the dog was injured in an accident, Tarra maintained a vigil outside the room and called to her constantly. Only when Bella was brought outside did she cease her crying!

When Bella was killed by coyotes, sanctuary workers believe Tarra picked her up and carried her body to the spot where they usually spent time together.

 

Picture Credit : Google

How moray eel and grouper form a close bond?

Though a few animals of different species cooperate while hunting in the wild, it is rare. A fish known as a grouper will recruit a moray eel to help it extract prey that is hiding in a crevice. The honey guide, an African bird, will lead a honey badger, or even a person, to a beehive it wants to plunder of wax and grubs.

Another kind of bonding behavior is ‘imprinting’, in which newborn animals or birds will follow the first moving thing they set eyes upon, whether it is their own mother, a machine, another animal or a human.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Why do animals have tails?

Different animals use their tails for different purposes. Animals such as monkeys and opossums have what is called a prehensile tail, which allows them to grasp tree branches. Grazing animals like horses and cows use tails to swat flies. Cats like lions and tigers use it for balance, especially when running. Kangaroos too use their tails for balance. Tails are also used for communication – dogs wag their tails to express affection; deer flash the white underside of their tail to warn other deer in the vicinity of possible danger, and female deer do so when they are ready to breed; and beavers slap the water with their tails to indicate danger. Some species use their tail to escape from their enemies (lizards dtech their tails to prevent an attack, from its predator), while others use it to attack their enemies (Scorpions have venom at the end of their tail, while rattlesnakes have a special organ at the end of their tail that enables them to warn intruders and keep enemies at bay).

Crocodiles and alligators store fat in their tails.

Feathers and fins are tails for birds and fish respectively. Birds and fish use their ‘tails’ for steering.

 

Picture Credit : Google

How do Snakes, Seals and Walruses inflate?

The elephant seal has a nose that looks like a trunk, hence its name. When the time to mate comes around, the seals inflate their noses by nearly a foot or 30 centimetres! They face off in snorting contests to prove their value to the females.

Walruses on the other hand, puff up their necks to create a natural pillow. The two sacs keep the walrus afloat when it is sleeping in the water.

Among snakes, the puff adder is the only one that can inflate its entire body and let out a loud hiss for good measure. It is a large venomous snake found in some parts of Africa.

 

Picture Credit : Google

How do howler monkey inflate?

Among simians, the howler monkey can make one of the loudest calls among animals by inflating the air sacs in its throat. It is not only used for communication, but also as a mating display.

Orangutans have a little-known physical feature – an inflatable pouch along their necks that expands to hold nearly six litres of water! Amazingly, the pouches inflate when the orangutan breathes out rather than in. the sac helps amplify its calls and to climb, breathe and float.

Each social group of howler monkeys consists of 10-20 members organized in a strict hierarchy, with a dominant male as the leader.  Group members spend nearly 2/3 of their time sleeping; this is due to the energy-poor diet of the monkeys.  Much like the sloth, howler monkeys feed mainly on leaves.  This means that they are folivores, or leaf-grazers.  These leaves, however, are a poor source of nutrition because most of the calories in the leaves are bound up in hard-to-digest cellulose.  To gain a sufficient amount of energy, an adult howler monkey thus needs to ingest more than 15% of its body size per day in leaf matter. 

 

Picture Credit : Google