As you know, nature always finds a way to survive. No matter how adverse conditions threaten the survival of creatures, some species, ultimately, adapt and find the best way to survive in their environment as they face little choice: adapt or die. Every animal on this planet has grown and changed over thousands of years to become what it is today. And sometimes, these changes manifest a truly strange ways. Ten animals presented below are fantastic examples of the innate adaptability, which is present in all beings, even if as a result of this, we get something completely unexpected.
1. Maned wolf (Maned Wolf)
Maned wolf or Chrysocyon brachyurus, is representative of the canine family, which includes dogs, wolves and foxes. Maned wolf, which has reddish fur and erect ears, looks very much like a normal fox, with only one striking difference - his long, graceful legs, which probably would have looked better on the African gazelle than on any kind of wolves. And despite its name, the maned wolves actually are not wolves - they are only distantly related to any other members of the canine family and were able to take their own unique niche in the world of animals.
Believed that the distinctive long legs maned wolf an adaptation aimed at helping this species to survive in the grasslands of South Africa. In the vast field of tall grass, the only protection is the ability to see predators before they can get to you. Their ears are also adapted to the meadows, allowing the maned wolf to catch even the quiet rustle of rodents scurrying through the grass, which is the main staple food in their diet.
2. Malayan flying lemurs (Sunda Flying Lemur)
Like a flying squirrel, Malayan flying lemurs or Galeopterus variegatus, has developed a unique way of moving through the trees in their environment. It uses a fold of skin that stretch between his legs, he actually glides through the air, flying from branch to branch. From birth to death, Malay sherstokryly lived all his life in the crowns of tropical forests across Southeast Asia. Their feet and limbs are well adapted for climbing, but virtually useless for movement on the ground, which means that the fall of the land to them will almost certainly be a death sentence.
In the fully open state, the thickness of the skin membrane, called patagy , is only 1 millimeter, but an area that is six times the size of the rest of the body lemur. It is also very effective - Malaysian sherstokryly can fly up to 100 meters in a single jump, and they do so without wasting more than 10 meters in height during the flight. In English, their name sounds a bit misleading, since Malay lemur can not fly and is not a lemur. This animal belongs to the order of mammals known as sherstokryly or Caguán and Malay sherstokryly make up half of the entire world population of this group. The other half are Caguán, known as the Philippine sherstokryly (Philippine flying lemur).
3. Gerenuks (Gerenuk)
Antelope looks pretty cool no matter what they do, but gerenuks can rise head and shoulders above the other species of antelope in the literal sense. We gerenuks, also known as Giraffidae gazelle (Litocranius walleri) unreasonably long neck and thin, elongated legs that give them a unique opportunity to feeding. Instead graze and eat grass like other antelopes, gerenuks are right on their hind legs and feed almost exclusively leaves and shoots of acacia trees, which are often found in African savannas.
Surprisingly, gerenuks evolved to take such an unusual source of food, because in the world there are 91 species of antelope, and most of them live in Africa. Therefore, considering such competition, gerenuks decided to switch to another way of food. Unfortunately, while their long, slender legs are perfect for giving them the stability to achieve the acacia leaves, they are also incredibly fragile, and at the moment there were several occasions when gerenuks broken leg bones during their run through the savanna . This once again proves that focusing on one area may leave other aspects of life is a work in progress.
4. Iravadiyskih dolphin (Irrawaddy Dolphin)
Iravadiyskih dolphin or Orarella brevirostris, is one of the species of dolphins, which are mainly found along the coast and estuaries of South-East Asia, particularly in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of eastern India. Close relatives of killer whales, dolphins have adapted iravadiyskih not through physical characteristics, and by producing a rather unique behavior. Over the years they have developed a kind of partnership with the local fishermen - they chase schools of fish to the networks of fishermen, and in return they get their share of a cornered and helpless fish before the net hauled aboard.
This is an incredible example of the adaptation of nature to human influence, and in the world (in the wild) no other species of wild animals that have interacted in such a close cooperation with the people. Even more incredible is the fact that there have been several reports of court cases of the 19th century, in which one fisherman sued by another fisherman, because "it iravadiyskih Dolphins' helped opponent.
5. Crested deer (Tufted Deer)
People think of deer some of the friendliest animals in the world. They are timid, herbivores, and can be a threat only when they kick in fear, escape into the woods. They also almost never have fangs. However, tufted deer in China must have forgotten about it. They are so named because of the small bundle of black fur, which usually grows on the crest of their heads. Yet their most striking feature is the large vampire fangs that grow out of their mouths.
Like horns, fangs, these are used in fights between males during mating. I crested the deer have horns, but they are relatively small so during the fight, they first hit each other with horns, but as soon as one of them falls, the second straight teeth bites into the opponent's vulnerabilities, these canines can act breath for 2, 5 centimeters. And without that weird deer were seen feeding on carrion, dead animals - which, to put it mildly, very rare in the animal world. Thus, they not only battling their rivals fangs, but still eat meat.
6. Grasshopper species Cyphonia Clavata
This is not an ant sitting on the back of another beetle - a kind of grasshopper, a naming Cyphonia clavata, have adapted by growing a realistic projection on the back, in the form of an ant. Grasshoppers are generally very entertaining insects, there are many disguises that have developed certain types, to adapt to their habitats.
In this example, the grasshopper Cyphonia chose to follow the insect to which, as we know it is difficult to hunt - ant. He carefully copied the structure of the ant, in detail, down to the studs that protrude from the back of an ant - by which he is so neappetiten to predators. This species of grasshoppers was first discovered in 1788 by Caspar Strllom (Caspar Stroll), an entomologist from Germany. These grasshoppers live in the tropical forests of Central America.
7. Indian muntjac (Southern Red Muntjac)
Indian muntjac is a small deer, endemic to south Asia. We muntjac has several unique features that are not found in other deer. The most unique feature of them has led to what the locals call them barking deer. When the deer sense danger, they make a sound like a short, sharp bow (like a dog), warning other deer in the herd, it is necessary to run. Depending on the risk, these bursts of barking can last more than an hour at a time.
They also differ from other species of deer in other aspects. Like the tufted deer, muntjac have have short fangs, which they use during the breeding season. However, unlike tufted deer, muntjac have have large horns that grow in an incredibly unique shape on the tops of their heads.
8. Crowned Amazon Mukhoed (Amazonian Royal Flycatcher)
In birds, there is often a large, richly decorated with tufts of feathers, which they use during courtship rituals. Peacock is a prime example of such behavior. However, less known, but no less impressive example of this behavior is crowned Amazon Mukhoed (Onychorhynchus coronatus coronatus). The body length of these relatively small birds, is about 16.5 inches, and, as is clear from their titles crowned Amazon Mukhoyedy live mainly in the Amazon jungles of South America.
However, they have a distinctive characteristic. While most species of birds, bright colorful plumage is only one sex (usually males), in the Amazonian crowned Mukhoed, the heads of both sexes are decorated with large brightly colored feathers. Females usually yellow feathers, and males are bright orange. Curious thing is that Amazon crowned Mukhoyedy reveal their colorful halos only during the mating season - and when they are in the hands of the people.
9. Ants with hooks (Fish-Hook Ants)
In the depths of the national park Viračej (Virachey National Park) in Cambodia, to live a unique view Muravev. Ants with hooks (Polyrhachis bihamata), Living in Kolonia, čislennostʹû the multi-million osobej, usually in pustyh a log or in loess podstilke. Neobyčno to term it, What of them spin Torcato two vyroste, resembling the form of Fishing Hooks. How can and was by predpoložitʹ - This Protective mechanism. Hooks sharp enough to serve moŝnym otpugivatelem predators. When they were zadokumentirovany učënymi in 2007, one of the issledovatelej obnaružil sobstvennom Experience, What šípy were not only spicy enough, to penetrate into the skin, they also "ucepilisʹ» Early by automatically prikreplââ ant to this, Who ego atakuet. For one ant It can be not very good new, but in the whole so favorable situation for the whole colony.
No. This is not edinstvennyj Unusual aspect of these Muravev - when it is under the Endangered colony, they vysypaût Thousands of different from muravejnika, and sceplâûtsâ with each other via Kryuchkov for creating massive skoplenij, What practical does not permit nikakomu predator nacelitʹsâ the otdelʹnogo ant.
10 Salamandra "ET" (ET salamander)
So far, this newly discovered type of salamander has no name, but it has been dubbed the salamander "ET" because of his resemblance to the alien from the movie "Alien" in 1982. In this salamander found in the tropical forests of Ecuador, there is only one truly incredible adaptation - it has no lungs. It is likely to "breathe" through the skin absorbing oxygen from the ambient air. Researchers from the international organization for the protection of the environment, described it as "a surprisingly ugly", which is certainly an apt description of the tiny amphibians.
So far, we still do not know much about this salamander. Scientists plan to find a lot of new things during his expedition to explore the unique biosphere Ecuadorian rainforest.