#1 New Study Reveals That Bumblebees Will Roll Wooden Balls For Seemingly No Other Reason Than Fun, Becoming The First Insect Known To 'Play'
#2 Arctic Foxes Are 'Ecosystem Engineers' Who Grow Beautiful Gardens. Organic Waste From The Foxes & Their Kills Make The Area Surrounding Their Dens More Fertile, Leading To Almost Three Times As Many Dune Grasses, Willows & Wildflowers To Sprout Up, Compared To The Rest Of The Tundra
As Olivia Lai pointed out on Earth, as much as we want to marvel at nature and our planet’s biodiversity, we need to remember that the creatures we share our home with are currently under overwhelming stress due to centuries of widespread human activities and climate change.
Deforestation and land clearing for agricultural and farming purposes remain to be the biggest threats to animal and plant species across the world, reducing millions of hectares of natural habitats every year.
#3 Here's Twinzy, A Half-Sider Budgie, Half-Siders Are Budgies With A Condition Called "Chimerism" Which, In Genetics, Means That It's The Result Of Non-Identical Twins Fusing Together Early In Their Development To Become One!
#4 This Is An African Black Footed Cat. Despite Its Adorable Looks, It’s A Killing Machine. It’s Hunting Success Rate Is 60%, Compare That To A Lion’s 25%
#5 Bat Toes Are Specially Designed To Relax In A Locked Position. This Means That When Bats Are Clinging On To The Roof Of A Cave Or Tree, They Are Actually Relaxing Their Feet
As the world continues its current trend of environmental degradation, we have driven another 1 million animal and plant species to the brink of extinction, all of which could disappear from the Earth within decades, according to the UN’s 2019 Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service.
This devastating rate of extinction highlights the fact we’re in the midst of a sixth mass extinction event, and even more worryingly, it’s accelerating. Scientists note that without the human destruction of nature, this rate of loss would have taken thousands of years.
#6 The Australian Western Pygmy Possum Is Actually One Of The Largest Pygmy Possums In The World Despite Being No Larger Than A Typical Kiwi Fruit
#7 Kodkods Are The Smallest Wild Felid In The Americas And Have The Smallest Distribution Of Any Cat In The Americas. They Occur Only In Central And Southern Chile, With Marginal Populations In Adjoining Areas Of Argentina
#8 The Resplendent Quetzal Is A Sacred Symbol In Mesoamerica And Guatemala's National Bird, Pictured On The Country's Flag. They Favor Eating Fruit In The Avocado Family, Eating Them Whole Before Regurgitating The Pits. Essentially Making Them The Avocado "Gardeners" Of Their Forest Habitats
#9 Although It Takes Newborn Elephants Only A Few Hours To Master Standing And Walking, They Need 1 Year To Figure Out How To Use Their Trunks To Drink Water
There are currently at least 38,500 species under threat, and over 16,300 species believed to be endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi, and plant species.
Based on only 28% of all assessed species, 41% of known endangered species are amphibians, 37% are sharks and rays, 33% are corals, 26% are mammals, and 14% are birds.
#10 The Maned Wolf Is The One Of Largest Canid In South America. This Species Is The Only Member Of Its Genus. Although Technically, It Is Not A Fox Or A Wolf. Its Long Legs Are Likely An Adaptation To The Tall Grasslands Of Its Native Habitat
#11 Fun Fact, You Can Rent Goats To Clear Brush Off Your Property. They Eat Everything, Including Poison Ivy, And It's Much More Eco Friendly Than Weed Killer
#12 The Wild Iberian Lynx Population Has Increased Tenfold In The Last Two Decades, From 94 Individuals In 2002 To 1,111 Lynxes In 2021, A True Success Story Owing To Conservation Efforts And Public Awareness. Listed As "Endangered", The Lynx Lives In Fragmented Wilderness Areas In Spain And Portugal
#13 Songbirds Like This Indigo Bunting Use The Stars To Navigate While Migrating. Studies Show That The Birds Especially Rely On The North Star, Ursa Major, And Cassiopeia
Up to 70% of the world’s assessed plants are under threat, and nearly a third of global tree species are facing extinction including well-known species such as magnolias, oaks, maple and ebonies.
In the US alone, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates there are currently over 1,300 endangered or threatened species.
#14 Platypuses/Platypi Are Extremely Affectionate, Also Have The Most Rem Sleep Of Any Animal (5.8-8 H/Day)
#15 The Olinguito (Bassaricyon Neblina) Made Global Headlines When Scientists Announced Its Discovery In 2013, A Notable Event As This Was The First Carnivore Described In The Western Hemisphere Since The 1970s. It Is Native To The Forests Of Colombia And Ecuador. This Is A Photo Of A Baby Olinguito
#16 Blue-Footed Boobies Have Bright Blue Feet Due To Their Diet, And The Level Of Brightness Shows How Healthy The Bird Is To Their Mate!
#17 The Indian Giant Squirrel Can Grow To A Full Length Of Over A Metre
According to a 2020 analysis published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists have identified 515 species with populations below 1,000, and about half of these had fewer than 250 individuals remaining.
#18 Black-Footed Ferrets Are Among The Most Endangered And Rarest Mammals Native To North America. In Fact, The Species Was Declared Extinct In 1979, However, In 1981 A Residual Wild Population Was Discovered In Wyoming. This Ferret, Born In 2020, Was The First Ever U.S. Endangered Animal To Be Cloned
#19 Bat-Eared Foxes Sleep Mostly During The Day In Their Burrows And Emerge At Dusk To Feed Mainly On Termites And Other Insects. As You Can Guess, They Have An Incredible Sense Of Hearing
#20 Gray Wolves Eating Blueberries; Wolves Actually Covet Berries And Other Fruits, During Their Growing Seasons Berries Can Make Up 80% Of Wolf Packs' Diet
