Atlas of the World's Strangest Animals

223 Pages·2010·42.83 MB·English

by  Paula Hammond

AT L A S O F T H E WO R L D ’ S
STR A NGEST
A N I M A L S
PAULA HAMMOND

AT L A S O F T H E WO R L D ’ S
STR A NGEST
A N I M A L S
(c) 2011 Marshall Cavendish. All Rights Reserved.

A T L AS OF T HE W O R L D ’S
S T R A N G E ST
ANIMALS
PAULA HAMMOND
Marshall Cavendish
Reference
NEW YORK
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This edition first published in 2011 in the United States of America by Marshall Cavendish.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hammond, Paula.
Atlas of the world's strangest animals / Paula Hammond.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-7614-9969-5 (alk. paper)
1. Animals–Juvenile literature. 2. Animals–Geographical
distribution–Juvenile literature. I. Title.
QL49.H284 2010
590–dc22
2010014802
Printed in China
14 13 12 11 10 1 2 3 4 5
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CONTENTS 5
Contents
INTRODUCTION 6 MANTIS 116
SOUTHERN FLYING SQUIRREL 120
AFRICA 8
AARDVARK 10 CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA 124
NAMIB WEB-FOOTED GECKO 14 EMPEROR TAMARIN 126
GIRAFFE 18 GIANT OTTER 130
HOOPOE 22 HOATZIN 134
JACKSON’S CHAMELEON 26 SURINAM TOAD 138
NAKED MOLE RAT 30 PYGMY MARMOSET 142
RED HOWLER MONKEY 146
ASIA 34 SOUTHERN TAMANDUA 150
GHARIAL 36 THREE-TOED SLOTH 154
JAPANESE MACAQUE 40
MUDSKIPPER 44 EUROPE 158
PROBOSCIS MONKEY 48 COMPASS JELLYFISH 160
RATEL 52 CUCKOO 164
SIAMESE FIGHTING FISH 56 DEATH’S HEAD HAWKMOTH 168
TARSIER 60 EUROPEAN HONEYBEE 172
GREAT DIVING BEETLE 176
AUSTRALASIA 64 SKYLARK 180
DUCK-BILLED PLATYPUS 66 WELS CATFISH 184
EMU 70
KOALA 74 THE OCEANS 188
LAUGHING KOOKABURRA 78 ANGLERFISH 190
RED KANGAROO 82 BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN 194
SHORT-BEAKED ECHIDNA 86 CLEANER WRASSE 198
SUGAR GLIDER 90 COMMON OCTOPUS 202
NARWAL 206
NORTH AMERICA 94 OPALESCENT SQUID 210
AMERICAN BULLFROG 96 SEA ANEMONE 214
AMERICAN COCKROACH 100 SEAHORSE 218
AMERICAN MINK 104
BIG BROWN BAT 108
GREAT GREY SHRIKE 112 INDEX 222
(c) 2011 Marshall Cavendish. All Rights Reserved.
6 ATLAS OF THE WORLD’S STRANGEST ANIMALS
Introduction
Great diving
beetle
According to a study in 2007, 1,263,186 animal species have so far been
been named and scientifically described.This includes 950,000
species of insects, 9956 birds, 8240 reptiles, 6199
amphibians and 5416 mammals.When we
consider that there are still parts of the world
that are so inhospitable no human has ever set
foot there, then it’s possible we may never know
for sure just how many species we really share
our planet with. However, what is certain is that
many of the animals we are familiar with are truly
remarkable. If we were to flick through this list of
1,263,186 species then, within it, we would find some
of nature’s greatest curiosities: mammals that can fly and
Tarsier
birds that can’t; frogs as small as fingernails and birds as big as
horses. Here, we’d discover walking fish,
brainless jellies, cannibals and
camouflage experts.
Common octopus
(c) 2011 Marshall Cavendish. All Rights Reserved.
INTRODUCTION 7
Sugar glider
Three-toed sloth
Life, it seems, comes in all shapes and sizes – many of
them very strange indeed.Who, for instance, could have invented a fish
with its own, in-built fishing rod; a poisonous mammal that lays eggs; or
brightly coloured reef-dwellers that run their own, highly
successful cleaning ‘service’? In this book you’ll find 50 of
these seriously strange creatures including some,
perhaps, that we’re so well acquainted with, at first
glance, they may seem quite mundane. If only we
were able to fully explore the deepest oceans,
driest deserts and highest mountain tops, then who
knows what other marvels we might add to this
list of wonders?
Mantis
Naked mole rat
(c) 2011 Marshall Cavendish. All Rights Reserved.
8
E U R O P E
M o u ntains MEDITERRANEAN SEA
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Cape of Good Hope
(c) 2011 Marshall Cavendish. All Rights Reserved.