What The Fauna?

Funny and interesting behaviors in the animal kingdom.

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Certain gecko species have pupils in the shape of a string of pearls. Unlike animals with typical single-hole pupils, these geckos have a series of pinholes through which they see.

Image credit: Ziva & Amir

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Orangutans often use a large leaf as an umbrella when it rains. This one found a taro leaf to keep itself dry.

Image credit: Andrew Suryono

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This male fan-throated lizard is displaying his colorful dewlap, likely to show off to other males or to attract a female.

Image credit: Souradip Das

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The pink coloration of this grasshopper is thought to come from a mutation called erythrism. Easily picked off by predators, pink grasshoppers rarely make it to adulthood.

Image credit: Markus Juvonen

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Green pythons have a distinct way of lounging on a branch where they coil their body into what resembles a saddle and lay their head in the middle. This position makes for a quick getaway or attack.

Image credit: Marius Masalar

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San Diego Zoo researchers found that okapis have a secret language consisting of low-pitch sounds, presumably so predators don't hear them communicating.

Image credit: San Diego Zoo

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Geese have serrations along their bill and tongue that help with gripping food items. And it gives them a nasty bite.

Images: Sigurdur William, Sander Van den Berg

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Manatees have one nipple behind each flipper, so when a calf nurses it has to suck on its mother's armpit.

Image credit: John Muhilly

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Great crested grebes are born with stripes and facial markings, presumably to help with camouflaging and possibly parental recognition.

Image credit: Roberto Melotti

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Grooming is an important part of life for proboscis monkeys, establishing and strengthening social bonds. It also relaxes them, just like a massage.

Image credit: Jenny Hooi

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Adoption of unrelated kin is common in geese, as well as other waterfowl. These parents hit the jackpot, with 40 goslings in tow.

Image credit: Geoffrey Swaine

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Armadillos are born with soft, leathery skin. Over the course of a few weeks, the epidermal scales harden into the shell-like armor that protects them from harm.

Image credit: Suzanna Mars

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In addition to being a sexual ornamentation and an adaptation for feeding, the chesnut-eared araçari's bill serves as a thermoregulator. Its large surface area helps disperse body heat in the bird's hot tropical climate.

Image credit: Peter Schoen

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Even koalas occasionally leave the trees to take a walk on the beach.

Image credit: Kevin Fallon

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A mandrill's bared-teeth display is sometimes used in response to aggression, but it is also seen in positive interactions, possibly to show peaceful intentions.

Image credit: webted

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Giant ocean sunfish will spend time swimming sideways at the water's surface. Some researchers believe the purpose of this basking behavior is to let birds remove parasites from their bodies.

Image credit: Paul Nicklen

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Elephants are born nearly blind, so a calf relies on its sense of smell and mother's touch in its initial exploration of the world.

Happy bEARTHday people!

Image credit: Tobias Seiderer