The tusks of a walrus are the upper canine teeth which grow very long, sometimes to even one metre. They use their tusks for gripping ice, fighting enemies and even for scraping up the shellfish and clams they eat. The tusks are also indicators of their age and importance. The one with longest tusk leads…
The Etruscan shrew (Suncus etruscus) or the pygmy white-toothed shrew is the smallest mammal by weight. It grows to a length of 4 cm and weighs 1.8 grams.
The blood of humans, animals and birds is red in colour because the cells contain haemoglobin, an iron containing pigment which is red in colour. Haemoglobin is involved in transporting oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body through blood. The blood of the insect does not carry oxygen, and so it is…
The archaeopteryx is considered to be the earliest bird and it is the link between birds and reptiles. The archaeopteryx had a set of teeth, which are not found in birds. However it had wings, feathers and reduced fingers, all found in modern birds.
The ‘swift’ is a bird which is renowned for its fast flying ability. It spends almost all its life in the air, as it sleeps, feeds and even mates in the air. It only lands to breed.
The female penguin lays an egg on the ice in midwinter. The male penguin tucks the egg between his feet and his bulging stomach to keep it warm until it hatches two months later.
