Page 9 - Animal Facts

Learn why the Naked Mole Rat might be the superhero of animals!

Naked mole rats live in Africa and are a super animal. The pink skinned rats have limited white hair that criss-crosses their bodies and used as sensitive sensors that help them navigate in the pitch black tunnels underground that they live in.

These mammals, unlike all others, can go without oxygen for nine to twelve minutes, three times longer than laboratory mice. Their noses and mouths are unaffected by acid, too. These rats can live six times longer than any other rodent and barely age while they are at it. They don't get cancer and they can survive in areas with heavy metal pollution. All in all, they are real life superhero animals.

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The bison will soon roam free in Europe for the first time in 300 years!

A German prince will open the gates of an enclosure on his 30,000 acre property and let loose a small herd of European bison, marking the first time that the animal will roam free in Europe for about 300 years.

The bison, called wisents are similar to their American counterpart. Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg will work with a group of scientists to track the herd and try to make sure they don’t cause damage to farms or local cows.

The small herd consists of a bull, five cows and two claves. Their hope is that the herd will expand and split in two.

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There's a shrimp that can attack faster than a speeding bullet!

Well, it's a crustacean and not a true shrimp, but it's called the Mantis Shrimp. There are several different types that have have different shaped claws that lend themselves to different methods of attack. The kind in the video at the source has club-like claws used to smash through shells or stun their prey. Others have spear-like claws used to stab.

What's really interesting is that they attack with so much force that it separates H2O molecules! The splitting of the surrounding molecules forms what is called a cavitation bubble where the bonds are split momentarily. The speed at which they attack puts them among the fastest creatures on earth!

These crustaceans are surprisingly common, but their remarkable abilities were only recently discovered. It took a long time for anyone to be able to video their attack slow enough for it to be seen. A lot of study of them has been conducted at Grice Marine Biology Lab of College of Charleston. Read more about them at the source and look up some videos to see their incredible attack speed!

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Cats have been blamed for the global extinction of 33 species

Feral cats are different than stray cats. Stray cats are pet cats that have been lost or abandoned by their owners. Feral cats, however, are domestic cats that have returned to the wild. Specifically, they were born in the wild.

Feral cats often spawn from cats that were left behind by travelers. Since they are not native to all parts of the world, feral cats can often cause harm to local ecosystems. They prey on local species and can even hunt them to extinction. This is especially true on islands where cats can damage local animals. They have been blamed for the extinction of 33 species.

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A man in Germany has raised over 70 wolves and he’s established himself as the Alpha of the pack!

Werner Freund is a former German Paratrooper. Since 1972, he has dedicated his life to raising wolves in the Wolfspark Werner Freund. The 25-acre reserve is home to 29 wolves.

Freund acquired his first litter from a zoo when they were cubs and has reared them by hand. He lives closely with them and behaves as an alpha male to be accepted and respected.

Freund has a good relationship with his animals, and even does things as feed them meat mouth to mouth to earn their respect. He even takes bites of dead animals to better integrate with them!

Check out more amazing photos at the source

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