RESPLENDENT QUETZAL

Scientific name: Pharomachrus mocinno
Diet: Omnivore
Average lifespan: Estimated four to five years
Weight: Seven to eight ounces

The dazzling resplendent quetzal (pronounced ket-säl) appears on flags, stamps and currency as the proud symbol of Guatemala. But these multi-coloured creatures are much more than a pretty picture on a coat of arms. Meet a legendary bird with a strange diet and an even stranger song.

Found in the mountains of Central America, resplendent quetzals enjoy a subtropical, humid climate. They have a varied diet of fruit, including avocados which they swallow whole before regurgitating the seeds. They are partial to wasps and ants and have even been known to catch lizards and frogs.

Like most birds of paradise, the male resplendent quetzal is more vibrant-looking than the female. Both genders have fringed wings with red breasts and iridescent green bodies that shimmer gold, blue and violet in the light. The male however boasts a crest-like helmet and bright yellow beak. During the mating period the male forms a three-foot train from two tail feathers to attract females.

Despite all their beauty and national status, the resplendent quetzal is not a melodious singer. The male serenades his chosen mate with calls that sound like puppy dog whimpers. Another mating call is thought to sound like the words ‘very good' over and over again.

Stranger still is where these quetzals choose to nest and raise their young. Rotten old trees or barren stumps are the home of choice for these birds, who use their strong beaks to carve a hole in the bark. There, the female will lay up to three blue eggs and each parent will take it in turns to incubate them for three weeks. It is not uncommon for the female to abandon her young prematurely, leaving the male to feed and raise the young on his own.

Resplendent quetzals have a long history with mankind, dating as far back as the ancient Aztecs and Maya, who considered them god-like. They are also widely celebrated in Guatemalan folklore.

Despite centuries of adoration, these marvellous animals are now threatened with extinction. Their natural habitat is being torn down at an alarming rate due to urbanisation, particularly in Guatemala. While fully protected in most areas, these eye-catching birds are vulnerable to being caught and sold to private collectors and often do not survive in captivity.

This is why Guatemala chose them as the emblem of liberty - because the resplendent quetzal must be free. Only with increased protection of their natural habitat can these fantastic birds continue to survive.

Did you know?
• Resplendent quetzals are weak fliers and have many predators, including eagles and weasels.

• Ancient civilisations associated these quetzals with the ‘snake-god' Quetzalcoatl.

• Legend has it that the quetzal sang beautifully before the Spanish conquest, and will only sing like this again when the land is free.

• They have large eyes that easily adapt to the dim-light in their forest habitat.

• They usually live alone when not breeding.

Watch a resplendent quetzal groom itself.

Watch a male resplendent carve out his nest.

THREE-TOED SLOTHS

Scientific name: Bradypus
Diet: Herbivore
Average lifespan: 10-20 years
Weight: Four kilograms

The slowest-moving mammal in the world can sleep for up to 20 hours a day! But behind its famously lazy exterior lies a sleeping beauty with some surprising characteristics.

Three-toed sloths are found in the rainforests of Central and South America. Despite being unable to walk on all fours, their strange physique is well suited to life in the forest. Long curved claws allow them to hang from branches with a grip so powerful that they can give birth upside down. An extra vertebra in their neck lets them turn their head 270 degrees. And although they cannot crawl very fast, these sedentary forest-dwellers are agile swimmers.

Three-toed sloths have a very slow metabolism, with a digestive system similar to a cow's. Their complex stomachs are able to fully process leaves, allowing them to survive on a basic diet that only requires weekly toilet breaks.

This slow metabolism on a low-energy diet seems to aid the sloth's survival - with little energy they are forced to remain motionless up a tree, hidden from predators. It is little wonder then that these extraordinary animals rarely come to ground.

When they do venture onto the forest floor, it is usually to defecate or change trees. On the ground they can do little more than crawl to another tree, dragging their bellies on the floor. This leaves them vulnerable to attack, particularly from big cats. This species of sloth is such easy prey in fact, that jaguars are known to leave them alone and come back later that day when they are hungrier.

At one time, the giant ground sloth was one of the most unique animals in existence. Fossils suggest it was as big as a mammoth, with claws the size of a human forearm. The planet has already lost one species of sloth to extinction, hopefully it will be the last.

Click here to watch David Attenborough with a three-toed sloth. Very cute!

Did you know?

• Three-toed sloths have a layer of algae on their fur that acts as camouflage against predators.

• There are four species of three-toed sloth, one of which is endangered - the maned three-toed sloth.

• The sloth spends so much time hanging upside down that its hair grows upwards.

• Three-toed sloths are also known as ai, owing to their high-pitched "ahh-eee" calls.

• Three-toed sloth offspring are weaned at one month but will continue to cling to their mothers for another eight months.

OCTOPUS

Scientific name: Octopus vulgaris
Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan: One to two years
Weight: Three to 10 kg

Can there be a better escape artist than the common octopus? These cunning molluscs have been the subject of fascination and debate among biologists for hundreds of years.

Usually found in tropical waters, an octopus uses its eight legs to crawl, swim, and walk around the seabed. They take advantage of their boneless bodies by squeezing into tiny holes or jetting forward at exceptionally high speeds with a mere flail of their bodies.

When hunting or hiding from predators, these invertebrates are able to instantly change the pigmentation of their skin to match the colour and texture of their surroundings. As a secondary line of defence they will expel a thick cloud of black ink to obscure their predators' sight and smell. They can even detach a leg (which will grow back later) to distract their attacker while they swim to safety.

Octopuses are very intelligent animals, with both short and long-term memories. They learn a great deal in their short life spans, with almost no guidance from their parents who tend to die shortly after their birth. Octopuses have been observed ‘playing catch' with themselves, practicing observational learning, and even boarding boats to steal food from humans. They often collect and adapt shells to create ‘gardens' and fortresses around their lairs.

Sadly, because of their keen problem-solving capabilities and obvious intelligence, octopuses are often kept as pets or used in animal experimentation. Like so many great minds in the world, they do not survive long in captivity.

Did you know?

• The only hard part of an octopus body is its beak.

• In the UK octopuses have been awarded the status of ‘honorary vertebrate', which extends protections to them not normally bestowed to invertebrates.

Watch a Coconut-carrying octopus stuns scientists.

Watch the amazing mimic octopus.

Did you know?

• Octopuses have three hearts.

• Octopuses can survive out of water for a few minutes and are often seen breaking out of tanks and going in search of more food while kept in captivity.

• The mimic octopus can manipulate its body to look and move like other marine animals.

• Two-thirds of an octopus's neurons are found in its arms.

• Animal rights groups worldwide are campaigning for the immediate release of Paul, a British-born octopus currently being kept in a small tank in Germany. Paul became famous after he correctly predicted the outcome of several World Cup football matches.

TARANTULA

Scientific name: Aphonopelma chalcodes
Diet: Carnivore
Average life span in the wild: Up to 30 years
Size: 12 cm long; leg span up to 28 cm
Weight: 28g-85g

Arachnophobia is the most common phobia in the world, but when it comes to tarantulas there is actually very little to fear. These slow moving arachnids are virtually harmless to humans and there has never been a single confirmed human death from a tarantula bite.

Occasionally, if aggravated, tarantulas may bite humans, but their venom is weaker than that of a honeybee. A tarantula's prey, on the other hand, doesn't get off so lightly. Mainly dining on insects and the occasional frogs, toads and mice, tarantulas inject their venom into their victims resulting in paralysation. Once paralysed, tarantulas secrete a digestive enzyme that liquefies their victims so they can suck them up through their straw-like mouth openings.

Periodically, many tarantula species will go through a stage known as moulting. During this time they shed their external skeleton and replace internal organs, such as female genitalia and stomach lining. They can even regrow lost legs!

To reproduce, a male will spin a web to deposit sperm onto, the female mate will then seal both the egg and sperm in a cocoon and guard it for up to nine weeks. From the cocoon, between 500 and 1,000 tarantulas will hatch.

Tarantulas can be found in most of the worlds tropical, subtropical, and arid regions.

Click here to watch the tarantula in action!

Did you know?
• Females will sometimes eat their mates.

• The name ‘tarantula' comes from the town of Taranto in Southern Italy.

• They live in burrows but will spin a web to use as a ‘trip wire' to alert them of approaching prey.

• After a large meal, a tarantula may not need to eat for a month!

OCEAN SUNFISH

Scientific name: Mola Mola
Diet: Carnivore
Size: Average length 1.8m
Weight: Average 1000kg

However, they do like to visit the surface, and sometimes their protruding dorsal fin can be mistaken for that of a shark. Like many ocean critters, sunfish are covered in parasites - up to forty different species can reside on one adult! The trips to the surface help alleviate these parasites, by letting passing birds eat them off, or by breaching - sometimes jumping as high as four metres above the surface. The sunfish also benefits from its trips to the surface by absorbing heat. The frigid waters below can be fatal to the sunfish, so a bit of basking in the sun is necessary!

Being held in captivity is unfortunate for any animal, but sunfish suffer from it more than most animals. The parasites on their skin grow out of control, they have difficulties with the limited space, and their slow nature means that the other fish eat all of the food! They are also killed as ‘by-catch' by many fishermen, and in some areas fishermen cut off their fins to prevent them from eating the bait off their lines. The result has been that their numbers have been declining in recent years. Overall, humanity has not been kind to them.

Did you know?
• Sunfish primarily subsist on jellyfish, but have to eat a massive amount, as jellyfish do not provide much sustenance for such a large creature.

• Sunfish are closely related to puffer fish - a relation which is obvious when they're young, but not at all visible in the adults.

Did you know?
• Females can produce up to 300 million eggs at a time, more than any other known vertebrate.

• Their skin can be as thick as 7.6 centimetres, plus a layer of mucus! Yuck! It does help them to avoid predators, though.

• Due to their size, adults are only naturally preyed on by sea lions, orcas, and sharks.

Click here to see a hidden camera capturing the bizarre way sunfish swim!

GIANT PANDA

Scientific name: Ailuropoda melanoleuca (literally meaning "cat-foot black-and-white")
Type: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore
Average lifespan in the wild: 20 years
Conservation status: Endangered

Giant panda are elusive, shy and incredibly rare. Most of what we know about these mammals comes from studies of them in captivity - very few are ever seen in the wild. Dwelling in the bamboo forests in the mountainous regions of central China, a panda spends half of its time eating. This is not surprising considering a typical panda must eat around 12.5kg of bamboo a day to meet its daily nutritional needs. The panda's diet is made up of around 99% bamboo. Other things they occasionally eat include other plants, rodents and birds. Panda's have the same digestive system as a carnivore but they have adapted to eating a mainly vegetarian diet.

 A low birth rate of both wild and captive pandas contributes to the endangered status of these amazing bears. Pandas have a very short pregnancy of five months, but their current reproductive rate is considered to be one young every two years. Panda cubs are born blind and cannot crawl until they are three months old, making them very vulnerable. A lot is still unknown about the giant panda, and breeding programmes have been set up to try and protect them from extinction.

Click here to watch the giant panda in the wild:

Click here to view giant panda in the news.

Did you know?

• A panda cub is 1/900th the size of its mother, one of the smallest newborn mammals relative to its mother's size.

• Males are 10 to 20 per cent larger than females.

• Giant pandas have the second largest tail in the bear family.

• Cubs are born white and develop their colouring later on.

• Giant pandas are one of the rarest animals in the world. There are only around 1,600 left in the wild.

WOLF

Scientific name: Canis lupus
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan in the wild: 6-8 years
Conservation status: Endangered

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? A lot of us apparently, but despite folklores and films, wolves rarely attack humans and are actually timid in our presence. Gray wolves are the most common of the wolf family, and were once found throughout the northern hemisphere. Hunting has brought these canines to near extinction in North America, Europe and Asia, but conservation and reintroduction efforts are reviving numbers.

Wolves are very social. They hunt and live together in groups called packs, with an average size of six to ten animals. The pack is established according to a strict hierarchy, with the dominant male at the top followed closely by his female mate. Usually it is the dominant male and his mate that are the only ones in the pack to breed. All adults in the pack take turns looking after the pups, gathering food and keeping an eye on them while others hunt.

Wolves communicate to each other by howling. Because they are territorial, they use their howl to warn other packs to keep their distance. Howling also comes in handy to reunite members of their pack after a long hunt if they get too spread out.

Watch wolves in the news.

Watch this fascinating clip about the real life wolfman.

Click to learn more about wolves and their hunting tactics.

Did you know?
• Although wolves cooperate on catching their prey, only one in ten hunts are successful.

• Wolves prefer to dine on large animals such as deer, elk and moose.

• Females typically weigh 20 per cent less than males.

• Wolves rely on their stamina rather than their speed for hunting.

PLATYPUS

Scientific name: Ornithorhynchus anatinus
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Size: Head & body 38cm, tail 13cm
Weight: 1.4kg
Habitat: Endemic to eastern Australia
Conservation Status: Least concern

It is one of Earth's most unusual and primitive mammals, that is best described as a mixture of a duck (bill and webbed feet), beaver (tail) and otter (body and fur). It is the platypus, and it has existed for over 100 million years.

So unusual is this aquatic mammal, that when scientists first examined a platypus specimen they thought it was a hoax. The platypus is one of only two mammals (the other is the echidna) that lay eggs. To make it even more unique, it feeds its young by secreting milk from its skin, rather than nipples like most mammals do. A female will typically lay up to two eggs that only take around ten days to hatch. Infant platypuses are the size of lima beans and are totally helpless. They are nursed for three to four months until they are able to swim on their own.
Adults feed on small vertebrates underwater. They use their incredible bill, which is able to sense electric currents given off by living things, to catch their prey.

Click here to learn more about the platypus.

Did you know?
• Males are venomous and have a sharp sting on the heels of their rear feet, which delivers a toxic blow to predators.

• The webbing on their feet retracts to expose individual nails, which allows them to run on land.

• Platypuses live near freshwater rivers or lakes, and create burrows for shelter and protection.

• The platypus is the animal emblem of the state of New South Wales.

WALRUS

Scientific name: Odobenus rosmarus
Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan in the wild: Up to 40 years
Size: 2.2-3.5 m
Weight: Up to 1.4 tonnes
Status: Endangered

The walrus is a boisterous marine mammal found plodding around the freezing waters of the arctic. Their thick coat of blubber enables them to endure the freezing polar temperatures, and if needed they can slow down their heartbeat to survive the cold. Walruses are known for their characteristic tusks. Both males and females have them, and they can grow up to one metre in length. Tusks are used for breaking breathing holes in the ice, as anchors to haul their bodies out of the water and males use them as weapons.

In the eighteenth and nineteenth century the walrus was hunted for its tusks, oil, skin and meat. Over-hunting of the walrus lead to its extinction in many parts of the arctic, and today only Native Americans are allowed to hunt them.

Click here to view a cute mother and cub pair.

Click here to view tusk wrestling.

Click here to view walruses in the news.

Did you know?

• The walrus' scientific name, Odobenus rosmarus, is Latin for ‘tooth walking sea-horse'.

• Walruses are extremely sociable, but are aggressive during mating season.

• Their tusks are large canine teeth that grow continuously through their lives.

• Their whiskers are extremely sensitive and are used to detect food such as shellfish.

• Due to their sheer size, the walrus has only two natural predators: the orca and the polar bear.

• It is believed walruses evolved from a land animal millions of years ago.

TOUCANS

Scientific name: Ramphastos Toco
Habitat: Central & Eastern South America
Diet: Omnivore
Average lifespan: Up to 20 years in the wild
Size: Body 63.5cm, Bill 19cm
Weight: 550g
Conservation status: Least Concern (LC).

Toucans are one of the world's most popular birds, well known for their characteristically large bill and bright colours. Their popularity has seen the toucan used as logos for products from Fruit Loops to Guinness Stout and they continue to captivate audiences worldwide.

Originating from South America the toco toucan is the largest species of the toucan family, and probably the most well known. Males and females look alike; the only difference is that males are larger. Their large bills can scare off predators but in battle they are practically useless, and are best used as a feeding tool to pluck and skin fruit. Toucans love fruit but also gorge on insects, the occasional baby bird, eggs and lizards.

Toucans live in flocks of 2-6 birds and nest in tree holes. The females typically lay 2-4 eggs each year and parenting is done by both the sexes. Baby toucans have small bills but these grow larger as they develop.

Click here to watch toucan.

Click here to listen to the toucan song.

Did you know?
• In South America toucans are traditionally seen as conduits between the worlds of the living and the spirits.

• Toucans have become popular pets and sadly many are captured and supplied to the pet industry.

• Their bill is the largest beak relative to body size of all birds, providing 30 to 50% of the toucan's body surface area.

• Toucans are poor flyers and hop from tree to tree.

KANGAROO

Common name: Kangaroo
Family: Macropodidae
Diet: Herbivore
Average lifespan: 4-6 years
Habitat: Adapted to a variety of climates in Australia and New Guinea
Conservation status: Low risk.

Kangaroos are marsupials (mammals that have a pouch in which they raise their young) that reside throughout Australia and New Guinea. They are social creatures and live in groups or ‘mobs' ranging in size from two individuals to one hundred kangaroos. Their teeth are specially designed to accommodate their herbivore diet that consists of grazing on grasses, leaves and other plant material.

Kangaroos are the only large animals that move about by hopping. Their powerful hind legs help them achieve speeds of up to 70 km/h. They also have very strong tails that act as an extra leg.

Humans, dingos and other canids are amongst the kangaroo's predators. Their main threats include habitat loss, altered fire regimes, introduced predators, climate change and over-hunting.

Watch boxing kangaroos here.

As with all marsupials, the young are born at a very early age. Learn more here.

Read about kangaroos in the news here.

Did you know?
• Male western grey kangaroos are known as ‘stinkers' because they have a strong curry-like smell.

• Kangaroos need very little water to survive and can go for months without drinking at all.

• Kangaroo crossing signs are commonplace in Australia due to collisions with vehicles.

• Male kangaroos "box" each other, either in play, when asserting their dominance or in competition over females.

HIPPOPOTAMUS

Common name: Hippopotamus, Hippo
Scientific name: Hippopotamus amphibius
Diet: Mostly herbivorous
Average lifespan: 40-50 years
Habitat: Sub-Saharan Africa
Status: Vulnerable

Often considered the most ferocious animal in Africa, the hippopotamus is one of the world's most aggressive creatures, and the second largest land animal after the elephant. With their sheer size, enormous mouth and massive canine teeth, it's no wonder humans ought to steer clear of these mammals!

The word hippopotamus comes from ancient Greek meaning ‘river horse'. Hippos are semi-aquatic and spend a lot of their time in rivers and lakes. Both reproduction and birth occurs in water, which is rather unique in the animal world. To keep themselves cool from the hot African sun they spend most of their day in the water, emerging at dusk to graze. They do this solitarily and are not territorial on land. Hippos can consume up to 68 kilograms of grasses each night - that's a lot of food! Adult hippos cannot swim, but their specific gravity allows them to sink and run along the river floor.

Fun stuff!

Play hungry hippo online here.

Watch hippos in action here.

Click here to meet Jessica. A rather unique over-sized homely companion!

Read about a hippo and his dentist visit in the news here.

Did You Know?
• Hippos are the third largest land mammals by weight, weighing between one-and-a-half to three tonnes.

• They can easily outrun humans, and have been clocked at speeds of up to 30km/h.

• Their closest living relations are cetaceans (i.e. whales, porpoises, etc).

• They live in groups of up to 30 animals. A group is called a pod, herd, dale or bloat.

• Hippos secrete a red substance often referred to as ‘blood sweat'. The secretion acts as a natural sunscreen.

RACCOON DOG

Common name: Raccoon dog
Scientific name: Nyctereutes procyonoides
Diet: Omnivore
Average lifespan: Three to four years in the wild
Habitat: Plains, mountainous regions and common woodlands in Europe and Asia.
Status: Least concern

The raccoon dog is a member of the canid family and is native to East Asia. These opportunist hunters will eat almost anything. Females have no time to be picky; they need all the food they can find as they produce large litters of fifteen or more pups. The difficulty in feeding such a large litter has resulted in the raccoon dog providing milk for her pups for twice as long as any other dog.

Raccoon dogs acquired their name due to their astounding resemblance to raccoons, although they are not closely related.

The populations of the native East Asian raccoon dogs have been in decline recently due to human activity, especially the fur trade. Large numbers of Raccoon dogs are hunted and bred for their fur.

Learn more about raccoon dogs here .

Did you know?
• Raccoon dogs have very short legs, which make it difficult for them to get about in snow. This could be why they hibernate during winter.

• There are six recognised subspecies of raccoon dogs.

• The raccoon dog is secretive and not aggressive, playing dead to avoid predators.

ANGLERFISH

Common name: Anglerfish
Scientific name: Lophiiformes
Diet: Predator
Average Lifespan: 30-100 years
Habitat: Ocean (abyssal zone)
Status: Rare

Ever wondered what inspires our movie makers when they terrify us with supernatural creatures from the dark recesses of their imagination? What twist of imagination inspired Jabba the Hutt, or the ‘The Prawns' from District 9? Our own kiwi filmmakers at Weta Workshop seem to have mastered the art of CGI beasts of the most horrifying design.

In the book Designing movie creatures and characters: behind the scenes with the movie masters, Richard Rickitt interviews Richard Taylor about the creatures they create. "When it comes to living creatures, the real world is always our inspiration. That means including authentic physiological and anatomical detail," explains Richard Taylor.

When gazing into the gaping mouth of an Anglerfish from the deep, one wonders about this creatures evolutionary path. The term Anglerfish seems to suggest that this fish is a popular fish for anglers (which unfortunately it is). However, the term was actually devised because this ‘predator' fish entices other fish into its rather imposing mouth with a lure or bait (a fleshy tentacle that sprouts from the top of the fishes head, called an ‘esca'). Anglerfish are found in oceans all over the world. Some are bottom-dwellers while others prefer shallower water. Wouldn't you love to bump into one of these beauties when you're out snorkeling?

X-rated!
The Anglerfish has a very unusual method of reproduction. Due to the fact that they tend to live in very dark waters and in limited numbers, they have devised a unique method of finding a ‘permanent' mate. The male Anglerfish is about ten times smaller than the female. When he is born his only desire is to find a female. One area of the male is highly developed - his sense of smell. Once the male has tracked down a female, he bites into her abdomen and literally fuses himself to her body. Over time the male body atrophies, his digestive organs, brain, heart, and eyes disappear until all that is left are a pair of gonads. These gonads release sperm when the female is fertile, thus ensuring the female always has a male sperm donor ‘on board'.

So, now we know a little more about the Anglerfish, a fascinating animal that shocks our senses, and no doubt inspires our moviemakers.

Did you know?
• The Anglerfish can wiggle the esca so it resembles a prey animal, and some can actually emit light.
• Some bottom dwelling Anglerfish have pectoral fins that allow them to walk along the ocean floor.
• All around the head and body of the fish are fringed appendages that resemble seaweed and are able to change colour depending on the surroundings, thus camouflaging the fish. 

Click here to watch Anglerfish narrated by David Attenborough.

ORANGUTAN

Orangutans are great apes found only in the rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo. They are the largest tree-dwelling mammals, spending as much as ninety per cent of their time in trees, and depending on them for survival.

A typical day for an orangutan is spent foraging for food. Their diet consists mainly of fruit, but they also enjoy certain flowers, honey, bark, leaves and insects.

Unlike other apes, orangutans are vastly solitary, with the males spending their lives alone. Females on the other hand have a strong bond with their infants, staying with them for six or seven years, until they have developed the skills to survive on their own. Females only give birth once every eight years, which is the longest length of time between births of any animal.

Deforestation and palm oil plantations are largely responsible for the endangered status of the orangutan. If these amazing creatures are not protected now, they could become extinct within the next ten to twenty years.

Click here to watch orangutans demonstrate their DIY skills.

Click here to watch orangutans in the news.

Did you know?
• The Malay word orangutan means ‘person of the forest.'
• We share 96.4% of our genetic makeup with orangutans.
• Palm oil typically costs the lives of up to 50 orangutans per week.
• Male orangutans reach a height of approximately four-and-a-half feet and females about three-and-a-half feet.
• Males have longer hair than females, and disc-like cheek pads.

CAPYBARA

Common name: Capybara, Capibara, chigüire, ronsoco, chigüiro, carpincho capivara.
Scientific name: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris.
Diet: Herbivorous.
Lifespan: 4-8 years in the wild.
Habitat: Found near water in the dense forests of South America.
Status: Not threatened.

It's hard to not draw attention to yourself when you are a capybara, the world's largest living rodent. Growing up to 130 centimetres long and weighing up to a whopping 65 kilograms, the ‘masters of the grasses' have it tough when it comes to keeping a low profile to avoid becoming lunch.

These semi-aquatic mammals have webbed feet that make them extra speedy in the water but often this is still not fast enough to escape the jaws of their many predators - the jaguar, puma, ocelot, eagle, caiman, anaconda and even humans.

Capybara are social creatures found living in large groups (10 to 30 others) that are dominated by one male. Their leisurely lives are spent grazing on grasses, aquatic plants, fruit and bark - they can eat up to 3.6 kilograms of plants a day. Their constant grazing wears down their teeth, which is no big deal for the capybara as their teeth grow continuously.

Learn more about the cute capybara here.

Did you know?
• The capybara's scientific name, Hydrocherus, is Greek for ‘water hog' and their common name (capybara) means ‘master of the grasses.'

• The record for the heaviest capybara was 105.4 kilograms!

• Capybara are prone to sunburn and roll in the mud to help keep their skin protected, just like pigs.

• 75% of their diet encompasses only 3 to 6 species of plant.

• Capybara are related to the guinea pig.

NAKED MOLE RAT

Common name: Naked mole rat, sand puppy, desert mole rat.
Scientific name: Heterocephalus glaber
Type: Mammal
Diet: Herbivorous
Length: 8-10cm
Weight: 30g-80g
Status: Not threatened

Virtually blind, the naked mole rat spends most of its time tunnelling its way underground in the deserts of Africa. Life in the dark is no challenge for naked mole rats, they are equipped with whiskers and a tail that they use to guide them and feel their way through the darkness. So skilled are these sightless navigators that they can run equally fast backwards as they can forwards.

Their complex social structure is highly unusual for a mammal and in this sense they live more like insects in colonies. The colony is ruled by a queen who mates with one to three males while all other members remain celibate and committed workers for the rest of their lives.

Colonies are made up entirely of family members and can range in size from 20 to 300 members. When the queen dies other females will compete to take her place, often ending in violence. Once the new queen is established she grows in length, this allows her to carry large litters during pregnancy while still managing to fit through the narrow tunnels of their underworld.

Did you know?
Naked mole rats don't drink any water and must obtain all their hydration from the plants that they eat.

These remarkable rodents appear to have a high resistance to cancer; cancer has never been observed in them.

MOOSE

Common name: Moose (North America), common elk (Europe)
Scientific name: Alces alces
Habitat: Northern Hemisphere forests in temperate to sub-arctic climates.
Diet: Herbivorous
Lifespan: Up to 27 years
Status: Not threatened

Munching on twigs and trees, in the forests of the Northern Hemisphere, dwells the moose. Largest of the deer species, the moose stands up to two metres tall at shoulder height, and can weigh as much as 820 kilograms. The bulls (males) have distinctive palmate antlers that can branch out to one and a half metres. These unique antlers take three to five months to fully develop, and are shed after mating season (September-October) to conserve energy in the winter.

Moose are mainly solitary animals and are not territorial. Fights usually occur between bulls, who are polygamous, to gain access to females, and they will often engage their antlers in battle.

There are few enemies to the moose; hunters, wolves and even ticks are among their predators. Ticks seem to wreak the most havoc on moose, latching on to the unsuspecting victim in swarms of thousands and draining their blood. It is estimated that ticks can drain up to half of a moose cub's blood. Moose infested by ticks grow weak and eventually die.

Vehicle collisions with moose are so common that many countries have ‘moose Xing' signs to warn drivers of this huge hazard. Because of their sheer size, a collision with a moose can be fatal to both the moose and the driver, and stories of moose-related accidents appear regularly in the news.

What really ticks a moose off? Find out here.

Did you know?

• The word moose is derived from the Algonquian Eastern Abnaki name moz, which loosely translates to "twig eater."

• "Moose" is both singular and plural, unlike goose becoming geese.

• Ten moose were introduced to Fiordland in 1910, but they were thought to have died off. However, there have been sightings reported that were thought to be false until moose hair samples were found by a New Zealand scientist in 2002.

• The first written description of elk appears in Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico (c. 50s or 40s BC).

• It is estimated that in Norway some 13,000 moose have died in collisions with Norwegian trains since 2000.

LEMUR

Common name: Lemur
Infra order: Lemuriformes
Diet: Herbivorous and omnivorous
Lifespan: Around 18 years
Status: Threatened, endangered or extinct.

The treetops of Madagascar serve as a home and playful jungle gym for a group of primates called lemurs. Lemurs are the most primitive type of primates called prosimians. Unlike most other primates, lemurs that live in groups (called troops) have a matriarchal society. This means that the females dominate, and when their group is in danger the females will fight to protect them.

Most species of lemur spend little time on the ground. Instead they can leap with great grace and distance from tree to tree. Their opposable thumbs and long toes give them excellent grip and leverage to leap.

Scientists are uncertain how many species of lemur exist, but there are 99 known species to date. Lemurs range in size from 30 grams (pygmy mouse lemur) to 10 kilograms (indri lemur). Before human settlement in Madagascar there were larger species that weighed up to 240 kilograms, though these species are now extinct. All lemurs are threatened with extinction, mainly due to habitat destruction (deforestation) and hunting.

Click here to view lemurs in the news.

Did you know?
• The term "lemur" is derived from the Latin word lemures, meaning "spirits of the night" or "ghosts."
• When lemurs are born, they are carried in their mother's mouth until they are old enough to hang on to her fur by themselves.
• Smaller lemurs are nocturnal, larger ones are diurnal.
• Lemurs use their tails to communicate with one another.
• By the 1600s, humans had driven about 16 lemur species to extinction.
• Approximately 90 per cent of Madagascar's original rainforest, which is home to all lemurs, has been destroyed.

Click here to watch the lemur leap!

KIWI

Common name: Kiwi
Genus: Apteryx (Latin for wingless)
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivorous
Lifespan: Up to 60 years
Status: Endangered

The kiwi is an important national icon and treasure to New Zealanders. The love for this unique bird is demonstrated by our worldwide nickname ‘kiwi' which refers to a New Zealander, particularly when travelling abroad. There have also been cartoons such as the Goodnight Kiwi, Kiwi shoe polish and kiwis on our money. So what makes this shy little bird so special?

Kiwis are the smallest living ratites (flightless birds) and are found only in New Zealand. They have poor eyesight and rely on their excellent sense of smell to hunt out food and find their way. Kiwis are the only bird to have their nostrils located at the end of their beaks. The advantage of this is that the kiwi can seek out food by pushing their long beaks through forest floor foliage and deep into the soil to seek out worms. These largely nocturnal birds were once believed to be close relatives of the moa, however recent DNA tests have revealed that they are more likely to be the ancestors of the emu and the cassowaries. These studies indicate that the kiwi could be of Australian descent.

The kiwi is territorial and marks its ownership with a unique call. You can listen to the call of the kiwi here.

The kiwi population is in rapid decline and if we do not protect them they could be extinct in our lifetime. The three main threats to kiwi are predators, habitat loss and humans.

Tragic statistics
• About 50 percent of all kiwi eggs fail to even hatch - sometimes because of natural bacteria, sometimes because the adult bird is disturbed by predators.
• Of the eggs that do hatch, about 90 percent of chicks are dead within six months.
• 70 percent of these are killed by stoats or cats, and about 20 percent die of natural causes or at the jaws and claws of other predators.
• Only 10 percent of kiwi chicks make it to six months.
• Fewer than five percent reach adulthood.

Watch David Attenborough as he discovers kiwi here.

Did you know?

• Kiwi have the special protection of Tane Mahuta, god of the forest. The bird's ceremonial name is te manu huna a Tane - the hidden bird of Tane.
• The London Zoo was the first zoo to hold a kiwi, in 1851.
• The kiwi lays the biggest egg in proportion to its size of any bird in the world.
• The kiwi as a symbol first appeared in the late 19th century in New Zealand regimental badges. In 1906, when Kiwi shoe polish became available overseas, the symbol became widely known. This could be the reason for our nickname ‘kiwi.'

HEDGEHOG

Common name: European Hedgehog
Scientific name: Erinaceus europaeus
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivorous
Life Span: Up to five years

Small, spiky and incredibly cute, the hedgehog is found foraging in gardens and loves to reside under hedges, leaves and general overgrowth. Their cuteness has been captured for centuries in British folk tales, and in recent history in the form of children's books such as The Wind in the Willows series, and Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle.

Hedgehogs have even made it into the virtual world with a starring role in the computer saga Sonic the Hedgehog.

Hedgehogs are small, nocturnal and solitary mammals, covered in up to 6,000 spines and a fur undercoat. Their spines protect them from predators - when a hedgehog senses danger it rolls up into a ball, making it undesirable prickly prey.

These adorable creatures have poor eyesight but a great sense of hearing and smell, which helps them to hunt out their dinner of insects, worms and even mice! During winter the hedgehog hibernates, and this is sadly the time when the majority of hedgehog deaths occur.

Did you know?

• New Zealand's McGillicuddy Serious Party (1984-1999) once attempted to get a hedgehog elected to Parliament. They were unsuccessful.

To learn more about hedgehogs click here.

Did you know?
• The young born each year, in litters ranging from one to eleven, remain with their mothers for only four to seven weeks before heading out on their own.

• Male hedgehogs will sometimes prey upon the young of their species. Hedgehog mothers have also been known to eat their young if the nest is disturbed, though sometimes they simply move them to a new nest.

• The winning joke at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe was about hedgehogs - "Hedgehogs. Why can't they just share the hedge?"

• It's a myth that hedgehogs like milk, they are lactose-intolerant.

• The common American holiday Groundhog Day originated in ancient Rome as Hedgehog Day, and is still celebrated as such throughout much of the world. There are no native hedgehogs in the United States, so the early settlers there chose the groundhog as a substitute.

JAGUAR

Common name: Jaguar
Scientific name: Panthera onca
Diet: Carnivorous
Status: Near threatened

Not all cats were created equal. Jaguars are the largest felines in the Western Hemisphere and are often confused with leopards because of their spots. Most jaguars are tan and orange with ‘rosettes' or black spots, but occasionally you can find black and white (very rare) jaguars.

Throughout history the jaguar has gained a reputation for its sheer power and strength. In ancient Mayan culture there were various jaguar gods - most were powerful rulers of the underworld and hunters of the night. In today's popular culture, the jaguar's sturdy image is used in branding and represents many things, from sport teams to luxurious cars.

The term jaguar is derived from the Native American word yaguar, which means "he who kills with one leap," referring to the jaguar's ‘stalk and ambush' hunting tactic. Jaguars usually attack from cover and pounce on their prey, killing them by piercing their brain with their canine teeth (a technique unique to felines).

The jaguar population is declining, and they currently have a ‘near threatened' status which means jaguar may be threatened with extinction in the near future. Their decline is largely due to human activities such as habitat destruction and the fur trade.

Did you know?
• Jaguars are apex predators - this means they are at the top of the food chain and in adulthood they are not preyed upon.
• The average lifespan of jaguar in the wild is 12 to 15 years.
• Jaguars are crepuscular- they are mainly active between dawn and dusk.
• Cubs are born blind and gain their sight at around two-weeks-old.
• Jaguars weigh between 45 and 113 kg.