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Favorite Facts

Did You Know?
  • That Shrews are not rodents? 
  • That Humans have one hair per follicle, but Short-Tailed Chinchillas have up to 100?
  • That the Steller's Sea Cow went extinct only 27 years after it was discovered?
  • That according to tradition, at least six Ravens must be kept at the Tower of London, otherwise the monarchy will fall?
  • That the two largest species of shark eat mostly tiny plankton?
  • That the now-extinct Caribbean Monk Seal was first described by Christopher Columbus? And that he ordered his crew to kill and butcher eight of them for food?
  • That the Nene, or Hawaiian Goose, evolved from the same common ancestor as the Canadian Goose?
  • That Fainting Goats don't actually faint?
  • That the 150lbs Cabybara is considered to be a fish by the Catholic Church in Venezuela?
  • That the creation of Ligers is frowned upon?
  • That a Hector's Dolphin could fit in your bathtub?
  • That European Starlings came to a America because of an avid Shakespeare fan?
  • That Pronghorns are not closely related to any other Antelope?
  • That there once lived a 1,500lb Guinea Pig?
  • That high levels of Oxygen allowed for gigantic insects to exist 300 million years go?
  • That a Lungfish named Granddad has been living at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium since 1933?
  • That Bowhead Whales might be able to live for 200 years or more?
  • That Turacos are the only birds with true Green and Red Pigmentation?

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Bornean Orangutan

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Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed Location :   Cent