ANIMALSOLDEST BREEDING SEA BIRD
In Dec 2 016, a female Laysan albatross (Phoebastria
immutabilis) named Wisdom laid an egg and was observed
incubating it aged 6 6 years. Wisdom has been monitored
by conservationists for many years, returning to Midway
Atoll national wildlife refuge in the Pacific Ocean every year.
This latest egg is known to be Wisdom’s 4 1st, and she has
hatched at least nine chicks since 2006.LARGEST SPECIES OF PANGOLIN
In 2 016, the 182 nations of the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) agreed
a total ban on the international trade of pangolins.
Measuring 2 m ( 6 ft 6 in) long and weighing 70 lb (32 kg),
the giant pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) can be found
from Senegal to Angola in Africa. It is entirely terrestrial
on account of its size, while many other pangolins are
at least partly arboreal.Dog
Jiff the Pomeranian,
aka Jiffpom (USA),
was recognized as the
most followed dog on
Instagram, with 4.8 million
fans as of 3 May 2017. In
his social media accounts,
Jiffpom describes himself
as a “movie actor/model”
and fills his Instagram feed
with snapshots of himself
wearing various outfits,
chilling out at home, and
attending movie premieres,
award ceremonies, TV
studios and fashion shows.Caribou
A study published by the
University of Manitoba
in Feb 2 016 suggested
that there may be a
type of caribou in the
Sahtu region of Canada’s
Northwest Territories as yet
unrecognized by science.
The search is now on for the
mysterious caribou, knownby the indigenous Dene
people as “fast runners”.
The longest terrestrial
animal migration is made
by Grant’s caribou (Rangifer
tarandus granti) of Alaska
and the Yukon Territory
of North America. It travels
up to 4,800 km (2,982 mi)
each year (see p.42 for
more details).Monitor lizard
In Feb 2016, researchers
from the University of
Turku in Finland announced
the discovery of the
newest monitor lizard on
the remote Pacific island of
Mussau. Dubbed Varanus
semotus, the lizard’s body
measured more than
1 m ( 3 ft 3 in) in length,
sporting a predominantly
black body with orange
and yellow markings and a
blue tail. Genetic analysishas revealed that Varanus
semotus has been isolated
from other species of
monitor lizard on Mussau
for millions of years.Sumatran rhino
On 12 Mar 2016, a Sumatran
rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus
sumatrensis) was
discovered in Kalimantan
in Indonesian Borneo. It
had been thought to be
extinct in the region. Sadly,
the rhino died only weeks
later, succumbing to an
infection caused by an
old snare injury.
With a maximum
head-to-body
length of 3.18 m
( 10 ft 5 in), tail length
of 70 cm (2 ft 3 in)
and shoulder height
of 1.45 m ( 4 ft 9 in), the
Sumatran rhinoceros is
the smallest rhinoceros.LARGEST TROGON
Trogons are brightly
coloured birds native to
tropical and subtropical
Africa, south-east Asia
and Latin America.
Most are only
23–40 cm (9–15.7 in)
long, but the male
resplendent quetzal
(Pharomachrus
mocinno, recently
photographed in
Costa Rica, right)
can measure up to
1.05 m ( 3 ft 5.3 in).
This is due to the
two long tail-covert
plumes it grows to
attract females in
the breeding season.FIRST AMPHIBIOUS CENTIPEDE
Formerly described in the scientific journal ZooKeys in
May 2 016, Scolopendra cataracta is a venomous and
carnivorous centipede measuring up to 20 cm (7.87 in) in
length. It is native to south-east Asia. The centipede is
adapted for an amphibious existence, and can swim like an
eel through the water by horizontally undulating its body.
FIRST WARM-
HEARTED FISH
The opah or moonfish
(Lampris guttatus) has
a unique metabolic
condition, discovered
in 2 015, which enables
it to maintain its body
temperature at a level
constantly above that of
the surrounding seawater.
A large, disc-shaped
marine species related to
the oarfish and ribbonfish,
the opah is found in
temperate and tropical
waters of most oceans.
Peace-loving
pangolins respond
to threats from
predators by curling
themselves into a tight
ball. Their name comes
from the Malay word
penggulung, which
translates as
“roller”.The
resplendent
quetzal is the
national bird of
Guatemala. It appears
on the national flag
and coat of arms, and
is also the name of
the local^ currency
(abbreviated
to GTQ).