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D
ue to rhino poaching, many rhinos have been dehorned for their own safety and they’ve
managed to survive without a horn. A rhino’s horn, which is made of keratin, serves many
purposes, from digging for water in dry riverbeds to breaking branches and uprooting plants. It
is also used for behavioural functions, such as fighting with other males, defending themselves
and their young, and guiding their babies.What is the purpose of a rhino’s horn?
Rhino horn
Dolphin’s design
How are dolphins adapted to their
aquatic lifestyle?
- Torpedo-shaped bodies allow them to glide through the water.
- They have no external ear flaps – they receive sound through their throats.
- Their conical teeth capture prey while they move at speed.
- They can slow their heart rate to conserve oxygen, allowing them to dive deep.
- Dorsal fins prevent them from unintentionally spinning.
- Eyes on either side of their head allow for two fields of vision.
Multiple hearts
and brains
How many hearts
and brains does an
octopus have?A
n octopus has three hearts
to help him pump oxygen
through his body and to the gills.
He also has blue blood that is rich
in copper, but what makes him
super special is his nine brains.
There is one ‘main’ brain and then
one brain in each of his eight arms.
Is that impressive or what?Bloodsucking vampires
T
hey do eat blood, and they are the only mammals
who survive purely off blood. But the feeding
process is a little more civilised than you might think.
During the day, they spend their time sleeping in pitch-
black caves, hanging upside down from the roof. When
the night is at its darkest, they come out to hunt, usually
targeting sleeping cattle and horses. They do this by
approaching their prey from the ground, on all fours. A
sensor on the nose helps them to find a spot where blood
is flowing just beneath the prey’s skin. Then, they do not
simply dig in and suck, like your typical vampire! Instead,
they use their razor-sharp teeth to bite the animal, after
which they lap up the flowing blood with their tongues. A
substance in their saliva prevents the victim’s blood from
clotting. They do not take enough blood at a time to harm
their prey, but the bites can cause infections and diseases.
After feeding, bats can almost double in weight,
as they have distensible stomachs – almost like a
mosquito. This can make it a bit difficult for them to
take flight again, but they have springy forelimbs to
assist with this problem. These can propel the bat into
the air at a speed of around 2m/s.Does the vampire bat really live on blood?