Animal Talk – July 2019

animal facts

WILDTHINGS

DID YOU KNOW?

Common octopuses collect shells

and other objects, which they use to

build ‘fortresses’ around their dens.

T

he caracal has very distinctive markings.
The first marking is black tufts on the tips
of black ears. There are also black lines above the
eyes, with a black nose with white around and
under the mouth. Like cheetahs, caracals also
have a black line from the inside of the eye to the
nose. The black line between the ears can vary in
size, and the furry coat can vary between tawny-
brown and brick-red.
Caracals have a medium build with strong and
lengthy hind legs, enabling them to jump 3m
into the air with exceptional timing, balance and
precision, to catch prey. Caracals are fast cats
and can run up to 80km/h, which means they can
outrun antelopes and ostriches.
This almost fearless cat will attack animals
three times his own size. Sometimes the caracal
will hide his prey in a tree to return to at a later
stage – just like leopards do.

Distinctively

caracal

How does one identify a

caracal in the wild?

L

ooking at the behaviour of a tarantula can show you when he is feeling

threatened. The first sign is that he will adopt a ‘passive

defensive’ stance. This is when

the spider lifts one or two legs

and his body remains relaxed.

This stance is considered as the

first warning sign and gives the intruder

enough time to escape if he wishes to.

The second sign that you should back

away is usually when his first two

legs and pedipalps (pinchers)

are fully extended into the air.

The thorax (between the neck and

abdomen) is usually also lifted, which indicates

the seriousness of the situation. The stance is

usually followed by a strike. Tarantulas do not

usually bite, but if someone tries to approach the

spider in this stance, chances are that he might

feel those fangs.

Beware the spider

Do tarantulas ever feel threatened?

T

he mantis shrimp has

a very strong punch.

Two very powerful front

claws are used to punch

prey with vicious force.

In fact, their claws are so

strong that the force they

punch with is equal to over

150kg. The force that the

mantis shrimp punches with

is easily 2,500 times his

own body weight. In human

terms, that means that if we

were able to punch with the

same force, we would easily

punch through steel.

Ocean’s

superman

How strong is the

mantis shrimp?

Animaltalk opposes the keeping of exotic pets, as they

are intricate animals who need special care, they are

not domesticated and belong in the wild – unless you

are a professional with extended knowledge.