52 | May• 2019
10 ANIMALS WITH SUPER POWERS
CUTTLEFISH
INVISIBILITY
Cuttlefish have large brains which
they use to perform a range of intel-
ligent behaviours, including chang-
ing their skin colour and patterns to
camouflage and hide from predators.
In fact, they have some of the best
camouflage skills in the animal king-
dom. They can distort their bodies to
resemble nearly any aquatic shape to
blend in with their surroundings. They
even have sacs in their skin containing
pigments so they can change colour at
a moment’s notice.
ELEPHANTS
VERSATILE TRUNKS
We all know elephants’ trunks can
pick up objects like an extra limb,
but did you know they can easily lift
an object weighing one tonne using
only their trunks? Their trunks can
also act as hoses, snorkels, pokers
and forks, depending on the situa-
tion. Unfortunately, poachers have
put these intelligent animals on the
endangered species list.
SEA CUCUMBERS
REGENERATE ORGANS
A common, large sea cucumber
(Bohadschia argus) is easy to identi-
fy due to its distinctive pattern. This
species of caterpillar-like sea crea-
ture has one of the most fascinating
defence mechanisms, although it’s
rather unpleasant. They contract
their muscles and eject some of their
internal organs out of their rear ends- sticky defensive threads which
entangle predators and emit a toxic
chemical. The excreted organs are
later regenerated. We’re glad Stan Lee
didn’t use sea cucumbers as inspira-
tion for any of his comic books.
LYREBIRDS
MASTER IMITATORS
These Australian birds are well known
for their ability to mimic almost any
sound. They can imitate other birds
and animals, including humans, as
well as chainsaws, car alarms, and the
click of a camera shutter.HYENAS
STOMACHS OF STEEL
OK, not literally, but they are able to
eat all sorts of animals – whether it’s
their own prey or a rotting corpse- from wildebeests and birds to liz-
ards and snakes. Their jaws are even
able to crush bones. The only things
they can’t digest are hooves, horns
and hair. Everything else is on their
menu.
CERTAIN SNAKES
INTERNAL HEAT SENSORS
Thanks to organs on their faces, some
species of vipers, pythons and boas are
able to detect the body heat of nearby
prey. According toWiredmagazine,
since nerves connect the organ to the
brain’s somatosensory system, which
processes the sense of touch, snakes
may be able to feel actual heat.