The image below shows the seemingly mythological sea creature, the Narwhal. Known by its nickname, “unicorn of the sea,” the narwhal is famously known for the distinct, long helical horn (or tusk) protruding from its face. But despite its appearance, this appendage isn’t a horn at all, but a tooth. More specifically, it’s an upper left canine tooth, which, as a result of natural selection, grows straight to an almost unbelievable length. Contrary to filter-feeding whales, the narwhal falls under the evolutionary family of the toothed whales.
Though throughout much of history, the reason behind the narwhal’s tusk was largely a mystery, today scientists believe it is used by the animal to measure water salinity. In some cases, experts have also reported narwhal’s using this over-sized tooth to stun their prey. Throughout history, the horn of the narwhal was often thought to be from the elusive, magical healing horn of the mystical unicorn. Over the ages, explorers, hunters, and sailors returned home with the prized, mysterious horn, as stories of the horns’ mystical healing powers led merchants to sell the rare specimens for small fortunes.
A Very Dinosaur-looking Baby Blue Heron
In the below photo is a particularly dinosaur-looking blue heron, mouth open as it perches upon one man’s hand. For any doubters of the evolutionary connection between birds and their dinosaur ancestors, the baby blue heron stands as a perfect example of this prehistoric connection. If not for its tiny size, one look at this terrifying bird and one would think it was taken right out of a Jurassic Park film!
Most commonly found near the shores and wetlands of much of North and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands, in its prime years as an adult, standing as tall as 4 and a half feet tall (1.37m), with a wingspan often exceeding six feet wide, the blue heron is actually known as the largest of all North American herons!
The Ultimate Stare-down: a Babe Ocelot vs. a Camera
No, the below photo isn’t of an angry house cat. It’s actually a wild ocelot! When compared to your average kitty, ocelots appear far bigger, and far superior, to its domestic, potty-trained counterpart. Approximately double the size of a domestic cat, Ocelots are characterized by their distinctive coat, which ranges in color from light yellow to reddish gray, and is decorated with a wide variety of unique markings and patterns of dark spots and stripes. No two coats are the same!
Because of these unique markings, these wild cats are oftentimes also called painted leopards, as well as dwarf leopards. Despite their coats’ striking similarity to big cats like leopards, in reality, ocelots are only distantly related to these kings of the jungle. While Leopards and tigers belong to the Pantherinae, (aka the roaring cats) subfamily, ocelots identify as a part of the Felinae (or small cats) subfamily.
Armadillo Girdled Lizard, or Miniature Dragon?
Nope, it’s not a mini dragon! In the palm of the hand in the below photograph lays an adorably little, terrified dragon-esque looking creature given the named of an Armadillo Girdled Lizard. How do we know this animal is in distress? The signs of this animal's distress are given off through this lizard’s “signature defense mechanism”: putting its entire tail into its mouth, displaying only its spiky armor, thus protecting its incredibly soft underbelly from would-be predators.
Despite its misleading name, this little lizard gets its name from its distinct “curling-up behavior,” which reminded zoologists of the South American three-banded armadillo, who displays a similar defensive behavior. These spiky lizards are found along the west coast of South Africa, particularly from the northern region surrounding the Orange River of Northern Cape Province, to the Piketberg Mountains in the south.
A Silly Little Penguin Makes a Little Girl Smile
With their cute faces, their silly, waddling gaits, and their awkward wings, it comes as no surprise that this small penguin, known as Rocky the Penguin, is easily able to bring a smile to two-year-old Nicola McNally’s beaming face. A moment of pure joy captured back in 1980, at the Cotswold Wildlife Park in Oxfordshire, UK, Rocky is a Humboldt penguin, a species of penguin particularly known for its friendly demeanor towards humans.
Interestingly enough, both these penguins and the current are named after 18th-century explorer Alexander von Humboldt. Specifically hailing from the coastal regions of the South American countries of Peru and Chile, here this penguin is surrounded by a natural habitat of open ocean and rocky shorelines.