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Chameleons

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  10 Fun Facts About Chameleons Everyone knows chameleons can change colour, but most people think it's so they can blend in with their environment. Find out why they really change colour, and some other things you might not know about them 1. The biggest mistake people make about chameleons A lot of people think  chameleons  change their colour based on their surroundings – sort of like camouflage. However, this isn’t true. Chameleons actually change their colour due to a number of different factors, including their mood, changes in light or temperature, or the humidity of their environment. Different chameleons will also have different colours. For instance, more dominant, attractive males will have brighter colours, and submissive males may be darker browns and greys. Women will change their colours based on whether they want to accept or reject a suitor. So if you can’t find a chameleon because it  is  blending into its surroundings, just turn the lights on ...
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Porcupine

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  Interesting Facts About Porcupines There are dozens of species of porcupines in the world. Thirty million years ago, porcupines traveled across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to Brazil. They slowly evolved and quickly migrated throughout North and South America. Today, the North American Porcupine happily ranges from Alaska through Canada and into Mexico. Porcupine | Pixabay Image Known by the scientific name,  Erethizon dorsatum , the North American Porcupine is the second largest rodent in North America. Only the beaver is larger. These animals are easily distinguishable by their thick coat of sharp quills that they use for protection and insulation. In Latin, the word porcupine means "quill pig." It's fun to spot these solitary and nocturnal creatures that are near-sighted and slow moving in the wild. If you see one, be sure to snap a photo! Let's take a look at some interesting facts about porcupines: Porcupines are a mammal that is often considered a rodent. Po...
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HYENA

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  10 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT HYENA Hyena are one of the most misunderstood and under-appreciated species in the animal kingdom. Read 10 amazing facts about spotted hyena from our in-house expert, a.k.a “hyena man”, Axel Hunnicutt. Axel is currently leading the Mun-Ya-Wana Spotted Hyena Project in South Africa, is a member of the IUCN Hyaena Specialist Group, and is working towards his PhD on the spotted hyena and its regional decline in KwaZulu-Natal South Africa. A hyena pup at Kruger National Park. Photo credit: Shannon Wild/Wildscreen Exchange. 1. They are adept hunters  One of the longest standing false accusations against the spotted hyena is that they are purely scavengers. Particularly that they steal most of their food from lions. In fact studies have shown that hyenas kill 66-90% of what they eat and when it comes to the actual hunt they are extremely versatile and successful hunters. As cursorial hunters, hyenas run down their prey to exhaustion, cruising at speeds of 37...
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OPossums

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ISTOCK 13 Facts About Opossums Opossums, which include the roughly 100 species in the order  Didelphimorphia , are some of the most misunderstood animals in the Americas. They’re often thought of as dimwitted, dirty creatures whose most impressive trick is acting like roadkill. The truth is just the opposite: Opossums are smarter, cleaner, and more beneficial to humans than many of their woodland neighbors. Read on for more opossum facts. 1. OPOSSUMS AND POSSUMS AREN’T THE SAME ANIMAL. In North America,  opossum and possum  describe the same thing, but in Australia the word  possum  refers to a completely different animal. Among the most well known of their respective types are the Virginia opossum and the brushtail possum. Both are small to medium sized, omnivorous marsupials, but the similarities end there. The possum looks like a cute cross between a squirrel and a chinchilla and it belongs to a different order than the North American mammal that shares (most...
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