Page 19 - Mammal (DK Eyewitness)

FACING THE FRONT Huge eyes for accurately judging
The bush baby seems all eyes and distances in the dark
ears. This shy, nocturnal (active at
night) member of the order Primates Senegal bush baby
(p. 8) has enormous eyes which can Sensitive ears pick up sound of flying insects
see in the darkest forest night in
order to locate prey and leap from
branch to branch to avoid predators.
Bush babies are especially good at
tracking small flying insects with
their large swiveling ears; then,
clinging with the back feet, they
extend body and arms to snatch the
insect as it flies past. The origin of this
mammal’s name may be from one of
its calls, which is remarkably like the
cry of a human baby - or it may be
that the animal’s appealing features
look like those of a baby.

EYES AT NIGHT
This odd-eyed white cat has one yellow
eye and one blue eye. When photographed
at night using a flash its yellow eye reflects
green from a shiny layer (tapetum) in the
back of the eye. The blue eye lacks a tapetum so
the blood vessels at the back of the eye glow red.

Rounded finger­
and toetips for
clinging to branches

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