Page 95 - World of Animals - Issue #33

Animals answers

Are there marsupials
outside of Australia?

In short, yes. While the marsupials of
Australia are particularly famous, as they
are the predominant mammal type found
there, marsupials can also be found in
the Americas and islands surrounding
Australia. There are around 334 species
in the world, around 200 on the Australian
continent and around 100 in Central, South
Do giraffes
and North America.
have horns?

Although they look similar, a giraffe’s horns aren’t
really horns at all. They are called ossicones, which

are formed from ossified cartilage. They are covered
in skin and fur, and both male and female giraffes

have them. Giraffes are born with their ossicones,

but to avoid injury, they are flat against the head and

not fixed. As they age, the ossicones become more

upright and fuse with the skull bone to secure them in
place. Although not indicative of gender, it is possible
Koalas are only found to tell if a giraffe is male or female by looking at these

in Australia but there
are marsupials in other protrusions. Males’ ossicones are typically bald on the
parts of the world too top and covered in very little fur, whereas a female’s
are tued and thinner in shape.

Which is the smallest What is inside a snail’s shell?
monkey in the world? Shells not only protect snails from the shell in a compartment known as the
elements – and boisterous children –
mantle cavity. Marine and freshwater
they contain vital body parts too. Their snails also have a gill in the roof of
The smallest monkey in the world is the pygmy marmoset. Found lungs, stomach, kidney, heart and liver their shell, but this has been lost in
in the rainforests of the Amazon Basin, this tiny primate weighs are all tucked away safely inside the most land snails.
around 100 grams (3.5 ounces). Because of their small size, they
are particularly vulnerable to predators, so to avoid looking like

a tasty snack they fluff up their fur and make their tiny bodies
appear larger. They have a number of predators in the wild, the
main ones being pit vipers and birds of prey. Eagles and hawks are
able to swoop down and carry off the marmosets with ease should
they stray too close to the canopy. Snakes are also able to prey
upon the small primates, so they must stay vigilant and always be
on the lookout. They are listed as being of Least Concern by the
IUCN Red List, although their numbers are decreasing due to loss
of habitat and encroachment of humans.
Pygmy marmosets are
the smallest monkey
in the world and one of
© Thinkstock; Dreamstime
the smallest primates

3. Patagia
Once the rodent gains
2. Stretch altitude, it spreads its Q.Where
A er pushing off, the limbs to reveal two gliding

squirrel gains height membranes (the patagia)
and momentum. It then connected to the wrist and can I see
stretches its arms and legs ankle on either side. These The inside of a

out in front to help propel it flaps fill with air, like a snail’s shell is

forwards as it falls. parachute, to create drag. more complex wild rhinos?
than you’d
fi rst think
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