Page 93 - You - South Africa (February 2020)

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SURINAM TOAD
These bizarre toads have developed an incredible
trait: the ability to grow and hatch babies on their
HAMMER-HEADED FRUIT BAT backs, which means they can protect their eggs
The purpose of the male’s enor- from predators. During mating, eggs are implant-
mous snout is to generate loud ed in the female’s back and afterwards she grows
honking sounds that help it a layer of skin over them. Tiny toads emerge from
attract females. her back after 12-20 weeks.
Found in Equatorial Africa Found in Streams and rivers throughout South
Fun facts A group of hammer- America, particularly in the Amazon River basin.
headed fruit bats is called a Fun fact Babies that emerge from a female’s back
cloud. In rare cases, the bat aren’t tadpoles. They’re mini adults and are fully
has been known to attack independent.
chickens, hunting them for
meat and drinking their
blood.

NAKED MOLE RAT
This creature has evolved so that its teeth are outside its
mouth, which allows it to dig without swallowing dirt. Loose
skin helps naked mole rats pass one another in narrow tunnels
without getting stuck. Although they’re “naked” they have no
sensitivity in their skin, so they don’t feel pain.
Found in East Africa’s tropical grasslands.
Fun facts They can survive with-
out air for up to 18 minutes and
can run just as fast backwards as
forwards.

PROBOSCIS MONKEY
BLOBFISH Animal experts believe there’s
This fish, which was discovered only in 2003, has evolved to a direct correlation between
survive under immense water pressure. It has little need for the size of a male’s nose and his
muscles or bones, as the depths where it lives can be 120 times attractiveness to females. Males
the pressure at sea level. are also believed to use their
GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES Fun facts It was voted the world’s ugliest animal in 2013 by the call potential females – while warn-
snouts to make loud noises that
Found in The deep, deep waters of Australia and New Zealand.
ing other males to stay away.
y
p
Ugly Animal Preservation Society. Its home is 2,5 times deeper
gy
Found on The island of Borneo and
than most submarines can reach.
the three nations that divide the
island – Brunei, Indonesia and
Malaysia.
Fun facts Proboscis monkeys
are good swimmers, using their
webbed hands and feet to assist
them when travelling from man-
grove to mangrove. The collective
noun for a group of
proboscis monkeys
is a harem. S

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