Our etimologies

 We all have heard what is an etymology as its a branch of how a word is formed from different words of either same or different languages. Every word has its own etymology and names of animals are no exception. Not all of them are, but a few best ones are mentioned in this post.

Hippopotamus (hippo) is an ideal example as it is derived from Greek language which means a river horse. True, hippos inhabit rivers and lakes but their heads resemble almost a little similar as it enabled them to get their name.

Similarly, a word for another bulky pachyderm (thick-skinned) whose name can be shortened i.e. rhinoceros (rhino) also gets its derivation from Greek language which means 'nose-horn'.








Tallest beast, giraffe also has an interesting etymology as it is derived from Arabic word 'zirafoh' which means 'something with a long neck'.

Two spotted big cats do have an interesting etymology. Leopard is made by combining two words 'leo'(lion) and 'pard' (panther)which refers a mix of a lion and a panther. But, its larger spotted brother, the jaguar is derived from 'yaguar' which means 'someone who kills in a single leap' i.e. this large wild cat kills its prey by piercing its prey's skull  by ambush (by surprise) rather than biting the throat with its razor sharp teeth.



Lastly, the largest deer species, the moose again derives its name from some American Indian language which means 'a twig-eater' or 'someone who strips the barks of young trees'.

Incapable of it

Animals usually boast lot of skills which tend to fascinate us. But some of these skills are found in many species while in others they are absent. Species which are incapable of doing some things will be explained in this post.

There is a fascinating fact which states that in the entire animal kingdom only elephants are incapable of jumping which is totally false. It's true that they are incapable of doing it but there are other animals on the list who lack this skill like rhinos,hippos, sloths, ants,centipedes,mites, porpoises and some species of whales etc. But, there is a debate which states the removal of rhinos and hippos from this category as when these pachyderms(thick-skinned animals) run, all of  their four feet are in the air resembling a jump.

Crocodilians (crocodiles,alligators,caimans), aren't capable of sticking out their tongue as it is attached to roof of their mouth. Truly, an odd one out among the reptiles as this feature separates them from other species. Also, along with chelonians (tortoises,turtles and terrapins)  crocodilians are incapable of  scaling (climbing) trees. Only the American alligator, African crocodile species, the Australian freshwater crocodile and the American crocodile remain the exceptions and frequently climb to scan their territory which comes handy to them while hunting for their prey.The large sized individuals scale and remain only on the lower branches while smaller ones scale to the top. Shockingly weird!. Never used to imagine them doing that.

When we hear or think about vomiting, we fell yucky,gross etc. In case of us, this happens when we are seriously ill or over eaten and in case of other animals , they use it for defense and also when sick. But, some animals have to consider themselves unlucky for not boasting those reflexes which cause vomiting as it helps for throwing out the undigested food making them incapable of throwing up(to vomit). Some rodents like squirrels,rats,hamsters lack that part for throwing up, so do rabbits and horses.


Anatomical features of pigs makes them incapable of looking up in the sky thus missing the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the sky like moon, stars,clouds etc.

In case of primates, apes differentiate from monkeys in another way along with absence of tails. Apes(only chimps,orangutans and gibbons) can recognize themselves in front of mirror like us while monkeys are just incapable of it.

Weird locomotors-2

Coming to the next part of blog of weird locmotors, this blog brings its list of  lot more animals known for their weird locomotions.

One group of reptiles are eminent for one extraordinary capability, due to their extraordinary legs. Basilisk lizards are known for running on water bipedally to escape predators. Thanks to the flaps in between their toes which work as scaffolding while sprinting on water. Perhaps no other animal is so gifted like these lizards for their ability to run on water.

The webbed feet are also found in tree frogs due to which they can make impressive  long leaps. And some frogs can make lengthy leaps, due to which they are called as flying frogs.

And again back to mammals, we know that digitigrades are animals who locomote by their digits(toes) which include dogs,cats,some walking birds etc. But in case of cats, the locomotion of a lion is said to be weird as when it walks, its heels do not touch the ground. It really makes us wonder how its leg bones are made.

But, there is a mammal which locomotes terrestrially which is akin to dancing. It would really be a nice source of entertainment for tourists who enter in their natural habitat by watching their cool moves. They are sifakas- who hop sideways by this movement and  due to this they are even skilled at leaping from tree to tree.



Terrestrial mammals like armadillos are again gifted to walk under water. But, it is strangely discovered that though hippos are thought to be really good swimmers, they aren't. They can do so only due to those stones present underwater as they use it for placing their legs and pushing thus enabling them to swim. How strange it is that hippos who are related to whales and dolphins are poor swimmers!

Weird locomotors part-1

First of all, a very very happy new year to all my readers who read my blogs with great interest and enthusiasm. Hope so, this year too will be a year of posting many blogs like last year.

Now, lets begin with the post.We are known to walk by putting one feet at a time in the front.This  is our style of locomotion which is also shared with other animals like dogs,cats etc. But, there are uniquely talented animals whose locomotion techniques will really shock us.

Kangaroos, icons of Australian wildlife utilize their tails along with legs while hopping which is quite unique among animals. Their tails move up and down while hopping which also touch the ground thus controlling the angle of the body and giving them enough balance. Locomotion can't happen if their tails are being held. Quite special movement. 

More weirder form of locomotion is observed in camels where these desert ships move both legs on one side of their body at the same time then both legs of the opposite side while walking. Giraffes and other few animals too boast this talent. 


Many people think  fishes do not walk, but it is true that they do. Tripod fishes loco-mote with their fins but they aren't the  only one who boasts this art. Strangely,it is also revealed  that even newly discovered species of shark i.e. the epaulette shark (shown in pic) strolls on sea floor with its strong fins rather than swim. 





Gliding is another weird form of locomotion found in many other animals not only in flying (insects, birds) and bats but also surprisingly in reptiles too. The paradise tree snake is a famed example for this. Thanks to its superb scales which gives the arboreal serpent the power to jump from branches and finally to glide. Amazingly, it can take turns even in mid-air. True, it really sounds bizarre to hear a flying snake, but check out the video link below to see the serpent going air-borne.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMs8Cu8PNKM


The same case also lies with the flying dragon lizard but its gliding gears are only its large layers of skin which are utilized by spreading them apart from the sides of their bodies during take-off and then off in the air.  Purposes are quest for food and to flee from predators. 

Along with flying dragons, flying squirrels and gliders( Australian gliding arboreal marsupials) do boast this feature.Another video link of  two sugar gliders going air-borne is here. 

http://www.arkive.org/sugar-glider/petaurus-breviceps/video-00.html

Colors of indication

Creator has given every animal its own color. We do have our own colors. The colors help us to identify climate he/she lives, race etc. But, for animals colors are given for various purposes which can be really good indicators of many things which this post illustrates.

In case of some animals, the color on its body is an indicator of how much amount of food does it get which is with flamingos. They are born white. This makes people wonder how these birds which are born white get pink in color. Well, it is an indicator for how much shrimps they have eaten. Those who feed on more shrimps get pink in color but individuals who are malnourished or who get less shrimps remain as white as snow.

Age is another indicator of colors. Wondered why some giraffes have darker spots and some lions have darker manes. It isn't because of the area where scorching heat prevails or subspecies, but of age. As they get older and older
these body parts darken. 


Gender is also determined by colors. It is widely known that males of many species of birds have bright colors on their bodies to impress the mates. But,some mammals do boast them too for the same purpose. Two species of baboon are known for this quality. As naturalist Charles Darwin once proudly quoted ' No other animal in the whole class of mammals is colored in so extraordinary manner as adult male mandrills', male mandrills truly boast this quality. Another one is a male Gelada baboon which is a resident of Ethiopian highlands.

The kind of habitat where one lives is also determined on the basis of colors which is found in leopards and others. Leopards inhabiting forests boast bright yellowish orange and darker spots than those inhabiting open woodlands or plains.

The kind of genes which the animal boasts or has received also determines the color it will have. Melanin gene is responsible for black color which is the reason why an animal called panther is derived. In fact, there is no such animal called panther. Black panthers are actually leopards. Black form of leopards are like white tigers. They are only black instead of yellowish orange due to those black genes. Not only leopards, but even jaguars, pumas and surprisingly tigers do have black forms. White tigers are born if white genes are passed from their parents.

Getting rid of

Just as we get rid of many kinds of things from nature like insects,climate etc. ; we protect ourselves from such things like putting on the mosquito repellent for guarding from mosquitoes,wearing sweaters during winter etc. Like that many animals are also known to get rid of many natural agents and also insects and other animals by using varieties of techniques.

When it rains we open up our umbrellas or wear our raincoats (wind-cheaters). Forget about raincoats, since animals do not wear anything, they have to get rid of rains by taking a shed or using some smart methods. Orangutans are one of those who use these methods and they do it by taking large leaves or a branch of tree with leaves and covering the top of their heads akin to usage of umbrellas. Yes, it gives quite a resemblance to humans way of thinking.

For getting rid of insects like flies,mites animals have adapted their own ways of keeping them at bay. One of these methods is by dust bathing. Many animals which include zebras and bison do by rolling in dust. Elephants do so by spraying mud on their backs by their trunks and even wallowing in sticky mud. The latter method is done even by rhinos.
Grooming is another method of removing tiny insects like fleas from the hair/fur which is a reason for monkeys checking each others hairs or even cats licking their bodies by using rough part on their tongue.

Animals usually get rid of bad weather, insects and other animals (prey from predator). But, here is a predatory animal which gets rid of other predators just to shield its prey(carcass). Post catching its prey, a leopard will scale up a tree with its carcass getting rid of robbers like lions and hyenas who are strong enough to fight and rob it. Really nice opportunity for these spotted beasts to eat in peace up there. But for the other spotted beast i.e. the cheetah, such opportunities are absent as they aren't adept climbers and no other place to hide and eat in their open habitat i.e. savannas. Due to this, their prey carcasses are often lost to these robbers. How sad! Thus, it is a matter of luck for them while feeding.

It's sleeping time

We are sometimes told for being lazy as we keep on resting in our beds. But, we need not be as this post will tell about animals and their sleep duration and also reveal who are the real sleeping masters.

The large terrestrial herbivores namely elephants, giraffes, horses  aren't the longest sleepers as they require only 2-3 hrs of sleep. Large and tall statures but less sleep. Odd combination!

We (Homo sapiens) require only 7-8 hrs of sleep but sometimes vary depending on our lifestyles and schedules.

 Now, comes the list of those animals who are little lazy and who are the laziest. 

Giant pandas,squirrels, hippopotamuses are known to be little lazy resting in the range of 10-14 hrs a day.

Now comes the laziest animals in the range from 15-20 hrs a day. Yes, it is true that all nocturnal animals like bats,bush babies, slender lorises etc. are known to sleep in this duration thus making them the owners of the night.

But, there are some occasionally diurnal ones who are in this duration category. Large wild cats are the ones. Lions sleep for up to 20 hrs a day but here is a real catch which is going to leave you baffled. Lionesses are more active opting to sleep only for up to 16 hrs a day but it is the males who prefer to rest for full 20 hrs  making him one of the laziest beasts. Its no wonder that the king of the beasts is known for being so sleepy.

Image courtesy of [by Rob D] at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Finally, the laziest animal in the world is Australia's lovely koala bear resting up to 22 hrs. Really cuddly scene when we see them busy lost in sleep on the branches of the Eucalyptus tree.