1st Practical Project
Ventspils University of Applied Sciences
But this website isn't about cats...
There are thousands of animals in the world, many of which are rare and undiscovered. Most of them are rare due to human intervention, whether it's destroyed ecosystems or hunters.
This website's purpose is to bring awareness to the wonders of the world before society has made them disappear.
When provoked, or for defence, coatis can be fierce fighters; their strong jaws, sharp canine teeth, and fast scratching paws, along with a tough hide sturdily attached to the underlying muscles, make it very difficult for potential predators to seize the smaller mammal. Coatis communicate their intentions or moods with chirping, snorting, or grunting sounds. Different chirping sounds are used to express joy during social grooming, appeasement after fights, or to convey irritation or anger. Snorting while digging, along with an erect tail, states territorial or food claims during foraging. Coatis additionally use special postures or moves to convey simple messages; for example, hiding the nose between the front paws as a sign for submission; lowering the head, baring teeth, and jumping at an enemy signal an aggressive disposition.
Binturongs generally being solitary animals, spend the majority of their life slowly and cautiously scaling treetops. They are excellent climbers, but because of their large size, unable to leap between trees. They can also swim and dive well, often spending time in the water to cool off when the weather is hot. Although they are usually solitary, small groups of these animals are not uncommon, usually consisting of a male and female pair and their young. In such a group, the female is the dominant adult. This species is very vocal and can make a range of sounds, both to communicate and to issue a warning to species that it considers a threat. Chuckling sounds seem to indicate that they are happy and a high-pitched wail means that they are aggravated. Binturongs also use their tail to communicate. They move about gently, often coming to a stop, and often using the tail to keep balance, clinging to a branch.
These frogs have the ability to conceal red blood cells concentrated inside their livers, increasing transparency when they are vulnerable. The evolutionary advantage of a partly clear skin and an opaque back was a mystery, as it did not seem to be effective as camouflage. It was found that the colour of the frog's body changed little against darker or lighter foliage, but the legs were more translucent and consequently changed in brightness. By resting with the translucent legs surrounding the body, the frog's edge appears softer, with less brightness gradient from the leaf to the legs and from the legs to the body, making the outline less noticeable.
Mata matas have very fine eyesight with eyes that reflect light, similar to other nocturnal reptiles. In addition, the skin flaps on the neck are also extremely sensitive and help them detect nearby movement. Mata mata turtles use a specific method of seizing their prey. The appearance of their shell resembles a piece of bark, and their head resembles fallen leaves. As they remain motionless in the water, their skin flaps enable them to blend into the surrounding vegetation until a fish comes close. They may also move the prey into shallower areas of water, surround the prey, and wave their front legs to prevent them from escaping. Once surrounded, these turtles will open their large mouth as wide as possible, creating a low-pressure vacuum that sucks the prey into their mouth, known as suction feeding. Turtles then snap their mouth shut, the water is slowly expelled, and the fish is swallowed whole.
heir common name is due to the bulbous nasal snout of adult males, which looks like an Indian pot with the name 'ghara'. Gharials are the most thoroughly aquatic crocodilians, and leave the water only for basking and building nests on moist sandbanks. They spend much of their day basking in the sun, especially in the winter. They like to revisit the same spot for this purpose, which is always near water. Gharials "gape" while they bask, in order to dissipate excess heat. Furthermore, unlike other crocodilians, gharials have relatively weak legs, and a fully grown adult cannot raise their body off the ground. Gharials seem to communicate with vibrations in the water or buzzing sounds made by the males with their snouts.
In 2013 they were described as a new species. This animal looks like a mix between a teddy bear and a cat, and for more 100 years has been mistakenly identified. Little is known about the social behavior in the olinguito, because it was only recently discovered and researchers are still learning about this tree-dwelling mammal. They are solitary, mostly nocturnal and live in trees. They are skillful jumpers and are able to jump from tree to tree up in the forest canopy. No information is available at present regarding the mating system and reproductive behavior of olinguitos. It is only known that females raise just a single offspring at a time.
Markhor live in flocks that usually consist of nine animals. These flocks are composed of adult females and their young. Adult males are largely solitary. Adult females and kids comprise most of the markhor population. These majestic animals have many predators and that's why possess keen eyesight and a strong sense of smell to detect nearby predators. Markhor are very aware of their surroundings and are on high alert for predators. In exposed areas, they are quick to spot and flee from predators. Their alarm call closely resembles the bleating of domestic goats. Markhor exhibit a polygynous mating system in which males mate with multiple females every single breeding season. They mate in winter, during which the males fight each other by lunging, locking horns, and attempting to push each other off balance.
It is known by various common names, including walking flower mantis, orchid-blossom mantid and (pink) orchid mantis. It is one of several species known as flower mantids, a reference to their unique physical form and behaviour, which often involves moving with a “swaying” motion, as if being “blown” in the breeze. Several species have evolved to mimic orchid flowers as a hunting and camouflaging strategy, “hiding” themselves in plain view and preying upon pollinating insects that visit the blooms. They are known to grab their prey with blinding speed. While the orchid mantis is successful at catching its prey through its color mimicry alone, recent research shows that orchid mantids attract an greater number of natural pollinators when compared to actual flowers, labelling these mantids as 'aggressive mimics' with their ability to turn pollinators into prey.