The Giant Coconut Crab
With the exalted title of the largest land based arthropod in the world, it's a wonder that the Giant Coconut Crab doesn't get more press than it does. These animals are generally nocturnal and live in many coastal and forest regions of Indo-Pacific islands. Including the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, The Indian Ocean and the seas in the area of Indonesia. Some of it's "island names" are the Robber Crab or Palm Thief because of it's reported habit of taking anything it can use, specifically shiny items. But they get their common name from their ability to climb Coconut Palm trees, clip off the Coconuts, return to the ground, peel the husk fromt he coconut, and hammer them open by dropping it repeatedly on rocks, or banging them open with their large claws. The rest of their diet is primarily fleshy fruits, nuts and seeds. Though they are Omnivores and will consume other items as well.
Coconut crabs have a body length of about 16 inches, a leg span of 3 feet, and can weigh up to 9 pounds. Though there are accounts of them reaching upwards of 6 feet across and weighing up to 30 pounds. They can also live more than 30 years.
Coconut Crabs can't swim, even smaller crabs drown in water, though they require water to survive. They have an organ called a branchiostegal lung, that is explained to be something in between gills and lungs. This organ allows the crab to take oxygen out of the air, but also has to be kept moist to function. So it is more likely to see them in daylight during a rain storm as the moisture allows them to breathe more easily.
Though an adolescent has many predators, the only danger to a fully grown Coconut Crab are Human Beings. As the crab is a delicacy as well as an aphrodisiac in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. Particularly if the eggs can be harvested from inside the female Coconut Crab.
Red Velvet Ant or "Cow Killer"
The Dasymutilla Occidentalis are actually wasps. The female of the species are wingless and covered with red hair giving it the appearance of an ant. The males of the species have wings, but can not sting. The Red Velvet Ant is common in South Western America and Mexico. The name "Cow Killer" is not accurate, it is not believed that many cows are stung, and it is absurd to think that one bite would kill a cow. This name comes from the severely painful sting these insects inflict. As if to say, "that hurt enough to kill a cow".
Sloth
Sloths live in the rain-forests of South and Central America, and despite their usually slow speed they are not defenseless creatures. They will defend themselves if attached, not to mention that most sloths rarely visit the ground where they are more vulnerable. Sloths also have a natural camouflage, and move so slowly that it's difficult to spot them. Poachers pose little threat as they have found that sloths usually do not fall from their tree perch even when shot. Their main threat has been deforestation. Such a slow moving mammal would be put in harms way if it had to relocate even a half a mile. Their average ground speed is about 6.5 feet per minute!
Their hair even grows the opposite direction as most mammals because they hang upside down so much their hair reversed it's growth pattern to protect the skin from the elements. They even give birth hanging from trees. They go to the ground to defacate about once a week, burying their feces afterwards. The only oddity is that they use the same spot every time, which places them at risk. One theory is that they do so to nourish the tree they live in.
Aye-aye
The Daubentonia madagascariensis, commonly known as an Aye-aye is a type of Lemur that is only found on the island of Madagascar. The worlds largest nocturnal primate uses woodpecker like strategies, tapping on the bark of a tree up to 8 times per second to listen for insects inside of the trees. Then after chewing a hole in the wood, it digs out the grub or insect from the tree using it's specifically designed elongated middle finger. Due to its varied features, there has been an ongoing debate as to the classification of the Aye-aye. The continually growing incisors would lead some to believe it a rodent, and was originally classified as a mammal. It's re-classification with primates has been just as widely debated.
Living primarily on the Eastern Coast and treeline of Madagascar, the Aye-aye have a predisposition to live near the canopy of the forest, as high as 700 meters up. During the night the Aye-aye will spend 80% of it's night foraging for food, traveling as far as 2.5 miles a night.
Though the males are considered to be social animals, it has been found that a females territory will never overlap with another's.
Girarffe Weevil
Native to Madagascar, the Trachelophorus giraffa gets its name from its jointed extended neck that is similar to a Giraffe. The majority of the body is black with distinctive red patterns covering the wings. The extended neck assist with nest building and fighting. The Giraffe Weevil is the longest weevil in the world at around 2.5 cm.
Tapir
Pronounced ta-pier appears to be a cross between a pig and an anteater. Tapirs, found in the jungles of South and Central America are actually mammals and are more closely related to horses and rhinos. Adult males can weigh up to 700 lbs, and though the four species vary in color and fur, they all have oval, white-tipped ears, rounded rumps, stubby tails, and can possess as many as 44 teeth. Tapirs diet consists mainly of fruit, berries, and leaves, though they have a tendency to eat soft foliage underwater if they live near a water source. They have been observed consuming upwards of 85 pounds of vegetation in a single day. Their size and remarkable speed keeps them free from most predators. Despite this, and mainly due to loss of habitat, two of the four species of Tapir are on the endangered species list.
Slender Loris
Native to India and Sri Lanka, they are the sole members of the genus Loris. A small nocturnal primate, the Loris is able to live in wet and dry forests, as well as lowland and highland areas. About the size of a chipmunk with long very thin legs. Their diet consists mainly of insects and vegetation, and their average life span is twelve to fifteen years. Their movements are slow and meticulous so not to alert any prey. One of their unusual habits is to rub their urine over their hands face and feet. This is thought to be a remedy to them because they enjoy dining on toxic beetles and roaches.
Their main threat is human as natives have always believed all parts of the Slender Loris to have medicinal or magical powers. It is unknown how many survive in the world today. There are laws in India to protect the loris, but it is hard to gauge their numbers due to their nocturnal habits.
Sea Pig
Thriving on the deepest ocean floors, the Sea Pig behaves much like slugs do on land. They scavange the ocean floor for any organic material using their tube feet to move them along and using their tentacles to push food into their mouth. The Sea Pig is not an endangered species, but rare to see due to the depths of ocean in which they live. Though they appear to be some sort of slug/pig combination, sea pigs are scotoplanes or sea cucumbers belonging to the genus of the deep sea Holothurians.
Glass Frog
While their genaral color is green/lime green like most frogs. The abdominal side is transparent. The Internal organs, and gastrointestianl tract are visible through the skin. First discovered in 1872, they were first placed with tree frogs in the genera Hyella. It wasn't until 1951 that the family Centrolenidae was created. That family is now host to over 50 species of glass frogs. Found primarily along rivers and streams in Central and South America, Glass frogs are small, between 1.2 and 3.0 inches in lengh.
Spiney Orbweaver Spider
TheGasteracantha cancriformis, or Spiney Orbweaver Spider is also known in some areas as a Crab Spider has a very distinctive and colorful "shell" looking back with several "spines" usually bright in color protruding out. It is thought that this is mainly a development of protection from predators as it looks dangerous. They are small in size, the larger of the species only about 10 - 13 mm in length. A bite from these spider is known to "have serious effects on humans".
The Star Nosed Mole
The (Condylura cristata) or Star Nosed Mole is found all along the Eastern seaboard of the United States, across the Northeast United states from about Wisconsin over to New Hampshire. It is also found along Southeastern areas of Canada. It is the sole member of the genus Condylura. These unique creatures have the unmistakable trait of having eleven pairs of pink fleshy appendages sprouting from their snout. These appendages are used for their sense of touch, and contain more than 25,000 sensory receptors.
The Star Nosed Mole is functionally blind, and is smaller than an average Mole (only about the size of a Hamster). A report in the journal Nature attributed the Star Nosed Mole as being the fastest eating mammal, taking as little as 120 milliseconds to identify and consume foot items, deciding in only 8 milliseconds on weather or not something is edible. These moles also possess the rare ability to smell underwater by exhaling air bubbles onto objects and then inhaling the bubbles to carry scents back through the nose.
Camel Spider
Known as Camel Spiders, Wind Scorpions, or Sun Spiders, and containing over 1000 described species, most live in deserts and feed on numerous types of small animals, although they are omnivores. Larger species have been known to feed on small snakes, lizards, and rodents. Although they do not normally attack humans, a bite can penetrate the skin, and these painful bites immediately begin dissolving the soft tissues underneath.
Giant Water Bug
One of the largest insects in North America, Giant Waterbugs can grow to approximately 1.5 inches long. Though some species are know to grow to upwards of 4 inches. Giant Water Bugs live in freshwater area, preferably ones with large amounts of vegetation, and steady or gently running water. They use their powerful front legs to grab other bugs for food and have been known to feast upon small fish, frogs or salamanders, piecing their pray with a sharp beak that secretes enzymes dissolving body tissues. Most commonly seen in late summer and early fall, the Giant Water Bugs are not dangerous to people, but can deliver a mean bite.
Leaf Insect
Also from the family Phyliidae, the Walking Leaf, or Leaf Insect is native to South Asia and Australia. It's amazing natural camouflage make them virtually invisible in wooded areas. Which not only protects them from predators, but lets prey come to them. Similarly to Mantis' and Stick Bugs, the Leaf Insect has a tendency to sway back and forth to mimic a real leaf blowing in the wind. Some sources state that these insects may have been in existence 47 million years ago.
