One of Australia's most enigmatic mammals, the marsupial mole "swims" through the sandy soil instead of digging permanent burrows and is rarely seen by humans. Tiny ears, vestigial eyes covered in skin and fur, and a backwards-facing pouch make them well-
It's unclear how guinea pigs ever got their name. They are not from Guinea and they are not closely related to pigs. Guinea pigs, or cavies, are actually rodents originating in the Andes of South America. Oddly they don't exist naturally in the wild. Here
Young Malayan tapirs have brown hair with white irregular stripes and spots, a pattern that enables them to hide effectively in the dappled light of the forest. They take on adult coloration 4 to 7 months after birth. This young Malayan tapir is at the Po
The shell of a turtle is not an exoskeleton, as some people mistakenly assert. The shell is a modified ribcage and part of the vertebral column. It cannot be "taken off" (as cartoons would lead us to believe) anymore than you could "take off" your spine a
The lesser capybara (Hydrochoerus isthmius), found in Panama, Colombia and Venezuela, is considered distinct from its larger relative, the greater capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaerus) which inhabits more southerly areas. Here is a female lesser capybara n
Giant pandas have unusually thick and heavy bones for their size, however, they are also very athletic and flexible. They can easily stand on their hind legs and keep good balance, and they are commonly observed somersaulting, rolling, and dust-bathing. T
Sometimes called the "tree ocelot" owing to its superb climbing skills, the margay is remarkably adapted at leaping after and chasing birds and monkeys through the treetops. The margay can also turn its ankles up to 180 degrees enabling it to grasp branch
Green sea turtles have been observed sleeping for as much as 11 hours a day, and sometimes they will sleep in the same spot over and over for a period of time. They often wedge themselves in reef crevices to avoid predators, or they might opt for somethin
The jaguarundi is a wild cat native to the Americas, and its closest relative is the cougar. The jaguarundi shows a number of features seen in mustelids: an elongated body, short legs, a long tail, and a narrow head. This jaguarundi was rescued and rehabi
Blanket octopus pairs are perhaps the undersea world's oddest couples: males only grow an inch long but females can reach 6 ft in length, i.e., females can weigh up to 40,000 times more than males. This is a colorful female blanket octopus that was filmed
Only the stags of red deer have antlers, and they are shed each year. Antlers begin growing in the spring and then fall off in winter in response to changes in stags' testosterone levels. Here we see a majestic red deer stag traipsing through a small Ital
Bank voles are small rodents with red-brown and gray fur, and their tails are about half as long as their bodies. They inhabit much of Europe and northwestern Asia, and they do not hibernate, preferring to stay active during the winter. Here we see a bank
American alligators are primarily freshwater reptiles, however, they can tolerate saltwater for hours or even days at a time. A diver encountered this alligator resting on the seafloor of the Atlantic ocean in 60 feet of water off the coast of West Palm B
Kori Bustards follow herds of large ungulates to catch insects flushed out by them or to pick through their dung for edible invertebrates, such as dung beetles.
Even wild rodents naturally enjoy running on wheels. When wheels were placed in nature, free living wild mice were observed to spontaneously run on them. This is a 6 week old baby Roof Rat encountering a wheel for the first time.
This shiny friend is a Sea Sapphire! (Sapphirina) These small crustaceans are normally transparent, making them almost invisible. But the males have crystal plating on their backs that they can "shine"! Different species of sea sapphires shine in differen
Weasels are the smallest members of the mustelid family. Their bodies are slender and elongated, and theirs legs and tail are relatively short. In this video, an orphaned baby weasel named Twiz is being trained for eventual release back into the wild.
Leafhoppers are insects that feed on plants by using their specialized mouthparts to pierce and suck sap from grass, shrubs, and trees. Their hind legs are modified for jumping long distances. In this video, many species of colorful and interesting leafho
The North Atlantic right whale is a critically endangered type of baleen whale, and it is one of three right whale species. Here is rare footage of North Atlantic right whales "hugging" in Cape Cod Bay which some researchers have hypothesized to be whales
Female Antarctic Orca tries to feed a diver a piece of fish she caught: There has never been a fatal wild orca attack on a human in history and only a single bite. Female Orcas share 95% of their food with their children and grandchildren.
The motorbike frog, native to Australia, is so-named because the male's courtship calls sound like a motorbike changing gears.
Mudskippers are amphibious fish that are known their ability to live in and out of water between high tide periods. During the mating season, the males will develop brightly colored spots in order to attract females, and they will sometimes thrust themsel
