South America is the land of the giant rodents. And the biggest of them all is the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris). This is the largest living rodent, a relative of agouti, chinchilla, nutria, American porcupine and guinea pig. In many languages, the animal is called "water hog" (this is how hydrochoerus transla... |
12 March 2008
09:47 GMT |
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Don't be fooled by the humble size of a mouse or rat because their extinct relatives were bigger than cows. And now, the largest rodent ever has been discovered: a one tonne Josephoartigasia monesi, as big as a big bison bull, which lived 2 million years ago.The impressive skull of 53 cm (1.8 ft) in length was e... |
16 January 2008
04:13 GMT |
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1.There are two species of minks. Even if they belong to the same genus of the stoats, weasels and polecats, Mustela, they do not have a common origin, but are the result of convergent evolution. This is proven by skull characters, karyotype (number and shape of the chromosomes), immunology. 2.Minks are solitary crea... |
14 January 2008
16:16 GMT |
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Marmots are the world's largest... squirrels! They can be 45 cm (1.5 ft) tall when staying on two feet and weigh up to 14 kg (30 lbs). Marmots inhabit grasslands, from steppes to alpine pastures in Europe, Asia and North America. They eat twice a day: in the morning and in the evening, basically plants (they eve... |
19 December 2007
14:16 GMT |
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The white fur of the stoats was highly prized during the Medieval Age, being used in the robes of many royal and noble figures. The furs were sewn together in a pattern of black dots made by the tail tips, the "in ermine".These little devils are solitary and territorial. As small as they are, a female can have a ter... |
17 December 2007
11:21 GMT |
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