dog
Honey badger
This is an extremely aggressive and fearless animal. It is even smaller than the wolverine, it looks like a little badger. In the film (zoology has nothing to do with it, the film is artistic) “Probably the gods are crazy – 2” a significant part of the narration is devoted to the honey badger, and the character of this little predator is especially well shown. The protagonist accidentally pushed the animal with a shoe, and the honey badger became furious. I grabbed a dead grip and it was impossible to get rid of him. So the hero dragged him for many, many days in the desert. This dangerous animal did not let go of the shoe, even fainting from hunger and dehydration, and when it was possible to tear it off and go forward, the honey badger still got up and, stumbling and falling, ran after the hero. Continue reading
Wolves and dogs: degree of kinship between wild and domestic animals
Practically any person will answer where the man’s best friends came from – dogs. These pets certainly descended from the wolf, but at what point was their life course divided and priorities changed? Zoologists and cynologists are more than confident that the characteristics of an animal as a result of artificial selection can change extremely quickly and beyond recognition – by instinct, by character, by exterior. External signs for zoologists mean, for example, a lot – and color, and the length of the muzzle, and the location of the ears, and the shape of the eyes. Breeds of animals – both wild and domestic – are extremely diverse, and therefore the search for canine ancestors without the latest research methods would be futile. Continue reading
Hedgehogs: eared, bald, prickly …
Zoologists account for about two dozen species of hedgehogs, of which five are found in Russia. The most numerous are the common, or western, and Eastern European, or white-breasted, hedgehogs. Not so long ago they were considered one species (the Amur hedgehog, now also identified as a separate species) was also attributed, but studies have shown that they are all different. The white-hooded hedgehog has a darker (somewhat grimy) muzzle, and its sides and belly are blond, while its western brother has dark brown hair on the sides. The main difference: the eastern hedgehog has a very bright spot on the chest. However, when meeting in the forest grass, this omen does not work …
The Daurian hedgehog living in Transbaikalia is rare and was listed in the Red Book of Russia. Continue reading
