CONTENTS ASIA 4 EUROPE 10 AFRICA 14 OCEANIA 18 NORTH AMERICA 22 SOUTH AMERICA 26 GLOSSARY 32 INDEX 32
ASIA proboscis monkey No other primate has such a large fleshy dangling nose as the male proboscis monkey It’s believed the nose helps increase the volume of their call impressing females and intimidating rivals Proboscis monkeys have evolved webbed feet and hands to swim quickly a great help when evading the crocodiles that lurk in the rivers of their native Borneo Proboscis monkeys can’t eat ripe fruit as the sugar ferments and expands in their bellies causing them to bloat which can be deadly They eat unripe fruit as well as leaves and seeds Habitat destruction throughout Borneo means this big-nosed primate is endangered FACT JUMPING IN BOX Enthusiastic swimmers both males and females are often seen launching themself from trees to belly flop into the water below 4
COCONUT OCTOPUS The only invertebrate known to use tools and one of only two octopuses known to walk on two of its legs the coconut octopus is named for its habit of carrying coconut shells across the seafloor and using them to build fortresses Before construction can begin the octopus must dig up and thoroughly clean its building materials During this time the shells afford no protection leaving the cephalopod open to attack from predators including fish and crabs EMEI MOUSTACHE TOAD Mating season for the Emei moustache toad is a macho affair In February and March each year males sprout 10 to 16 spines on their top lip and migrate from the forest to swift-flowing rivers to breed They compete for territory and females by head-butting each other’s bellies often causing puncture wounds When mating is done and the eggs have spawned the spines fall out and the fighters return to the forest MAN UP FACT BOX In the frog world male frogs that grow larger than their female counterparts as is the case with the Emei moustache toad are known to be aggressive In up to 90 percent of frog species females are larger 5 FACT BOX CRAZY FOR COCONUTS When threatened the octopus retreats into the two halves of its coconut shell and pulls them together forming a near impenetrable orb RUN RABBIT RUN If disturbed the tufted deer takes flight Moving with rabbit-like jumps and flashing the white underside of its tail it confuses predators just long enough to escape patch of coarse hair on its forehead which often hides its small antlers the tufted deer lives in high-altitude forest regions in north eastern Myanmar formerly known as Burma and southern and central China TUFTED DEER By far the scariest looking deer on the planet this vampiric deer has oversized protruding canine teeth that look like fangs Males use their short tusks during mating season September to December to fend off rivals When threatened or startled they also bark loudly Named for the distinctive
