Hagfish

Hagfish is the term for one of a 60 species of very ancient fish that live on sea floors around the world. The oldest fossil Hagfish was discovered in 1991, and is strikingly similar to today's Hagfish, demonstrating that they have changed very little in 300 million years. In fact, Hagfish are so old that they split from the human line over 500 million years ago.

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There is great debate as to whether or not Hagfish are really even fish. Heck, are they even vertebrates? Hagfish have skulls, but no vertebrae. They don't even have jaws. The remainder of the body is made up entirely of cartilage. They have smooth, scaleless bodies, and no fins. Not a whole lot is known about Hagfish reproductive habits, but it is believed that they are born hermaphroditic and settle into a sex as they mature.

Hagfish are blind, though the simple eye that they possess actually is a valuable tool in tracing the evolution of more complex eyes. To make up for their blindness, they have exceptional senses of touch and small. Hagfish are able to search out meals on the dark sea floor using said senses, and these meal often consist of small sea-floor worms. However, Hagfish have a secondary, quite gruesome feeding method. They can attach themselves to dead or injured creatures that are much larger than themselves. They are then able to burrow in to the body of said animal and literally consume it from the inside out.

Another gross thing about Hagfish? The slime. Hagfish secrete a thick mucus from their bodies that serves a a defense mechanism. It is said that a single adult hagfish can secrete up to a gallon of this mucus at a time. The mucus is also full of tiny fibers that make it exceptionally thick and difficult to deal with.

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American Robin

The American Robin can be found all over North America, and is an extremely common bird. They are also teh state bird of three US States! They live in a wide variety of habitats from tundras to farm fields.  They are larger songbirds, with wingspans of up to 16in. Robins have very characteristic coloration, with both the males and females being brownish-black and sporting a reddish-orange breast. Females are slightly duller in color than the males.

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Robins also have very colorful eggs! After partnering up for each breeding season, females robins lay several clutches of 3-5 blue eggs. Both her and her mate will take care of the new chicks until they fledge and a new brood is born. Sadly, only 25% of all robins will make it to their first winter. Most Robin populations are migratory, and they are diurnal birds.

American Robins are omnivores. They consume a wide variety of fruits and insects. They are commonly seen eating worms (hence the phrase). Unfortunately, pesticides and other chemicals have been affecting the Robins, and their numbers have been declining over the past forty years. Robin eggs, young, and adults are preyed upon by many other animals, including squirrels, hawks, cats, and snakes.

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Aardvark

Orycteropus afer  is an interesting mammal. Even though they resemble anteaters, they are not actually related. Aardvarks (whose name essentially means "earth pig") are members of their own entire order, which itself is part of the superorder Afrotheria. The closest relatives of the Aarvarks are actually Hyraxes, Sengis, and Elephants!

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Aarvarks are medium sizes animals with nearly-hairless bodies and powerful claws which are used for digging at termite mounds. They also have highly specialized snouts that allow them to smell out and then lick up vast quantities of their favorite meals. Aardvarks actually do have teeth, but they grow only at the back of the jaw, have no enamel, and fall out and grow continuously throughout their lives.

Aardvarks are solitary, nocturnal animals. During the day they sleep in burrows, and they often dig completely new ones each day. Abandoned burrows can become shelter for many other smaller animals species. Females give birth to only one cub at a time, who is born pink and hairless. At about six months, any male offspring will leave and become independent. Female cubs stay with their mothers until she gives birth to another cub.

Aardvarks are not a threatened species. Their major predators include wild dogs and big cat species. Some human tribes consume Aardvark meat.

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Manta Ray

Manta Rays (Manta birostris) are the largest of all rays, but worry not! They are harmless, graceful swimmers. Unlike some other ray species, that have no stingers. Mantas are very, very large, commonly measuring over 20ft wide. Some individuals can reach 30ft, and weigh over 3,000lbs. They are found in tropical and temperate near-coastal waters around the world.

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Did you know Manta Rays are closely related to sharks? And like their sharkish cousins the Basking and Whale Sharks, Mantas consume very tiny creatures. They have two fins on their head that almost resemble horns (perhaps a reason for their other common name, the Devil Ray) which suck in plankton and other small sea creatures. The prey is then filtered through gill rakes and consumed. Also like the aforementioned sharks, Manta Rays have tiny teeth which are unused.

Manta Rays mate belly to belly, and are ovoviviparous. Females give birth to only 1-2 pups at a time, which are already 4ft across when born. Their age of sexual maturity and overall lifespan is unknown.

Manta Rays are basically harmless to humans, but one should be careful around them due to their large size. They are currently listed as Near Threatened by IUCN.

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Green Sea Turtle

Green Sea Turtles are found throughout the world's tropical and subtropical seas. They are a migratory species, moving many miles each year between feeding and nesting areas. They can grow quite large, with adults reaching 5ft and weighing over 500lbs. Green Sea Turtles are omnivorous, consuming sea plants as well as crustaceans.

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Female Green Sea Turtles do usually not lay eggs every year, those males try and breed yearly. Females are often on a breeding cycle that ranges from every 2 to 4 years. When females do lay eggs, they spend about two hours to lay clutch containing up to 200 of them. These eggs incubate for 45-75 days, after which the young turtles must make the often deadly march to the sea.

Baby Sea Turtles have countless predators both in an out of the water, including gulls, opossums, sharks, rats, and dolphins. A large percentage of the hatchlings will not make it to adulthood. Green Sea Turtles do not become sexually mature until they are at least twenty years old. They can live as long as eighty years.

Green Sea Turtles have seen a major population decline over the past 100 years. Egg harvesting, accidental capture by fishing, and disease have led to their decline. They are now currently protected by numerous agencies worldwide, and they are listed in Appendix I of CITES.

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Rhea

When people think of flightless birds, they think Ostrich, Emu, maybe even Kiwi. But what about the Rhea? There are two species of Rhea, both native to the grasslands of South America. Like the aforementioned birds, Rheas are ratites; birds that lack an anchor for their wing muscles, and thus cannot fly. Rheas still have large (for a Ratite) wings, but they are used for balance while running.

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The largest of the Rheas, the Common or American Rhea (Rhea americana), cant grow to heights of 5 feet, while the Lesser or Darwin's Rhea (Rhea pennata) grows to only 3 or 4. They are omnivores, and will consume fruits, seeds, lizards, insects, and even carrion. Rheas are solitary through the breeding season, but will form flocks during the winter. These flocks sometimes intermingle with those of other species.

Interestingly, it is the male Rheas that do most of the egg-guarding and chick-rearing. What is even more interesting is that Rheas are polygamous, and the males take more than one mate. All of his breeding partners will lay their eggs in the same place to be watched over by the male. A Rhea egg can weight 1.5lbs.

Like Ostrich, Rhea meat can be eaten, and the industry is regulated by the USDA which considers it to be "red" meat. Rhea feathers and skins are also used for various purposes, including clothing and decoration.

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Star Nosed Mole

Condylura cristata is a quite amusing looking little fellow. The common name comes from the fact that their nose is completely hairless and has 22 small "tentacles" that give a star-like appearance. But more on that remarkable nose later. Star Nosed Moles can be found in low wetlands throughout North America and can grow to about 20cm in length.

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The nose of the Star Nosed Mole is the most sensitive organ in the entire animal kingdom. Its nose has over 25,000 touch receptors known as Eimer's Organs, which rapidly tell the brain whether or not what they are touching is edible. Star Nosed Moles are able to locate and consume prey with amazing speed (it is believed they are also the fastest eaters in the animal kingdom as well), and their remarkable sense of touch more than makes up for their poor eyes. It is believed that their eyes are only really good for sensing light and dark.The Moles dig complex tunnel networks with their specialized claws, and build nests underground made from dried plants and grasses.

Star Nosed Moles are monogamous for each breeding season, but have a short life expectancy of only 2-4 years. Star Nosed Moles are preyed upon by various birds, land mammals, and even fish. These Moles are excellent swimmers and will even forage for food while underwater.

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