From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Thu Aug 13 2009 - 14:21:06 EDT
WHERE THE WEIRD THINGS ARE
14 Weird Animals You Can Travel to See
Tired of seeing run-of-the-mill lions, tigers, and bears? Then say "oh
my!" to these oddball creatures at zoos and sanctuaries worldwide-from a
giant Chinese salamander to a little lemur called the aye-aye.
By JD Rinne, Thursday, August 6, 2009
Gelada Baboon
Weirdness factor: This primate's fangy yawn is actually a display of
aggression to show off its canine teeth. The red patch of skin on the
female's chest gets brighter as her hormone levels increase. As a
natural design feature, it's probably a little too much information.
See it in: Eritrea and Ethiopia (and the Bronx Zoo).
See the photo
Aye-aye
Weirdness factor: Where to start? The aye-aye is a kind of lemur, with
large round ears that rotate independently. How does it eat? There are
no woodpeckers in Madagascar, but the aye-aye has evolved to feed like
one, using its long middle finger to scoop out grubs in tree bark.
See it in: Madagascar (and the Bristol Zoo Gardens).
See the photo
Proboscis Monkey
Weirdness factor: The male proboscis monkey has a pendulous nose that is
thought to amplify his calls to females (and his warnings to big-nosed
rivals). The most dominant male usually has the biggest nose and can
collect a harem of five to eight females.
See it in: Borneo (and the Singapore Zoo).
Naked Mole Rat
Weirdness factor: Almost totally blind, the naked mole rat is one of
only two species of mammals that live in colonies with a caste system,
like termites or ants. There's one queen and sometimes hundreds of
workers and soldiers-which are expected to sacrifice themselves in
battle should a snake appear (and not lose its appetite).
See it in: Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia (and Zoo Atlanta and the
National Zoo).
See the photo
Philippine Tarsier
Weirdness factor: The tiny tarsier's eyes are about twice the size of a
human's and have no peripheral vision. Tarsiers pounce on prey with
their vulnerable eyes shut tight, for protection (because who wants a
cricket stuck in their eye?).
See it in: The southern Philippine islands of Bohol, Samar, Leyte, and
Mindanao (and the Philippine Tarsier and Wildlife Sanctuary in Bohol).
See the photo
Emperor Tamarin
Weirdness factor: Named for the last emperor of Germany, this tamarin's
wildly eccentric moustache (strikingly similar to Mr. Monopoly's) is
something of a mystery. Experts think it might be a unique identifier,
as a fingerprint is for humans.
See it in: Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru (and the Paignton Zoo, in Devon,
England).
See the photo
Matamata Turtle
Weirdness factor: The knobby, gnarled matamata uses its huge mouth to
suck in unsuspecting food sources as they pass by. In Spanish, matamata
means "it kills, it kills."
See it in: The Amazon River in Brazil, and in parts of Trinidad and
Guyana (and the Honolulu Zoo and San Diego Zoo).
See the photo
Gelada Baboon
Weirdness factor: This primate's fangy yawn is actually a display of
aggression to show off its canine teeth. The red patch of skin on the
female's chest gets brighter as her hormone levels increase. As a
natural design feature, it's probably a little too much information.
See it in: Eritrea and Ethiopia (and the Bronx Zoo).
See the photo
Chinese Giant Salamander
Weirdness factor: The largest salamanders in the world, these
unattractive guys can grow to three feet long. But that doesn't stop
them from being eaten: Their meat is considered a delicacy in parts of
China.
See it in: The streams and lakes of central China and Taiwan (and the
Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco).
See the photo
Echidna
Weirdness factor: The echidna is an evolutionary mashup-it has a pouch
for its young like a kangaroo, spines like a porcupine, and a sticky
tongue like an anteater. Oh, and it lays eggs like a chicken.
See it in: Tasmania, Australia, and New Guinea (and the Cleveland
Metroparks Zoo, which has a short-beaked echidna).
See the photo
Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Weirdness factor: These blue, turkey-size pigeons with outrageous
plumage live mostly on the ground, mating for life and building sturdy
nests for their young.
See it in: New Guinea (and the Philadelphia Zoo).
See the photo
White-faced Saki Monkey
Weirdness factor: Often called flying monkeys, white-faced sakis rarely
let their feet hit the ground. They prefer to stay in the mid-level
trees of the rain forest, where they can jump up to 30 feet in a single
bound and can run upright along narrow branches.
See it in: The rain forests of northeastern Brazil, French Guiana,
Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela (and the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown,
Pa.).
See the photo
Tree Pangolin
Weirdness factor: This insect eater's scales feel a little like human
fingernails. But don't touch: Like the common skunk, the pangolin has an
unpleasant-smelling spray for those who get too close.
See it in: Central Africa's rain forests (and the San Diego Zoo-which
displays the tree pangolin infrequently, and without a lot of advance
notice).
See the photo
Pygmy Marmoset
Weirdness factor: Pygmy marmosets are the smallest monkeys in the world.
They communicate though whistles and twitters, but when hostile they
emit a frightening cry that's audible to peers but inaudible to humans.
See it in: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru (and the Houston Zoo and
the Philadelphia Zoo).
See the photo
Leafy Sea Dragon
Weirdness factor: Male leafy sea dragons carry and give birth to the
offspring. Instead of swimming upright, like sea horses, the leafy sea
dragon swims in a horizontal position. It uses its tube-shaped mouth as
a straw to suck up food.
See it in: The waters of the southeastern Indian Ocean, near southern
and western Australia (and the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta).
See the photo
Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to
confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question
before planning your trip.
http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2009/08/05/AR20090805
02027.html
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