atOptions = { 'key' : '142c878d6f137e0b5f6460ac7d3e619e', 'form

Monday, December 4, 2023

Top 10 hunters in animal kingdom

 

Top 10 hunters in animal kingdom


Wild scary looking animals that makes out-muscling, sudden moves and aggressive growl with sharp teeths – very first image comes to your mind when talking about animal predators. But animal predators comes in different sizes, tiny as an ant and large as a killer whale. Followings are top 10 hunters in animal kingdom.


Tarantula spider

tarantual spider

There are hundreds of tarantula species are in the world, found within tropical regions. The 5 inch size body and 11 inch leg span makes them one of skilled hunters in animal world. They are actually nocturnal predators, hide near where small insects pass by, make a sudden swoop upon the sight. The large fangs of tarantula help them to easily kill the prey, no insects can hope a survival from tarantula.

They also used to feed in mice, frogs and small birds. Tarantula injects paralyzing venom upon catching of these kinds of preys. The special type of digestive enzymes also help them to easily suck the preys.

9Black Mamba

black mamba

Black mamba is the longest venomous snake of African continent. A grown up black mamba have a length of 14 feet, will raise their head up to height of one third of total body length. They generally hunt for large sized preys such as mammals, also feed on small animals and birds.

Black mambas raise their head while hunting, once they detect the prey make fast forward movement, bite the prey repeatedly. They also follows prey for particular distance if they tries to escape. or larger preys black mambas makes series of bites and for smaller preys such as mice they hold them tightly until every single muscle stops movement.

They are very aggressive upon threatening, bite repeatedly with raising head. They inject large amount of neutro and cardiotoxin on each strike, cause death in very few minute.

8Piranha

piranha

One of most dangerous fishes in the world, lives in South American rivers. Using very strong jaws and sharp teeth they used to hunt wide range of preys, even humans, Their strong jaws can easily crush a human within 10 seconds. Their special sensory organs also help them to detect presence of blood at water.

Piranhas generally hunt at nights, for small fishes and aquatic animals. Piranhas also group together for large preys horses, deers…Etc. They also attack humans, several cases reported in Brazil.

7Gray Wolf

gray wolf

CREDIT OF IMAGE : ISSTER17 ON WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

 

Unlike other top predators gray wolf hunts the preys in groups, number ranges between 6 to 10. Gray wolfs locate the preys by their scents through the wind. They never attack on a preys those are stand their ground. The preys like moose, elk and muskoxen usually don’t move from their position, Gray wolfs intimidate them into running.

For smaller preys they attack from all sides, but for larger preys they focused for back and sides to avoid attack from them. Each gray wolf have capacity for socuming 9 kilogram of meat at one sitting.

6Komodo Dragon

top 10 hunters in animal kingdom

Komodo dragons are largest animal in the species of lizards, found within Indonesian Islands. They weighs up to 70 kilograms and reaches a length of 10 feet. Komodo dragons have keen sense of smell. It help them to locate the preys even from 10 kilometers of distance.

When the suitable preys pass near komodo dragon it make sudden attack. They hit down the targeted preys like pigs and deers using their strong tails and make poisonous bites. Komodo dragon use their flexible skulls and jaws to swallow the smaller preys, consume large amount of meat at one sitting.

5Crocodile

crocodile

Crocodiles are one of successful aquatic predators, feed on wide range of animals like buffaloes, zebras, wild boars…Etc. Crocodiles are ambush predators, they wait at water edges for the preys that comes for drinking water. Once they comes within the range crocodiles makes sudden attack. Their long and strong jaws help them to catch the preys so easily.

An Email A Day Keeps Boring Away
Grab our Newsletter. Never miss a list from TMW.
 

They drags the preys to underwater and spinning around it, completely break the chances for survival. Crocodiles also have very good night vision, used this advantage to hunts animals at night those are weak vision at that time. Their stomach also have power to digest any types of bones and horns of their preys.

4Killer Whale

Killer whale

Killer whales are toothed whales found in all oceans, have diverse diet. Their list of prey includes, seals, sea lions, marine mammals and other whales. Killer whales makes group up to 40 individual for hunting. Each group use different kinds of techniques for catching different types of preys. In underwater they make sound and locate the position of aquatic preys when it bounce back.

They also known for making beaching to catch seals at shores, difficult to detect them as comes along with high tides. In arctic and Antarctic region they knocking seals and penguins from large iceberg to water so that they can catch them easily.

3Grizzly Bear

grizzly bear

They are subspecies of brown bear found within North American regions. An adult grizzly bear weight between 320 to 370 kilograms and reach up to height of 7 feet. Their huge paws and powerful jaws help them to hunt for large mammals like moose, elk, deer, bison and bighorn sheep easily. The 40 miles per hour speed of this bear also help in chasing the preys.

They are very good at swimming, knows where to find large group of fishes especially salmon, catch them quickly upon jumping. Grizzly bears also capable of chasing fish in water, used special claws to pinning the fishes.

2Lion

Lion

Only the large mammals becomes the prey of king of jungle, include buffaloes, wildebeests and even elephants. They usually group together for hunting, lioness mainly lead the hunting, male lion take care of younger ones at that time.

Once they found herd of its prey focused for the closest prey and make sudden attack. The sudden and powerful bite at neck cause death to pry in no time, no chances for escaping. For larger more larger preys like giraffes or elephants they attack from behind. Lion usually make hunting at night to get advantages of reduce visibility at that time.

Related Articles

1Great White Shark

great white shark

This mindless killing machine is the most successful predator in animal kingdom. It is the largest predatory fish in the world, length ranges between 6 feet to 20 feet, weights up to 2500 kilograms. They usually feed on sea lions, seals, sea turtles, sea otters..Etc.

They have very 300 serrated sharp, triangular teeth that are arranged within different raws. Their keen sense of smell help to locate the preys from kilometers away. Great white sharks makes sudden attack from below, crush down the preys using powerful jaw and teeths.





Sunday, December 3, 2023

12 of the Cutest Animals in the World, According to the Internet

 

Hissing Cockroach: Guide to Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches

Male Madagascar hissing cockroach on a wood

The Hissing Cockroach, a name that may send shivers down your spine, is a fascinating creature. Native to the island of Madagascar, this insect is known for the distinctive hissing sound it produces.

Unlike the common perception, these creatures are quite harmless and play a crucial role in the ecosystem.

Hissing Cockroaches are one of the largest species of cockroaches, sometimes growing up to three inches in length. They are wingless, have a shiny brown exterior, and are known for their longevity. Despite their size, they are excellent climbers, thanks to the tiny hooks on their feet.

0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
This ad will end in 3
 

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Hissing Cockroach is the way it communicates. The hissing sound, from which it derives its name, is produced when they forcefully expel air through the breathing pores.

This sound is typically used for communication, during mating rituals, or as a defense mechanism against predators.

In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the hissing cockroach, and I’ll also bust some common myths to help you not be as fearful of these interesting creatures.

Table of Contents

What Is A Hissing Cockroach?

The hissing cockroach, scientifically known as Gromphadorhina portentosa, is a large insect species native to the island of Madagascar, off the coast of Africa.

Unlike most cockroaches, they are wingless but are well-known for the distinctive hissing sound they produce.

Lots of Madagascar hissing cockroach

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

This hissing sound, from which they derive their name, is not a result of rubbing body parts together like many insects. Instead, it’s a unique trait caused by forcibly expelling air through specially adapted respiratory openings known as spiracles.

These fascinating creatures are one of the largest cockroach species, growing up to three inches in length. They have a shiny, brown exoskeleton and long, antennae. Their lifespan ranges from two to five years, significantly longer than most cockroach species.

Hissing cockroaches are primarily nocturnal and are not considered pests since they prefer a natural habitat rather than human dwellings.

They are often kept as exotic pets or used in educational programs due to their docile nature and ease of care. Their diet consists mainly of plant material, making them important decomposers in their native environment.

Despite their intimidating appearance and sound, hissing cockroaches are harmless and pose no threat to humans.

Lifecycle of a Hissing Cockroach

The lifecycle of a hissing cockroach, a fascinating insect native to Madagascar, is a journey of remarkable transformation and resilience.

The lifecycle begins with the female hissing roach giving birth to what appears to be live nymphs. The Madagascar hissing cockroach is one of the rare ovoviviparous species of roaches.

This means it produces eggs that hatch within the female’s body, which makes it appear that the female is giving birth to live young. These nymphs, tiny and white at birth, gradually darken to a brownish color as they mature.

Colony of Madagascar hissing cockroaches

Photo Credit: Dreamstime.

The nymph stage lasts for six to twelve months, during which the nymphs undergo several molting phases. In each molting phase, they shed their old exoskeleton and develop a new one, a process known as ecdysis. This process allows the nymphs to grow in size until they reach adulthood.

The adult hissing cockroach, distinguished by its larger size and the presence of horns in males, can live for two to five years. During this stage, they reproduce and continue the lifecycle. Interestingly, the hissing sound they are named for is a defense mechanism used to ward off predators.

What Do Hissing Cockroaches Look Like?

Madagascar hissing cockroaches are one of the largest species of cockroach in the world. This means that they are quite large compared to other cockroaches, with adults reaching up to three inches in length.

Their bodies are oval-shaped, and they have a shiny, dark brown or black exoskeleton that provides a robust protective shell.

Unlike most cockroaches, they lack wings, compensating with a highly adept ability to climb even smooth surfaces. They have long, segmented antennae which they use for navigation and sensing their environment.

Madagascar hissing cockroach in white background

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One of the most distinctive characteristics of these cockroaches is the pair of large, pronounced respiratory openings, or spiracles, on their abdomen. These spiracles are the source of their namesake hissing sound, which they produce by forcefully expelling air.

Their legs are covered with spines, aiding in their climbing abilities, and males are distinguishable by their thicker, more prominent ‘horns’ or bumps on the pronotum (the plate-like structure covering the thorax).

Habitat and Diet Of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches

Native to the island of Madagascar, the hissing roaches’ unique habitat is primarily the island’s rainforest, where they dwell in rotting logs and feed on organic matter.

Madagascar Hissing cockroaches on woody environment

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

These cockroaches are detritivores, meaning they consume decaying plant and animal matter. This diet plays a crucial role in their ecosystem as they help break down dead and decaying materials, returning essential nutrients back to the soil. Their diet is not limited to decaying matter, though.

Madagascar hissing cockroaches also enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, making them opportunistic feeders.

Unlike other cockroach species, these creatures are not known to be pests. Instead, they live a quiet life in their natural habitat, contributing significantly to the nutrient cycle of the rainforest.

Social Behavior Of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches

Unlike many other insects, these hissing cockroaches are known for their gregarious nature. They live in large colonies, often with multiple generations cohabiting in the same space.

Their social structure is hierarchical, with dominant males, recognizable by their larger size and more pronounced horns, leading the groups. They establish territories and defend them from other adult males.

Two big hissing cockroaches

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

These alpha males frequently engage in aggressive interactions for dominance, using their distinct hissing sounds as a form of communication. This hiss, produced by forcefully expelling air through their spiracles, is unique among insects and is primarily used during mating rituals and disputes.

Adult females, on the other hand, are more passive and tend to care for the young. They are ovoviviparous, meaning they give birth to live young, a rarity in the insect world.

The social behavior of Madagascar hissing cockroaches is a fascinating study of insect sociology, illustrating how even the smallest creatures can have complex and hierarchical social structures.

Their unique communication methods and reproductive habits offer intriguing insights into the diverse world of insect behavior.

Do Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches Bite?

Many people are curious to know whether Madagascar hissing cockroaches bite or not. These insects, known for their unique hissing sound, are among the largest cockroach species in the world. Despite their intimidating size and sound, the truth is, they are not aggressive creatures.

Madagascar hissing cockroaches are generally docile and prefer to avoid confrontation. They are more likely to hiss or play dead when they feel threatened rather than bite.

Human holding Madagascar Hissing cockroach

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

Their hissing sound, produced by expelling air from their breathing holes, is primarily a defense mechanism, not a sign of aggression.

However, like all creatures, they may bite if they feel extremely threatened or cornered, but this is very rare.

Even if they do bite, it’s not harmful to humans, as they don’t carry venom or transmit diseases like other pests. Their jaws are not strong enough to break human skin easily.

And there you have it, everything you need to know about hissing cockroaches. These interesting creatures are unique and unlike any other cockroach species most people have come across!

Animals in Ice Deserts and Cold Deserts

This article is all about the animals that live in ice deserts and cold deserts! The Arctic and the Antarctic are very  barren and cold land...