This article was originally published on Critter Science.

It’s the hedgehog. They are small, they have short legs, a cute, cone-shaped face, and they roll into an adorable little ball of spikes when threatened. These critters get their namesake due to the pig-like squeals, snorts, and grunts they make while foraging for food in bushes and hedges. There […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

One of the more bizarre mammals, and there are a few, is the anteater. They can range in size from a squirrel, to up to 7′ long! There are 4 species of anteater: the giant anteater, silky, northern tamandua and southern tamandua. The giant anteater is listed as Vulnerable but […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

And now on to the bizarre… By now you’ve, no doubt, heard of the incredibly strange and amazing duck billed platypus. These monotremes are so unique that they deserve an article; and here it is. The unusual appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed, venomous mammal baffled European naturalists when […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The kiwi is the smallest non flying bird. The largest being the ostrich and the emu. Kiwis are endemic (they live nowhere else) to New Zealand. Kiwis can typically be found in a variety of habitats, including farmland, pine forest, scrubland, swampland, and vegetated gullies. The IUCN lists both subspecies […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

Contrary to the misinformation provided in that popular song, the fox does not make that gibberish that the song claims. Although foxes do make around 40 different and unique vocalizations and some very strange. Yep, this article is all about the fox. You can even say this article is rather […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

Being the second largest rodent in the world, after the capybara, beavers are a model for the industrious at heart. They are constantly gnawing on trunks and branches not only to make a den but to wear down their ever growing teeth. Fortunately, American beavers are listed as Least Concern […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

Being second isn’t always bad. Especially when you’re the second largest bird in the world, next to the ostrich! The emu is a flightless bird, but don’t let that fool you. They are far from defenseless. They descend from the dinosaur era, so they know how to survive. They are […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

It’s cute, cuddly, so soft you can barely feel their fur, they’re quick, and have sharp teeth. Yes, it’s a chinchilla! Once hunted to near extinction for their fur coats, they are now only found in the Andes mountains in Chili, Peru, and the occasional pet store. Due to over-collection […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

With more than 120 known species, puffer fish, aka Tetraodontidae, are quite diverse, beautiful, slow-moving, and can be deadly! Many puffer fish use tetrodotoxin as a defense and that neurotoxin is up to 1,200 times more potent than cyanide! That being said puffers are, nonetheless, on the menu only if […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

Clownfish are known for their colorful (clown-like) appearance and have been made popular in films like Finding Dory and Finding Nemo. They are also called anemonefish, due to their association with sea anemones. There are 28 known species of clownfish, and they come in a variety of colors, such as […]

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