Civets are little cat-like creatures who live in the tropics of Africa and Asia. The civet produces a musk which has traditionally been used as a fragrance and stabilizing agent for perfume. Civet musk was the basis for the original Chanel No. 5 perfume, but it has been replaced with a synthetic substitute because of ethical concerns.
Gundis or “comb rats” are small rodents. They live in the rocky deserts in northern Africa. They are social animals who live in colonies of up to a hundred or more individuals. They like to make a lot of noise.
The Star-nosed mole lives in eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S. Star-nosed moles are easily identified by the eleven pairs of pink fleshy appendages around their snout. The appendages have more than 25,000 minute sensory receptors, allowing it to function although it is completely blind. Star-nosed moles also have the unusual ability to smell underwater.
The Spoon-billed Sandpiper is a critically endangered small wading bird who breeds in Russia and winters in Southeast Asia.
Echidnas are mammals but they lay eggs, like a platypus. They live in Australia and New Guinea. The babies are called Puggles.