#insectivores

"Insectivorous plants Sundew and Butterwort." The natural history of plants. 1894.

Необычные и интересные факты о ежах:

Ежи появились на Земле раньше, чем люди – около 15 миллионов лет назад. Роднит нас с ежами также то, что у них зубов почти столько же, как у нас – их 36, и эти зубы также выпадают к старости.  У ежей не самое лучшее зрение. Правда, считается, что ежи, в отличие от всех остальных животных, у которых "черно-белое" зрение, могут различать цвета. Число игл на теле у этих животных напрямую зависит от их возраста. У молодых особей, их около 3 тысяч, а у более старых – до 5-6 тысяч.

Несмотря на свои небольшие размеры ежи достаточно шустрые животные. Они могут бежать со скоростью до 3 м/с. Для своих коротких лапок ежик очень много ходит. За день он может преодолеть расстояние до 2 км. Территория одного ежа может занимать 20 гектаров. Ежи могут передвигаться даже по болоту и хорошо плавают.

Чтобы пережить зимнюю спячку, еж набирает как минимум 500 граммов веса. За зиму еж теряет до 40 % своего веса. Поэтому, проснувшись, он сразу отправляется на поиски пищи. Ежи чуют добычу на расстоянии нескольких метров. Когда еж впадает в спячку, обменные процессы в его организме замедляются. Температура тела понижается до 0°C, а сердцебиение падает с уровня 170 ударов в минуту до 5. 

Ежи имеют иммунитет к яду гадюк. Также на ежей почти не действуют и другие яды, даже самые сильные, такие как сулема, мышьяк, цианистый калий, синильная кислота и другие.

Всего в мире существует 24 вида ежей. Некоторые из них схожи между собой так, что различить их может только опытный зоолог, а другие внешне больше похожи на крыс.

Unusual and interesting facts about hedgehogs:

Hedgehogs appeared on Earth earlier than humans – about 15 million years ago. What we have in common with hedgehogs is that they have almost as many teeth as we do – there are 36 of them, and these teeth also fall out in old age. Hedgehogs don't have the best eyesight. However, it is believed that hedgehogs, unlike all other animals that have "black and white" vision, can distinguish colors. The number of needles on the body of these animals directly depends on their age. In young individuals, there are about 3 thousand, and in older ones – up to 5-6 thousand.

Despite their small size, hedgehogs are quite nimble animals. They can run at speeds of up to 3 m/s. For his short legs, the hedgehog walks a lot. He can cover a distance of up to 2 km in a day. The territory of one hedgehog can occupy 20 hectares. Hedgehogs can move even in a swamp and swim well.

To survive hibernation, a hedgehog gains at least 500 grams of weight. During the winter, the hedgehog loses up to 40% of its weight. Therefore, when he wakes up, he immediately goes in search of food. Hedgehogs sense prey at a distance of several meters. When a hedgehog hibernates, the metabolic processes in its body slow down. The body temperature drops to 0°C, and the heartbeat drops from 170 beats per minute to 5.

Hedgehogs are immune to viper venom. Also, other poisons, even the strongest ones, such as sulema, arsenic, potassium cyanide, prussic acid and others, have almost no effect on hedgehogs.

There are 24 species of hedgehogs in the world. Some of them are similar to each other so that only an experienced zoologist can distinguish them, while others look more like rats.

SUNGAZER!

Giant-girdled lizard or giant Zonure

Largest species of Cordilidae family

Origin: South Africa

Sungrazer: because of its thermoregularity behaviour

Live in self-excavated burrows

Insectivores occasionally eat small invertebrate animals

The long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus) is found throughout Europe and the Palearctic.

Started doing some to-scale size references for Redwall-verse species, including some speculative ones (and corrected identifications, such as Jacques's few infamous instances of "crested lizards"... those are newts, buddy).

All the creatures in this series are obviously much less tiny or gigantic in proportion to each other than their real-life inspirations. Kinda got to do that to make a building useful for both small mice and massive badgers and otters!

Here we have (with no color, but still works for size) the small end of the fish spectrum, showcasing an example of the very smallest with the Stickleback, the larger but still somewhat small with the average Brown Trout, and the first among the really significantly size as a larger Burbot (a freshwater cod). Fish, as I mentioned previously, are not considered to have a creature class, not even an ambiguous one, and thus Goodbeast class don't consider it a default evil to kill and eat them despite an awareness they're conscious living things.

FIVE BANDED GLIDING LIZARD Draco quinquefasciatus

Draco is a genus of agamid lizards that are also known as flying lizards, flying dragons or gliding lizards. These lizards are capable of gliding flight; their ribs and their connecting membrane may be extended to create "wings" (patagia- similar to flying squirrels), the hindlimbs are flattened and wing-like in cross-section, and a flap on the neck (the gular flag) serves as a horizontal stabilizer (the flag is sometimes used in warning to others).

Draco are arboreal insectivores.

While not capable of powered flight they often obtain lift in the course of their gliding flights. Glides as long as 60 m (200 ft) have been recorded, over which the animal loses only 10 m (33 ft) in height, which is quite some distance, considering that these lizards are only around 20 cm (7.9 in) in total length (tail included).

They are found in South Asia and Southeast Asia, and are fairly common in forests, gardens, teak plantations and shrub jungle.

Below showing wings and gular flag. ©A.S.Kono Sulawesi Lined Gliding Lizard Draco spilonotus