Melania LaVeau

Smile! It's #TwoTruthsTuesday featuring species on #NationalMarineSanctuariesStamps!

Do you know which of these three statements isn't true about the balloonfish? Let us know in the comments!

1. The dazzling smile of a balloonfish hides a set of powerful teeth that can crush the shells of snails, urchins, and crabs.

2. Balloonfish are often encountered on night dives.

3. Balloonfish swell up like a balloon when trying to attract a mate.

Check out the balloonfish stamp:

LOOK. AT. IT.

Mostly due to its remote habitat and well-camouflaged coat, the pale fox is one of the least studied canines in the world.

Pale foxes are usually found in the southern part of the Sahara desert. They share this habitat with fennec foxes and Ruppell's foxes. Pale foxes’ range also extends further south to wetter habitats like the Guinean savannah (see image below). If I was a pale fox I would definitely prefer living there.

Pale foxes are gregarious animals, which means they are quite social. They generally share a burrow with a couple other foxes. This burrow is large, and it has multiple chambers lined with grasses and other vegetation. They spend the day in this burrow, coming out at night to hunt. They have no known predators, so they probably only do this to avoid the hot desert temperatures.

Like most foxes, pale foxes will eat almost anything. This includes eggs, reptiles, insects, carrion, and vegetation like wild melons. The pale fox’s ears aren’t as giant as the fennec or Ruppell’s foxe’s, but they still have excellent hearing that allows them to find prey under sand. They also have quite short legs. This makes it easier for them to navigate tunnels and stay hidden in grass.

I rate the pale fox 11/10 absolutely amazing

Photo credits: