The Sphynx or Sphinx cat, commonly known as the Egyptian cat, is actually a feline specie. It belongs to the family of the felids and the genus Felis. The most striking feature of this breed is the apparent absence of fur and its thin and slender looks. Although the specimens of the breed appear to be hairless cats, it must be stressed that they are truly not peeled cats, but that they present their skin covered in a layer of very thin hair, short and even, almost imperceptible in sight or touch.
The Sphynx cat was the first breed without hair or without apparent fur recognized by feline associations keeping a genealogical record of breed felines. Today, the Sphynx shares with Peterbald and Don Sphynx the exclusivity of being one of only three breeds peeled or without hair. The gene responsible for Sphynx’s fur modification is recessive and has incomplete dominance over its allele as well as the Devon Rex, while the other two new races of Russia, Peterbald and Don Sphynx, have their own independent mutations and of dominant type.
Sphynx cause allergic reactions to people allergic to cats because the allergy-producing substance is found in saliva and cat skin secretions, not hair. This breed of cats possess enormous quantities of that substance, as they produce many secretions and fat due to their eating, which is designed to bring great energy to the Sphynx and prevent them from losing their body heat.
The male Peacock Spider Maratus Caeruleus flaunts its peacock tail to attract females. Belonging to the genus species of the jumping spiders, the peacock spider is indigenous to different parts of Australia. The colorful body patterns displayed by the males, along with their amazing dancing skills have earned them their name.
The female peacock spiders are the snobs of the animal kingdom. To impress them, you need two things: a terrific butt, and a talent for shaking it. To fulfill these requirements, male peacock spiders have evolved spectacular iridescent fans on their butts, and fancy dances to show them off. The dance of each species is unique, but most of them involve leg waving and booty shaking.
The Philippines is on a mission to protect this endangered creature. The Philippine Tarsier (Tarsius syrichta or Carlito syrichta) is a very peculiar small animal. In fact it is one of the smallest known primates, no larger than an adult palm. It is a 45-million-year-old specie & it faces a triple threat extinction due to deforestation and heavy logging activities. If no action is taken now, the Philippine tarsier can soon be added to the list of extinct species. Image Credits: Cincinatti Zoo.
The Philippine island of Bohol has just started restoring its most endangered specie known as the Philippine Tarsier. The country is home to some of the oddest & strangest wildlife known to humankind. Photo by Peter Hellberg, CC attribution via Flickr.
The Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella is a forest populated by protected tarsiers, an endangered species of small, weird-looking primates that cling to low branches and trunks of trees with their alien, skeletal fingers..
The Thorn Bug or Umbonia Spinosa is a species of Membracidae (also known as Treehoppers) native to South America. Sometimes called thorn bugs, they are related to cicadas and they use their beaks to suck the sap of plant stems. (Image credits: Colin Hutton)
Naked mole rats are underground rodents from Sub Saharan Africa. These small mammals, the size of small potatoes, are endemic to the grasslands of East Africa. They are mostly hairless, wrinkled and blind, and yet, they’ve evolved some special behaviors. They live in big colonies with a single queen and thrive in harsh environments in which other mammals (humans included) could not survive. Image credits: ZME Science.
The Moloch, commonly known as the thorny devil, thorny lizard, or thorny dragon, camouflages itself in shades of desert hues to evade its predators. Native to Australia, it is a species of lizard that belongs to the genus Moloch. (Image credits: imgur | Christopher Watson)
Continued on PART 2 – COMING SOON
NCLEX-RN: Next Generation NCLEX Exam 