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Showing posts with label rainforest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rainforest. Show all posts

Saturday, 26 September 2015

The Tarsier



Okay, so I reckon evolution was VERY drunk when this little creature with HUGE eyes first walked on our planet. Unsurprisingly, they're not the most common of creatures- in fact, they're more or less, only found on the islands in Southeast Asia. Because they're not very common we don't actually know a lot about them, we don't really know why they have SUCH big eyes! The only real explanation scientists can come up with is that its down to a mutation in their DNA, which codes for their eyes. One of the other problems facing scientists is that this small primate is incredibly shy around humans, which of course provides quite a big problem for scientists! They're also incredibly athletic, with an unusually long anklebone enabling it to jump distances more than 40 times its own body length.


Tuesday, 22 September 2015

Bonobo Monkey



Bonobo Monkeys aren't just your average monkey, they're one of the closest living relatives monkey-wise to humans. Surprisingly, they share more than 98% of our DNA. They're unbelievably complex, demonstrating emotional intelligence and sensitivity. These amazing primates are found in only one country, the Democratic Republic of Congo in the heart of the Congo Basin, the second largest rain forest in the world. Traditionally Bonobos are thought of as the 'Make Love not War' primates. They're peaceful and have a reputation for being docile creatures - very human like! They're also very healthy, fruit makes up half their diet, a diet supplemented by insects and larvae. The Bonobos are also one of the most vocal primates, their communication is complex, sounds mixed with complex hand gestures. Bonobos are also very social creatures, they're always found in groups of varying sizes. Communities of up to 100 bonobos split into groups to search for food during the day and then return to sleep in the safety of each others company at night. Much like many other animals, sexual activity plays a huge part of their society, they use it to bond and resolve conflicts.
Bonobos aren't just amazing they're also pretty cute too!