The jackrabbit is actually a hare, not a rabbit. All that this means is it is larger than a rabbit, and it has longer ears and hind legs than a rabbit. Jackrabbits were named for their ears, which resemble those of a jackass. They are speedy animals, capable of reaching speeds around 40mph, and they can leap 10 feet into the air! This is their main mechanism for evading their enemies.
The black-footed ferret has a black mask on its face and tan ferrets have black markings on its feet, legs and tail tip. Its long, skinny body is good for crawling through tunnels and holes of prairie dogs, its primary prey. Prairie dogs make up the majority of the black-footed ferret's diet, but it also eats squirrels, mice, and other rodents. They are solitary animals, living alone and females raise their litters alone.
The rabbit-sized prairie dog lives on prairies and open grasslands, and live in underground burrows . This underground system of tunnels and chambers is complex, including nurseries, sleeping areas, and even toilets. They also have listening posts near exits to watch for prey. Burrows may be shared by snakes, burrowing owls, and black-footed ferrets after they prey on the prairie dogs.
The prairie dog is an expressive animal that lives in family groups, which greet one another with a prairie dog kiss or nuzzle, and communicate with loud cries. Sadly, 98 percent of all prairie dogs in the Great Plains have been exterminated for farming purposes.
Kansas has the largest flock of prairie chickens remaining on the North American continent. Prairie chickens were once abundant, but have become extremely rare in most places due to habitat loss. One of the most noteworthy facts about this species is its mating ritual called 'booming' - the males inflate the air sacs located on the side of their necks and snap their tails to attract females.
A new beetle found in Peru has a hornlike structure on its head that had never been seen before - at least, not in real life. Dim, a character in the Disney/Pixar animated film A Bug's Life. The male beetles use their horns to fight other males during mating battles. Rhinoceros beetles are the strongest animals on the planet, proportionally, being able to lift 850 times their weight.
This interesting plant is the final number ten on the list of Top New Species of 2007 Named. It was found in western Australia during an environmental impact study for a mining company. If you look closely, you will see that it resembles the Michelin Man, after whom the plant is named. The Michelin Man plant is just one of the 298 new plant species named last year in western Australia alone.
This new species of fungus was discovered on the campus of Imperial College, London. This is probably the least exciting new species that was named, but I wanted you to see all ten. :)
This jellyfish was named after American tourist Robert King, who died after apparently being stung by the species off northern Queensland in Australia in 2002. The new jelly is the second known species of the dangerous Malo box jellyfish genus.
This ray is a species of electric ray that has powerful suction capabilities. In fact, this quirky ray is named after the Electrolux vacuum cleaner company. It is the largest known member of the electric ray family, and it has light-shedding electrogenic properties.
The above fossil, discovered by high school students in southern Utah in 2002, dates back 75 million years. Gryposaurus means "hook-beaked lizard" and monumentensis refers to the monument where the fossils were found. Scientists believe that the duck-billed dinosaur was approximately 30 feet long, weighed over several tons, had over 800 teeth, and his lower jaws measured two feet. While this dinosaur's diet remains a mystery, it is believed that he fed on large forest plants.