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Animal facts

Discover the remarkable lives of animals, one fact at a time.

Jackal

  • There are three jackal species: the golden jackal, the black-backed jackal and the side-striped jackal.
  • Golden jackals in Africa turned out to be a separate species, the African golden wolf.
  • The golden jackal is spreading across Europe and has reached countries such as Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Jaguar

  • The name "jaguar" comes from <em>yaguara</em>, a word in the Tupi-Guarani languages of South America.
  • Like the other roaring big cats, the jaguar cannot purr continuously the way a house cat does.
  • It is the largest cat in the Americas and the third-largest cat in the world.

Jellyfish

  • Jellyfish have no brain, heart or bones. Most have no eyes either, although box jellyfish have 24 eyes. Their soft, bag-like bodies have tentacles armed with tiny stinging cells, which they use to stun or kill their prey.
  • A jellyfish's mouth is in the centre of its body. It uses this one opening both to eat and to get rid of waste. Jellyfish swim by squeezing their bell, pushing water out behind them.
  • Many jellyfish, especially in the deep sea, can produce light. This light may help them attract prey or startle predators.

Kangaroo

  • The red kangaroo is the largest living marsupial.
  • Four large species are usually called kangaroos in the narrow sense. The wider family also includes wallabies and tree-kangaroos.
  • Large kangaroos can move quickly in short bursts; their exact speed depends on the species and conditions.

Kit fox

  • The kit fox's large ears help it hear prey and lose heat.
  • It gets much of the water it needs from its food.
  • Kit foxes use dens all year to escape heat, cold and predators.

Kiwi

  • There are five species of kiwi, all found only in New Zealand.
  • The kiwi is the only bird with nostrils at the tip of its bill.
  • A kiwi egg can weigh about a fifth of the female's body weight.

Koala

  • The koala is a marsupial, not a bear.
  • Koalas sleep or rest for about 18-22 hours a day.
  • Koalas get much of their water from leaves, but they also drink.

Komodo dragon

  • The Komodo dragon is the largest lizard in the world.
  • Local people on Komodo and Flores call the dragon <em>ora</em>.
  • Komodo dragons can smell a dead animal several kilometres away.

Ladybird

  • There are more than 6,000 species of ladybirds in the world.
  • Some ladybirds have no spots, while others have more than 20.
  • To defend themselves, ladybirds may play dead. They can also release a yellow fluid that smells and tastes bad to predators.

Lark

  • A male skylark can sing for several minutes without a break while hovering high in the air.
  • Skylarks often sing at heights of 50-100 metres or more.
  • The skylark has a very long claw on its hind toe.