Category: Mammals
This species of canid is also known as the timber wolf or western wolf. They are native to wild and remote areas of North America, Eurasia, and northern, eastern, and western Africa. They are the largest member of the canidae family and specialized for taking down large prey. Gray wolves are highly social animals, with complex hierarchical pack structure. Despite the fear of wolves that pervades many human societies, attacks on humans are very rare and most wolves have an instinctive fear of humans.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_wolf
The age-defying Brandt’s bat
In most mammals, larger size correlates with longer lifespan, but that is not the case with the Brandt’s bat, who can live up to 41 years and weigh less than 0.28 ounces! These bats resemble larger, longer-lived mammals in that they mature slowly and have fewer offspring – but the size difference is dramatic: a female Bonobo lives for approximately 40 years as well, but she outweighs the Brandt’s bat by a factor of 3,771! Oddly enough, it is suspected that the mutated gene that causes the bat’s dwarfish size is the same one that leads to its long lifespan. Studying animals with unusual longevity like the Brandt’s bat does more than just satisfy our curiosity, it could lead to longer, healthier lifespans for humans and other animals!
Learn more >>
Discover Animals is a web-based educational resource offered by the NAIA
