Mon 17 Nov

Kreature Feature - The Lemur:

* It's time to Feature a Kreature again on KTV, and today, we're talking about Lemurs…
* What on earth are lemurs? Well, let's take a look.
* Lemurs are primates, similar to monkeys, but not actually realated to them at all.
* The most incredible thing about Lemurs, is that they are only found on the island of Madagascar, off the coast of Africa, nowhere else in the world.
* Because Madagascar is an island, the Lemurs were able to evolve, in a totally different way to the other primates on mainland Africa that have evolved into monkeys and apes.
* There are different species of lemur, ranging from the tiny 30 gram Pygmy Mouse Lemur to the 10 kilogram Indri Lemur.
* Typically, the smaller lemurs are nocturnal, foraging at night, while the larger ones are diurnal, out and about in the daytime.
* Lemurs are generally omnivores, eating a variety of fruits, flowers and leaves (and sometimes nectar) as well as insects, spiders and small animals, but some kinds of lemurs eat only leaves and fruit.
* Except for the Indri, all lemurs have long tails that they use for communication with each other and balance when leaping between trees.
* They have opposable thumbs and long toes for gripping tree branches.
* Lemurs have nails rather than claws on all digits except the second toe of each hind foot, which has a special claw for grooming.
* Most lemur species live in trees and travel through the branches by vertical clinging and leaping. The only lemur that spends a lot of time on the ground is the Ring-Tailed Lemur.
* Most Lemurs are considered endangered species, because there forests are often cut down for fuel and land.
* this means that conservation of the lemur is very important in Madagascar.

Mon 10 Nov - Kreature Feature:

The Ant Eater

* Ok, folks, in Today's Kreatuer Featuer, we're going to be looking at an Anteater.
* It's no surprise that these mammals exist on a diet made up mainly of ants.
* They also eat termites when they can get their claws on them, as well as some other beetles.
* They have long sticky tongues to poke into ant nests and collect their insect suppers, and very large claws on their front paws to help them dig into the nests.
* There are different kinds of Anteaters, but most of them all live in trees, using their claws to hold on to branches, and their long, monkey-like tails for balance and extra grip.
* They are nocturnal creatures, meaning that they move about and hunt at night, and snooze during the day.
* Anteaters, like their distant cousins the sloths, are rather slow moving, and like to stay up in the braches of trees where they are safe.
* Anteaters usually live alone, not in family groups like monkeys, and they only have one baby at a time.
* During the day they typically sleep curled up in a ball.
* When threatened, the Anteater defends itself by standing on its hind legs and holding its front paws close to its face so it can strike any animal that tries to get close with its sharp claws, just like a boxer!
* And now you know more about the Anteater guys...

Mon 27 Oct:

Kreature Feature - The World's Smallest Horse:

* It's time to Feature a Kreature, and this little one has one a Guinness World Record!
* Her name is Thumbelina, and she is oficially the smallest horse in the world.
* Her parents were both Miniature horses, but Thumbelina came out extra tiny - a dwarf of a miniature horse... truly tiny
* She is Thumbelina and 44 centimeters tall, which is not much taller than a ruler.
* Becasue she is so small, Thumbelina eats the same food as other horses, like feed pellets and hay, only much less of it.
* Her favourite snacks are pieces of apple and carrot.
* Since she broke the world record, Thumbelin has become famous, and spends her time travelling with her owners to visit needy children all over the USA.
* She loves being petted, so she brings lots of joy to those in hospital, because you know how much love animals can give!
*Thumbelina has a guard dog named Castica who is bigger than she is!
* According to her owner, Thumbelina has no idea that she is so tiny. She is fearless and acts as though she is a giant. She bosses all of the other horses around.
* Today she has tens of millions of adoring fans in over 150 countries and millions more discover her each week.
* Thumbelina has become a great inspiration and a source of comfort for children everywhere, thanks to the charitable foundation run in her name.
* Thumbelina reminds us all that everyone has a purpose and that even the amallest among us can accomplish great things!

Mon 20 Oct

Kreature Feature - Seahorse:

* Hey guys, it's the last link of our fantastic Monday with you, and as usual, we're going to feature a creature.
* Today's little animal is one of the most unusual on the planet, the seahorse.
* A seahorse is a fish, but a very fascinating fish. They have heads that look like horse heads and pouches like kangaroos.
* Apart from their strange and magical looks, the thing that sets them apart from almost every other animal on earth is the fact that the male seahorses are the ones that get pregnant and have babies!
* Ok, so let's find out a bit more, firstly, seahorses are really called hippocampus, the word hippo means 'horse' in ancient Greek.
* Seahorses are found in warm and tropical waters all over the world.
* Most seahorses have a little crown on top of their heads.
* And their snout is like a straw that is used to suck up food.
* Another weird thing about seahorses is that they swim upright, using little fins on the side of their heads to stay balanced.
* They use their tails to anchor themslves to seaweed while they wait for their prey to swim past, and then they suck in the tiny plankton with their hose-like snouts.
* The female seahorse lays her eggs in the male's pouch and he takes care of the eggs until they hatch!
* Because they are very bony and some have sharp spines, most creatures don't like to eat them. But some do, like crabs, skates, rays and sea turtles.
* To keep out of sight of these predators, seahorses rely on using their coloring to blend into the background.
* They can change colors to match their surroundings in just a few minutes!
* What incredible creatures...

Mon 13 Oct - Kreature Feature:

The Koala

* Hey, guys, it's time to feature a Kreature, and this afternoon we've decided to check out one of Australia's cutest ones.
* The Koala!
* Notice we didn't say Koala bear... the popular use of Koala Bear is actually wrong, because the koala isn't a bear at all!
* It actually belongs to the marsupial family, like a kangaroo, which means that it looks after its babies in a pouch.
* So why are they often called bears? Well because they look like teddies, and they really do.
* They are round and furry with big noses and fluffy ears, just like teddy bears.
* Although you might want to cuddle one, koalas are actually known for being really vicious with humans!
* If disturbed they can be violent, and their teeth and claws capable of causing quite a bit of injury to humans.
* The violent behaviour actually damages the koala too, which is why there are very strict laws about handling them.
* That's because they are a protected species.
* Ok, so what else is weird about the cuddly-looking koala?
* Their diet.
* The Koala feeds almost entirely on eucalyptus leaves, and the strange thing is that these leaves contain substances that are highly poisonous.
* The koala is the only animal adapted to be able to eat them!
* They chew them up into a fine paste before swallowing, and their livers de-activat the toxic bits.
* Koalas are not very active animals, they rest, without moving, for about 16 to 18 hours a day, sleeping most of that time!
* Like most Australian animals, Koalas can not ever be kept legally as pets, the only people who can keep koalas are wildlife handlers with special permits.
* Seems like a lot of fuss for a teddy bear!

Mon 6 Oct - Kreature Feature:

The LONELY CHICKEN

* Hey, it's time to feature a creature...
* Today, we're going to be getting to know a lonely chicken.
* This chicken, who's name is Gladys, was the only one of her family of baby chicks to survive when the rest of her brothers and sister were all eaten by a fox.
* The farmers brought little Gladys inside where she would be safe and warm, but she was depressed and lonely, until she met Snowy the cat.
* The two struck up the most amazing friendship!
* In another life, Snowy the cat would surely be chasing chicken Gladys round the farm they both live on.
* But against all the odds, the pair have become firm friends - even showing lots of affection for each other. Snowy even washes Gladys like a mommy cat would do to a kitten!
* This is especially strange, as Snowy was once a wild cat, living rough and hunting to find food; in those old days, she would probably have had a taste of dear little Gladys.
* On their farm in England, the two pals are inseparable. Snowy even puts her paw around the chicken to comfort her.
* And when Gladys was still tiny, and scared to go outside, Snowy would go with her to make her feel braver.
* What a cool couple of creatures, guys.
* Just goes to show, you never know who your best friend might be...

Mon 29 Sep:

Kreature Feature - The Jellyfish

*The Jellyfish is a weird and mysterious sea creature, and a whole lot more dangerous than a jelly pudding. Let's find out more.
*Jellyfish are not fish at all. They are actually invertebrates, relatives of corals.
*A jelly has no head, brain, heart, eyes, nor ears. It has no bones, either. But that's no problem! To capture prey for food, jellies have a net of tentacles that contain poisonous, stinging cells.
*When the tentacles brush against prey (or, say, a person's leg), thousands of tiny stinging cells explode, launching barbed stingers and poison into the victim.
*Beach season is approaching, which means that your chances of meeting one of these creature face to face gets a bit stronger. Here are some tips on what to do if you get stung:
* Immediately alert the lifeguard on duty, who is trained in first aid and can call for assistance if necessary.
* Brush off any tentacles using an object, do not use your hands.
* Pour vinegar over the wound to disable the stinging cells. If vinegar is not available, rinse the wound with sea water.
* Ice the area to minimize pain.

* Blue bottles are the jellies that we encounter the most off our SA coasts, and although their sting is very sore, it's not poisonous enough to do bad damage.
*Jellyfish look like blobs when washed up on the beach. But in the water jellies are graceful, and look like floaty ballet dancers with lots of legs!
*They have been drifting through the world's oceans for more than 650 million years, and where there's water—from icy polar seas to tropical Pacific shores—there are jellies.
* Let's just hope you don't meet any this summer!

Mon 22 Sept: Kreature Feature

Gorilla hero - Binta Jua

* It's Kreature Feature time here on KTV, and today we're going to be looking at a gorilla…
* She's a rather special gorilla, though, and she is the hero of the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago in America.
* Her name is Binta Jua, and why's she famous? Well, when a three year old boy fell five and a half meters into the gorilla enclosure, Binta got to the unconcious body before the zoo officials even got moving to rescue the child.
* The gorilla gently picked him up, and carried him to an area where the humans could do first aid...
* It just goes to show how amazing animals can be, guys.
* She instinctively knew that the three year old was in big trouble, and all her mothering insticts kicked in.
* This is a perfect example of why we should treat all animals with respect and love, even the scary ones.
* Exactly, gorillas are huge, strong creatures, often considered dangerous becasue of their size - they can weigh up to 270 kilos, but actually, they are one of the most gentle ape species.
* So now we've all met Binta Jua, another one of natures heroes.

Mon 15 Sep: Kreature Feature

The Narwhal
* Hey there, we're back, and it's time to feature a creature!
* If you thought unicorns were made up out of nowhere, think again, because unicorns really do exist - only they live in the sea.
* These amazing looking mammals are a species of porpoise that live in the Arctic Oceans.
* It is believed that the myth of the unicorn actually started because Medieval Europeans found these amazing narwhal tusks, and thought that they were unicorn horns.
* These horns are actually teeth! One tooth in each male grows out into an enormously long sword like tusk.
* Or one tooth per porpoise, to be exact, and scientists are still puzzled as to why these creatures have them.
* Known as the unicorn of the sea, Narwhals are a pale-color, with brown speckles, and they are related to bottlenose dolphins, and orcas.
* Like some other porpoises, they travel in groups and feed on fish, shrimp, squid, and other aquatic stuff.
* So now you know where the legend of the unicorn comes from, as well as a bit about these lovely ocean creatures that live in the North.

Mon 8 Sept:
Kreature Feature - Patagonian Cavy

* Is it a rabbit, or is it a kangaroo?
* This is one of the world's weridest looking animals, guys.
* It's called the Patagonian Cavy, and it has a bit of a donkey-ish face, stuck on a body which looks like a cross between a bunny and a deer.
* Well, it's actually a rodent from Patagonia in South America, which is where its name comes from.
* It has a grayish-brown coat with white on the inside of the tail. * The tail serves as an alarm signal when the members of the group are threatened.
* Patagonian Cavys live in grassland, and move about by running very fast, or taking huge leaps of up to six feet using it's strong legs, which is why it makes people think of a kangaroo.
* These creatures dig dens underground to live in with their other family members.
* If it feels like a snack, it will chomp on grasses and leaves.
* Some people keep Patagonian Cavys as pets, but they have to have a special licence, so you can't just go out and pick one up at the nearest pet shop.
* It's a pity, because they're kind of cute, but I guess wild animals are happiest in the wild!

Mon 1 Sept:

Kreature Feature: The Best Dog Artist in the World - Tillamook Cheddar

* Hey guys, it's Kreature Feature time again...
* Today's featuerd creature is somehting rather strange and unusual, although she might look like an ordinary Jack Russel, Tillamook Cheddar is far more than a regular dog.
* She is, in fact, regarded as the world's top canine artist.
* Yup, you heard right, she's an artist. This eight year old doggy from New York has already had seventeen solo art exhibitions in the U.S. and Europe.
* So how does a dog make art that people actually want to buy?
* Well, she does something called dynamic color transfer technique, which uses a special touch sensitive recording device to transfer Chillamook's movements into colour on paper.
* Sounds rather complicated, but just think of it like this: The dog climbs onto a special pressure pad, does her artwork using her teeth and claws and tongue, and the machine records her movements onto paper. Kind of like a pressure sensitive photocopying machine.
* This means that at the end of her art session, Tillamook has created a selection of different lines and prints that ends up looking like an expressionist art work.
* Apparently, she works very hard, getting so involved in her work that she sometimes ends up chewing it all up in a frenzy - artistic temprements can be tricky!
* Not only does she sell loads of art works, she has a website, there's a book written about her, and she is also a mom of six puppies!
* That's one busy dog.

Mon 25 Aug - Kreature Feature:
Aardvark:

* Today we've got a really interesting creature to talk about...
* The Aardvark!
* It's a funny name for a funny animal, because this African insect eater not only looks very unusual, but it has no similar relatives in the animal kingdom, it's a one of a kind.
* The Aardvark got its name from the early Dutch settlers in South africa, who thought it looked a bit like a pig, but it isn't even distantly related to pigs at all.
* It was probably the snout that got it its name, because aardvarks have a long soft snout for finding termites and ants with.
* Which are its major souce of food.
* For a creature that lives on ants, it's actually quite big, they can grow up to a meter and a half in length!
* They are solitary night time creatures, that use their strong claws to dig away at termite mounds in order to get to the grubs inside. Yummy.
* To avoid the dust stirred up by this digging, they are able to seal their nostrils off from the inside, pretty handy.
* They use their incredibly long tongues to lick up any insects that they find.
* As well as digging out ants and termites, the aardvark also digs burrows in which to live, so they sleep out of the sun underground all day, which is why they are seldom spotted in the wild.
* Here's one more weird fact about the Aardvark: they have fewer teeth than most mammals,and their teeth are column shaped, have no roots and do not grow at the same time.

Mon18 Aug - Kreature Feature:

Doggy Disease Detectors

* Now this may sound pretty far out and unbelievable, but doctors and scientists have found that dogs are capable of detecting disease in humans!
* Just by using their amazing powers of smell, doggies can pick up early signs of very serious diseases, like cancers, in human beings.
* The scientists said dogs' extraordinary scenting ability can distinguish people with both early and late stage lung and breast cancers.
* In California recently, five regular household dogs were trained to detect lung or breast cancer by sniffing the breath of patients.
* And it only took three weeks to train them!
* The dogs were presented with breath samples from the human participants, captured in a special tube, and were sit down infront of a cancer sample, and ignore the healthy samples.
* The doggies were 88% correct at their detecting test - how cool is that?
* As we all know, dogs are very fond of treats, so they were trained with food rewards to sniff out the samples.
* Those are some clever pooches!
* Dogs have an incredible sense of smell, using their noses to identify different people and other animals, which is why they are used as sniffer dogs in airports to hunt down illegal substances.
* Dogs can be trained to find all sorts of things, like weapons, missing people and now, people that are sick.

Mon 11 Aug Kreature Feature:

Super Collie!

* Border Collie dogs are those black and white fluffy ones that love attention.
* They were originally bred to herd sheep, and because of this, they are super bright - and their herding instinct means that a Border Collie will often try to herd almost anything, including cars and children.
* Well, here's a tale about a Border Collie called Ben, who is so smart, he actually saved a life! Listen to this true story, guys:
* A man called Robert Sinclair had a terrible asthma attack, and collapsed in his room, totally unable to move.
* He was so weak that he couldn't go and get help, or even eat or drink. And the worst thing is, he didn't have a phone!
* He lay on the floor of his flat for a whole week until he realised that he just wasn't getting any better, and had to do something to get help.
* He wrote a note, put it in a bottle and dropped it out of his apartment window, hoping that someone would pick it up. * Well, Ben found it! And he isn't even a person.
* The intelligent border collie dog picked up the bottle in his mouth and took it home to his human friend, Brian.
* Brian read the note and rushed to find Robert, and called an ambulance.
* Robert got rescued and recovered, all thanks to Ben.
* He will never forget the amazing dog who saved his life.
* Wow, so that just goes to show how clever animals can be!
* So always treat them with respect, guys, because you never know when an animal might save your life.

Mon 4 Aug: Kreature Feature

The Basking Shark - one of Nature's grossest animals!

* For today's Kreature Feature, we thought we'd look at one of the weirdest, ickiest animals around.
* It's called the basking shark, and it's kind of unusual because it is permanently covered in slime!
* Yup, if you were silly enough to touch a basking shark you would find that it is covered in slime - a bit like the black oil on your bicycle chain! It smells fishy too!
* Ok, yukky fact number two: they have lice! Basking sharks have to hope that other fish will pick the lice off from around their gills.
* Want another gross basking shark fact? A big basking shark's stomach is about the same size as a bath full of half-digested smelly pink shrimps.Mmm, yummy.
* And here's the ickiest of all: they trap their shrimpy plankton dinner in GALLONS of slimy, snot-like mucous that they swallow with their food!
* Are there any facts about these animals that aren't revolting? Well, yes, they are the second biggest fish IN THE WORLD! The biggest is the tropical whale shark.
* Their brains are very small for such big animals. The main part of the basking shark's brain is about the same size and shape as a hotdog sausage, all this in an animal about the size of a bus.
* Basking sharks eat shrimps for dinner every meal of their lives. they have to filter LOTS of water to get enough to eat.
* An average-sized basking shark could filter enough seawater to fill a swimming pool in just one hour!
* So now you know some weird and wonderful facts about the basking shark. Pretty slimey stuff!

Mon 28 Jul: Kreature Feature:
Amazing Labradors
* Guys, I am sure all of you out there are familiar with labrador dogs, they are one of the most popular breed of pets around…
* But today we're not going to look at just what makes a labrador a labrador, we're going to be finding out about a few individual dogs out there that are rather special...
* First, we have Boomer. He is a five year old labrador who lives in America...
* While going for a walk with his lady owner on a street near their home, his owner stumbled into a pothole and broke both her legs!
* She screamed and screamed for help, but no one was around.
* That's when Boomer lay right down on the road and his owner wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "Home."
* Boomer started to walk backwards, dragging his injured owner out of the pothole and all the way home!!
* The lady said that she had rescued Boomer from a shelter, never dreaming that he would end up rescuing her.
* What a story! Just goes to show how amazing pets can be.

* Here's another lab story, but this one's a little different…
* You might know that labradors are mostly used as seeing eye dogs for the blind, but this blonde lab called Cashew, was blind herself.
* Luckily, her best friend, a cat called Libby, can see perfectly well!
* Libby steers Cashew away from obstacles and leads her to her food.
* Every night she sleeps next to her.
* The only time they're apart is when Cashew is taken out for a walk.
* Without this lovely cat, Cashew would be lost and very, very lonely indeed.
* So this time it's a cat who's the hero!
* And that's it for today's creature feature, you've met a few special labradors, and one astonishing cat called Libby!

Mon 21 Jul:
Kreature Feature: The Russian Cat Detective
*It's time to Feature a Kreature, and today, we've got something a little weird, but kinda wonderful.
*He's a cat, and he just happens to be a detective!
*The true story begins a year ago, when a little stray kitten walked into a Russian police station...
*He was adopted by the guys on the force, who named him Rusik... and then they discovered his amazing powers of detection.
*A big problem in this coastal Russian town, is the poaching of a fish called a sturgeon.
*These fish are almost exctinct, and it is illegal to catch them, but the police were having a hard time trying to catch the thieves.
*Not any more, though, because Rusik the cat is an expert at siffing out the smuggled fish!
*The police say that no matter how well the smugglers hide the fish, Rusik is always able to point his nose in the right direction and find them.
*So there you have it: Rusik the cat is the latest weapon in the battle against fish thieves.
*You could say that he's the Purrfect Crime Fighter!
*Go Rusik, keep catching those poachers!

Mon14 Jul Kreature Feature:
Miniature Cornish Pigs.

* Today we've got a special animal to showcase...
* they are called Miniature Cornish, or Pennywell pigs, and they are too cute to be believed!
* Devon in England has given birth to these cute, miniature pigs.
* The pennywell miniature pig is a variant of a rare breed of pig from New Zealand.
* They are very rare, and are sold as pets, because apparently, pigs are lovely animals to keep and be friends with.
*They are good looking and intelligent, and they make life all the richer.
* These little piggies are only sold in pairs, because pigs are herd animals and need the company of theit own kind to be really happy.
* As piglets, they are tiny, only about 15 centimeters long, and then they grow up to be the size of a small spaniel dog.
* Pennywell pigs are completely furry when fully grown up.
* They eat maize and barley and root vegetables like carrots and turnips.
* These pigs are known to love apples and bananas!
* If you do ever get a pet pig, NEVER feed them Chocolate, as this is poison to a piggy!
* So that's the pennywell pig...

Mon 7 Jul
Kreature Feature:
The Eagle with a bionic beak
* We're going to be looking at an animal with an amazing attachment!
* Her name is Beauty, and she is an American Bald Eagle whose beak was shot off by a poacher!
* Luckily, Beauty was rescued by a team of conservationists, and get this, they have designed a special bionic beak for her.
* You see, eagles need their beaks to tear food and groom themselves, basically, the beak is vital to survival.
* So the team designed and made a special fake beak for Beauty, which now allows her to grasp her food!
* Making the beak was quite an engineering feat, they made molds of her remaining beak and scanned them into a computer so the artificial beak could be created accurately.
* The beak is made of nylon-composite, and will help the bird drink and grip food.
* Apparently, it was quite a procedure to attach the beak, as the eagle is huge, and very strong, and had to be strapped down with her talons wrapped in a leather strap.
* But they managed to get the beak on using special glue, and using a grinder, sander and scissors to trim the artificial beak to shape.
* It's been two weeks with her new beak, and Beauty is doing very well, grooming herself, and eating and drinking happily!
* How's that for an awesome Kreature Feature!

Mon 30 Jun
Kreature Feature: The Kangaroo Rat
* It's time to check out one of the Kreatures that we share this amazing planet with, and today, we are getting to grips with the Kangaroo Rat.
* It's called a kangaroo rat because it hops around, but it actually has more in common with a camel than with the kangaroo.
* This rodent is unlike any other on Earth: it is able to survive in the desert with virtually no drinking water.
* The camel is the only other mammal that can match this feat, and yet the kangaroo rat looks nothing like the 'ship of the desert'. They don't have humps!
* This little creature lives in the desert regions of North America.
* They balance on their hind legs and hop, and they can jump up to 1.8 m in a single leap.
* Kangaroo rats live in burrows by day, foraging by night for seeds, leaves and other vegetation, and carrying food in their cheek pouches to store in their underground homes.
* They also occasionally eat insects.
* But how is it possible to live with virtually no drinking water? What makes the kangaroo rat different from other mammals, which would die within days in the desert without water?
* The answer lies mainly in the rat's kidneys. Research has shown that the kangaroo rat produces the most concentrated urine of all mammals, and only passes a few drops per day.
* The rats come out at night, which help keep it's body temperature down.
* During the day, the rodent keeps cool from the searing desert heat by remaining in underground burrows.
* To add to their desert survival abilities, kangaroo rats have a cooling system in their noses that reduces moisture loss.
* Air exhaled from the lungs cools as it passes through the nose. This causes water vapour picked up from the lungs to condense on the inside of the nose, where it is reabsorbed back into the body.
* Air conditioners dry the air in a room in the same way.
* So much amazing stuff in such a little creature.

Mon 23 Jun
Kreature Feature: The Boxfish

* Today we found a strange but very cool creature called the Boxfish!
* Boxfish are comical little fish that really do look like a box! They have a cube shaped body coverd in hard bony armor!
* The tough exterior gives excellent protection for these slow motion swimmers.
* They might swim, oh so slowly, but they are also able to release a deadly toxin when they get stressed out by "bully fish".
* This toxin can wipe out an entire tank of fishes, so you should choose their tank mates carefully!
* Although we wouldn't reccomend you get one for your tank at home because these saltwater fish are almost impossible to look after and breed.
* The Boxfish also has some family including the cowfish, trunkfish and cofferfish.
* The Boxfish starts out pea-sized, colourful and cute baby, but they don't keep these ever so charming looks, they lose their colour, and grow longer as they mature.
* They end up the size of a rugby ball!
* These peaceful fish are beautiful and interesting, and come all the way from the Florida and Cape Cod waters.
* And that's the end of this week's Kreature Feature.

Mon 16 Jun
Kreature Feature - The Warthog
* Today's Kreature Feature is a warthog.
* These are wild members of the pig family, and they live in Africa.
* The name warthog was given to them because of their four large wart-like tusks. These are used for fighting.
* Warthogs eat grasses, roots, and berries as well as eggs, dead animals, and even small mammals, reptiles and birds. It all depends on what they can find.
* They especially like roots, and are very good at digging for them.
* They use both their heads and their feet for digging.
* They live in burrows in the ground that they have dug, or sometimes they occupy abandoned Aardvark burrows.
* Warthogs are very fast runners and will often run with their tails in the air.
* Their eyesight is not so great, but they have a very good sense of smell, which they use for locating food, detecting predators and recognizing other animals.
* Warthogs have been seen allowing banded mongooses groom them to remove ticks.
* And that's it for the warthog, guys.

Monday 9th June:
Kreature Feature - The Wolverine
* When you hear us say 'wolverine', you start thinking of the X-Men character, don't you?
* Well, believe it or not, before the wolverine was played by Hugh Jackman in the movies, it was the name of a rather interesting animal. And still is.
* The wolverine lives in the Arctic regions of the far north, and is a small animal, about the size of a bear cub.
* Despite it's name, it is not actually related to a wolf at all, but is part of the weasel family!
* This little chap may be small, but wolverine's are known for being terribly fierce and strong.
* The wolverine mostly eats mice, rats and other small mammals, but in Winter when food is scarce, it goes for reindeer, and other prey much larger than itself.
* They have even been known to kill a moose!
* Because it's so fierce, it doesn't always bother to do its own hunting, just waits for another animal to make the kill, and then chases the hunter away and eats it himself.
*The thick coat of brown fur protects it from the freezing cold temperatures, and its large feet help it move across the soft snow without sinking in.
* There are five long sharp claws on each foot, just like the comic book character!
* So the wolverine shows us that it is not always size that matters, and small things can be mighty powerful, too, always good to remember.

Monday 02nd June:
Kreature Feature - The Toucan

* Ok folks, it's Kreature Feature time again, which means we take a look at something wild and wonderful.
* Today, we're looking at the Toucan.
* These astonishing looking birds can be found in the Central and South American rainforests.
* What makes these birds special, is the massive size of their beak, which has puzzled scientists for centuries...
* What is the point of such a big bill? It's not a weapon, or a food gathering device, because toucans eat fruit and berries and a smaller bill would be just as good.
* To this day, nobody knows why they have such big bills!
* Toucans are one of the noisiest jungle birds, with a croak like a frog that can be heard for half a mile!
* The colorful beak of the Toucan is very light! It is made mostly of keratin (like your fingernails), supported with thin rods of bone.
* Toucans live in trees, and nest and sleep in tree holes . To go to sleep, they rest their giant beaks on their backs, curl in their tails, and roll up into a feathery ball.
* When they want to attract a mate, they throw berries at each other with their big, colourful beaks!
* They are known for being smart friendly birds, but are best at home in the rainforests of South America, so wouldn't be a pet option.

Monday 26th May:
Kreature Feature - The Vampire Bat

* Kreature Feature is back, and today we're going with something a little bit spooky...
* It's a vampire, a real one!
* Ok, before you freak out, it's just a kind of bat that lives in South America.
* These little bats have a body about the size of an adult thumb, and they are called vampire bats, because of their diet.
* Vampire bats feed on the blood of large birds, cattle, horses, and pigs. They don't go for people at all!
* And just to clear things up, Vampire bats don't actually suck the blood of their prey.
* They use their sharp teeth to make tiny cuts in the skin of a sleeping animal, and then lap up the little bit of blood that comes out.
* The bats' saliva contains a chemical that keeps the blood from clotting. The bats then lap up the blood that oozes from the wound. Another chemical in their saliva numbs the animal's skin and keeps them from waking up.
* Scientists have discovered that vampire bat saliva is better at keeping blood from clotting than any known medicine.
*Vampire bats may one day help prevent heart attacks and strokes.
* Goes to show that looks, and names, can be decieving!

Monday 19th Kreature:

* Hey, it's Kreature Feature time, again!
* Seeing as it's getting colder and colder, and winter has practically set in, we thought we'd take a look at an animal with a suitably winter-y name. the Snowy Owl…
* These are one of the biggest owl species around, and are found in the far northern hemisphere, whcih makes sense, as their white colouring is perfect for camouflage in snow.
* Their feathers are also very thick to protect them from the icy cold.
* Adult male Snowy Owls are virtually pure white, but females and young birds have some dark patterns on them.
* These birds are very powerful, and make excellent hunters, going mostly for rodents and small birds.
* These big birds are seriously tough, and have been known to defend their nest from wolves!
* A single adult Snowy Owl can eat up to five lemmings a day, which adds up to 1,600 per year.
* The Snowy Owl can be found represented in ancient cave paintings all over Europe.
* one of these would be most unhappy in South Africa with all our warm weather, so there's no chance of spotting one out there...
* Although it would camouflage nicely with our white set.

Mon 12 May Kreature:
Polar Bear
* Polar Bears are the world's largest carnivores, and they live in the ice and snow of the north pole, otherwise known as the Arctic.
* They are white, to blend in to their environment so that they can sneak up on their prey, mostly seals, undetected in the snow.
* Polar bears fur is made up of a layer of dense underfur and an outer layer of guard hairs.
* These guard hairs look white, but are actually totally colourless, and translucent.
* They are also insulated from the cold by a 10cm layer of blubber.
* Because they are so well insulated, they are practically invisible under infrared photography, which picks up heat patterns.
* Polar bears are endangered because of global warming, as the pack ice that they live on is slowly melting...
* Hopefully humans will stop pumping poisonous gasses into the air that heats up the planet, and we can save these beautiful, wild bears.
* And that's it for today's Kreatre feature.

Monday 5th May:
The Moose
* Today's Kreature Feature is something we definitely could not fit in the studio...
* And, there are none of these animals in South Africa.
* Introducing... the Moose!
* These are the biggest members of the deer family, and live in North America, Europe and Canada, where it's cold.
* Moose are known for their unusual antlers, which are huge and heavy, weighing up to 20 kilograms!
* Only the males have antlers.
* Their antlers are unusual, because they are large and flat, with lots of little spikes.
* A young moose's first pair of antlers grow from two tiny bumps on their head that they have had from birth.
* Mature males shed their antlers once a year in November/December and replace them with new larger ones in the Spring.
* Because these animals are so huge and heavy, with such spindly legs, they are very dangerous on the roads, because if a car knocks into one, the moose will land right in the windscreen, crushing the driver.
*This means that there are moose warning signs all over areas where these large deer live.
* So now you've met the moose… not quite as tasty as a chocolate mousse, but pretty awesome all the same!

Kreature Feature: Monday 28 April

The Bushbaby.
* Hey guys, it's time to feature a creature.
* This time, we're taking a look at a little guy who is far too shy to come into studio.
* And, he's nocturnal, so would hate all these bright lights.
* We're talking about the bushbaby!
* And incase you didn't know, the real name for a bushbaby is a Galago.B47
* Bushbabies are little, monkey-like creatures from Africa that live in trees, and come out to hunt for insects at night.
* They are big fans of Acacia trees, and like to eat the gum from them.
*They can be found wherever the trees are, provided people aren't cutting them down to build houses and stuff.
* Bushbabies do not need to drink as they get enough moisture from their food.
* When a bushbaby captures an insect, it shuts it eyes and flattens its ears to protect its face from things like flapping wings and locust legs.
* They usually live in family groups of between 2 and 7, and when they wake up in the evenings, they yawn, stretch and spend some time grooming themselves and eachother.
*They leave the nest one by one bouncing along tree branches, before splitting up to go foraging for food.
* A bushbaby can "long jump" up to 5 meters, during the leap the front arms are held forward and slightly above the head for added momentum,a bit like Supreman, and the tail helps provide balance.
* On the ground, a bushbaby hops along like a kangaroo.
* They have huge eyes for seeing in the dark, and they are so big, that the bushbaby can't move them from side to side, to look at something it has to turn its head!
* They also have long and slender fingers to climb trees and grab insects with.
* Very cute, and very shy, the African bushbaby is often right there, but you can't see him in the dark.
* And that's it for the bushbaby!

Kreature Feature 14th April:
Liger:
* It's Creature Feature time and today we're looking at the Liger.
* The liger is a cross between a male lion and a female tiger.
* A liger looks like a lion with stripes. They are the biggest cats in the world, although the Siberian Tiger is the biggest "pure" cat, in other words one that isn't a mix of two kinds of cats.
* Ligers and tigers enjoy swimming, but lions do not.
* A similar animal, a cross between a male tiger and a female lion is called a tigon.
* Ligers have a tiger-like striping pattern on a lion-like beige background. They may also inherit rosettes or spots from the lion parent (lion cubs are slightly spotted and some adults retain faint markings).
* These markings may be black, dark brown or sandy.
* White tigers have been crossed with lions to produce "white" (actually pale golden) ligers.
* They say that white tigers could be crossed with white lions to produce white, very pale or even stripeless ligers.
* It is not impossible for a liger to be white, but it is very rare.

Kreature Feature 7th April:
Jack Russel
* It's Creature Feature time and today we've got a gorgeous little Jack Russel to play with.
* These dogs were originally bred by the Reverend John Russell, a hunting enthusiast who live in the 18 hundreds.
* In his last year of university at Oxford he bought a small white and tan terrier called Trump from the milk man.
*From this little dog, he started a breeding program to develop a terrier with high stamina for the hunt as well as the courage to chase out foxes from their holes.
* The breed of dog that resulted, was named Jack Russell after the Reverend Russell's death.
* And so today, we are left with these small, active dogs loaded with personality and courage.
* This makes a Jack Russell terrier quite a lot of work, as they need loads of exercise and attention.
*Listen to this story: On April 29th, 2007, a Jack Russell named George saved five children in New Zealand from an attack by two pit bulls.
* He was reported to have charged at them and held them at bay long enough for the kids to get away.
* He was awarded a medal of bravery, normally reserved for humans!
* So these are special dogs, indeed!

Kreature Feature 31st March:
The Husky
* Today's featured Creature is the totally fuzzy and adorable Siberian husky
* This breed of dogs was bred to pull sleds across the ice and snow of the tundra.
* their fur is very thick, making them able to handle the cold very well, but maybe not the best breed for such a hot country like South Africa.
* The Siberian husky’s coat is made up of two layers, a dense undercoat and a longer topcoat of short, straight guard hairs. The short hairs insulate the dog from the cold, and also from water.
* One of the most unusual thing about the husky is the colour of their eyes, they can be bright blue, unlike the brown of most other dogs.
* Because they are a working breed, Siberian Huskies are high-energy, and need lots of exercise.
* For years, using Siberian huskies as sled dogs was the only way to cross the ice bridge between The Americas and Asia, so they were very significant in human history and settlements.
* As pets they are very gentle and devoted, and need lots of love of course!

The Chihuahua



*The Chihuahua is the smallest breed of dog in the world and is named after the state of Chihuahua in Mexico, where it was discovered in 1850.

*Generally, the height ranges between 15 to 25 cm.

*some dogs grow as tall as 30 to 38 cm.

*show dogs (American standard) must weigh no more than 2.7 kg.

*Chihuahuas are devoted pets. Their curious nature and small size make them easy to keep in small areas like flats.

*Chihuahuas are not well-suited as small children's pets because of their size and temperament, and they tend to bite when frightened.

*Chihuahuas seem to have no idea of their own size and sometimes will fearlessly take on bigger animals.

*Boo Boo, a 10.16 cm chihuahua who weighs only 675 g was named the World's Smallest Living Dog by the Guinness Book of World Records in May 2007.

*Tinkerbell Hilton and Bambi, are Paris Hilton’s chihuahuas. Tinkerbell is the "writer" of the book the "Tinkerbell Hilton Diaries".



Kreature Feature

The Pot-bellied Pig

*The pot-bellied pig is a breed of domesticated pig originating in Vietnam.

* Considerably smaller than standard American or European farm pigs, most adult pot-bellied pigs are about the size of a medium- or large-breed dog, though their bodies are denser at a weight of 27 to 136 kg.

* You can easily see the difference between Pot-bellied pigs and other pig breeds by their size, upright ears and straight tail.

* Pigs are extremely smart animals.

* Pig proofing the house is important when you have a pig. They will learn how to open the fridge, they will pull books from the bookshelf, and take any food it can find.

Kreature Feature

The Pangolin

* Today's Featured Kreature is a very rare animal called a Pangolin.

* It is covered in armour made of triangular, overlapping scales.

* Except on it's belly, which has a bit of hair on it.

* When threatened, the animal rolls into a ball and the scales point upward, so that it looks like a large pinecone

* Pangolins come from Asia and Africa.

* They have no teeth, instead, they tear open anthills or termite mounds with their powerful front claws, and use their long, long tongues to lick out the insects.

* Their spit is sticky, so that the ants will stick to their tongues.

* The weird thing about Pangolins, is that they are not closely related to any other living mammals, and no one can figure out their ancestry. * How strange... * So that's it from the mystery pangolin…

Kreature Feature:

The Dachshund

* Dachshund" is a German word that means "badger dog.
* Because of their long, narrow build, they are sometimes called "wiener dogs", "hot dogs", or "sausage dogs".
*Dachshunds come in three sizes. A full-grown standard dachshund averages 7 to 12.7 kg, while the miniature Dachshunds weigh less than 5kg.
* Dachshunds come in a wide range of colours. The most common are red and black
* Dachshunds are playful, fun dogs, known for chasing small animals, birds and tennis balls.
* Many dachshunds are stubborn, making them a a bit difficult to train sometimes
* Some people say that you don't train dachshunds, they train you.

Kreature Feature:

Cocker Spaniel

* Cocker spaniels were originally bred as hunting dogs. Their job was to chase the birds out of the grasses and bushes so that the hunters could shoot them.
* They were called 'gun dogs'
* Nowadays, they are often trained as sniffer dogs, detecting bombs, drugs and other things for security purposes.
*In England, Price Charles uses cocker spaniels to check out rooms to sniff out any explosives before he goes in.
* Cocker Spaniels are known for being one of the happiest breeds of dogs, with always wagging tails.
* Spaniels are friendly, faithful, playful, quiet, and affectionate.
* They are easily trained and make good family pets.
* They are known for their long noses, floppy ears, and adorable sad-looking eyes.
* As with other long haired dogs, they need lots of grooming, and in hot weather, often need to have their coats clipped.


Kreature Feature:

The Southern Right Whale

* The Southern Right Whale, to be exact, which is a whale often seen off the South african coast line.
* It's called a Southern Right whale because it lives in the southern hemisphere and at the time was the right whale to kill.
* Why? It was the right whale because it was a slow swimmer and it had so much blubber it seldom sank.
* Luckily, the whale is now a protected species in South Africa, and they can live free and happy in the sea, and are no longer endangered from over fishing.
* Whales eat up to 400 kg of frill and plankton a day.
* The reason why they eat such small food is because of their baleen plates - like thin ribs in their mouths that filter the water through.
* Their throats are really small, they couldn't even swallow an orange!
* The Southern Right whale can grow to 18 metres long.
* The whales belong to the mammal family because they are warm-blooded and have backbones. They give birth to live young and feed their babies with milk.
* You can often see mothers and babies on the cape coast, from Hermanus to Port Elizabeth.

Star Nosed Mole

* The Star-nosed Mole is a small mole found in eastern Canada and parts of America.
* It lives in wet areas and eats small insects, worms and snails.
* It is a good swimmer and can look for food along the bottoms of streams and ponds.
* Like other moles, this animal digs tunnels while its looking for food. Often, these tunnels come out underwater.
* It is active during the day and at night and stays active in winter.
* people have seen them tunnelling through the snow and swimming in ice-covered streams.
* It's covered in thick blackish brown water-repellent fur and has large feet with scales on it and a long thick tail, which seems to function as a fat storage reserve for the spring, so that they can go for a while without eating.
* Adults are 15 to 20 cm in length, weigh about 55 g, and have 44 teeth.
* The mole's most distinctive feature is a circle of 22 mobile, pink, fleshy tentacles at the end of the snout. These are used to identify food by touch, like worms, insects and crabs.

Creature Feature: The reindeer.

* The reindeer is found in northern Scandinavia, Russia, Mongolia, parts of China, North America, and Canada.
* Americans call it the Caribou.
* Male reindeer can weigh up to 300 kg.
* Females weigh between 60 and 170 kg.
* Reindeer are known for their antlers: The tree shaped horns on their heads. Both male and female reindeer have antlers.
* Reindeer are often farmed by people for food, hides, antlers, milk and transportation.
* So they actually are used to pull sleighs in some countries, just like they are supposed to pull Santa Claus' sleigh.
* Reindeer are often used in Christmas stories. Santa's reindeer are supposed to be called: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen.
* There's also a famous song about Rudolph the red nosed reindeer. Reindeer's noses aren't actually red though. They're brown.
The Sun Bear.

The Sun Bear stands about 1.2 m tall, making it the smallest member in the bear family.
* It is often called the "dog bear" because of its small size.
* It has a 5 cm tail and usually weighs less than 65 kg
Males are slightly larger than females.
* Females weigh between 30 and 60 kg.
* The Sun Bear has sickle-shaped claws.
* It has large paws with naked soles, probably to assist in climbing.
Unlike other bears, the Sun Bear's fur is short and sleek.
The diet of the Sun Bear includes small lizards, birds, and other mammals, in addition to fruits, eggs, termites, the young tips of palm trees, nests of bees, berries, sprouts, insects, roots, cocoa, and coconuts.
* Its powerful jaws can crack open nuts.
* The Sun Bear has a strong sense of smell, but very bad eyesight.
* It's mostly nocturnal, and it's found in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia.

The Wolverine.
* The wolverine is the second largest member of the weasel family (The giant otter is the biggest)
* The wolverine is a stocky, strong, and muscular animal, that mainly eats meat but sometimes also eats plants.
* It has glossy brown hair with stripes of dull yellow along the sides.
* The adult wolverine is about the size of a medium dog, with a length usually ranging from 65-87 cm.
* They often give off a very strong, extremely unpleasant smell, giving rise to the nicknames "skunk bear" and "nasty cat."
* It's one of the most ferocious members of the weasel family and often preys on animals that are much bigger than itself.
* Wolverines live mainly in very cold areas, for example Canada, Siberia and Scandinavia, so you wouldn't find any here in Africa...thank goodness!

Eurasian Eagle Owl.
* Today we're taking a look at the Eurasian Eagle Owl.
* These big owls like to live on rocky outcrops and cliffs all over Europe and Asia.
* This owl mainly eats small mammals, like mice and rats,
* But can kill prey up to the size of foxes and young deer !
*They also like birds, frogs, lizards, fish, and insects.
* Eurasian Eagle-Owls usually hunt at night from a perch, or while flying low over the ground or tree-tops.
* They can capture their prey on the ground, in the air, or while plunging into water.
* The call of the Eagle Owl is a deep resonant “ooh-hu”, and in German, the name of this bird is "Uhu".
* A recent study has shown that these calls are slightly different for each owl, so that each member of the Eurasian Owl population can be identified by it's voice.
* An eagle-owl’s flight is powerful and fast with shallow wing beats and long, fast glides, they also use upward drafts of wind to soar on.
* Finland's national football team is named after this owl. This is because one of these Eurasian Owls disturbed a football game between Finland and Belgium by flying onto the pitch.
* After the disruption, the Finnish team scored twice and won... So now they are the 'Owls'.
* And there you have it for the Eurasian Eagle Owls, and for this week's Kreature Feature...

The Fennec Fox

* The fennec fox is a small fox found in the Sahara Desert of North Africa (excluding the coast) and in some parts of Arabia, which has distinctive big ears.
* Its name is derived from an Arabic word for "fox".
* The fennec is the smallest of canine.
* It weighs up to only 1.5 kg.
* Its ears, which are the largest in the canine family, help distribute heat.
* They also help them to hear the movement of prey at night.
* The coat can repel sunlight during the day and conserve heat at night.
* The fennec is nocturnal. It is also an omnivore which means it eats plants; animals and insects.
* During the night, it will hunt for rodents, insects (such as locusts), lizards, birds, and bird eggs. It also eats a small lizard known as a sandfish.
* The fennec gets most of its water from food, but will sometimes eat berries and leaves as an additional source of water. They can last long periods of time without water, but will drink water when available.

Caracal

* It’s Kreature Feature time again, and this time, we are taking a look at a beautiful wild cat called the caracal.
* The Caracal is labelled as a small cat, but is amongst the heaviest of all small cats, as well as the fastest.
* Their most obvious features are the long, tufted black ears.
* Its ears are controlled by 20 different muscles, and the tufts of fur help pinpoint its prey.
* Caracals live in dry areas and semi-deserts all over Africa and Asia.
* They like to live alone, and are very territorial.
* It hunts mostly at night, and preys on rodents and rabbits.
* These guys are quite picky eaters, and always leave the internal organs of the mammals they eat. Sometime, caracals even pluck the fur off of some of the larger creatures they catch.
* Caracals are most well-known for their skill at hunting birds; they can snatch a bird in flight, sometimes more than one at a time!
* The Caracal is one of the hardest creatures to spot in the wild, because they are excellent at hiding. You might be looking straight at one, and never know it!


The Black Vulture

* It is the largest bird of prey in the world.
* This huge bird is 110-120 cm (43-48 inches) long with a 250-300 cm wing span and a body weight of up to 14 kg.
* It's one of the world's heaviest flying birds.
* It breeds in high mountains and large forests, nesting in trees. It has all dark plumage, which is obviously why it's called "The Black Vulture".
* They eat mainly carrion- in other words, other predator's leftovers.
* Vultures are kind of like the vacuum cleaners of the wild.
* They also eat eggs and decomposing plant material, and hunt small mammals.
* They fly high in the air when they're looking for food, holding their wings flat when gliding.

The Guinea fowl
Guinea fowls are insect and seed-eating, ground-nesting birds, they don't live in trees like many other birds do.
* They're closely related to turkeys.
* They have feathers everywhere except on their heads.
* Guinea fowls normally stay with one mate for life.
* They are large birds which measure from 40-71 cm in length, and weigh 700-1600 g.
* They live in warm, fairly dry and open habitats with scattered shrubs and trees like savanna or farmland.
* they live in big groups of about 25 birds.
* Guineafowl are great runners, and can cover 10 km and more in a day.
* They have spurs on their legs which they use for fighting.
* They can hover, or even fly backwards when necessary.


The Coati Bear

Hi guys, today’s featured creature is not a local… he is from North America, and he’s cute, and he’s called the coati bear.
Coatis aren’t actually bears, they are members of the raccoon family, but unlike the normal raccoon, it has a long snout like an aardvark.
They use their long tails for balancing and signaling.
They have strong limbs for digging, and are known for being very intelligent animals.
They prefer to sleep or rest in high up places, and climb up trees to snooze in crudely-built sleeping nests.
The coati is an omnivore; its diet consists of fruits, nuts, leaves, roots, insects, frogs, fish, reptiles, eggs, small birds or mammals which it finds or catches on the ground or on trees.
The snout, with a excellent sense of smell, assists the skilled paws in a hog-like manner to find insects and roots.
When provoked, or for defense, coatis can be fierce fighters: their strong jaws, sharp canine teeth, and fast scratching paws make it very difficult for predators like dogs and jaguars to seize the small fellow.
The coati communicates its moods with chirping, snorting or grunting sounds. Different chirping sounds are used to express joy during social grooming, or irritation or anger.
Individuals recognize other coatis by their looks, voices and smells, the individual smell is intensified by special musk-glands on their necks and bellies.
As cute as they are, coatis are wild, very difficult to control or train, and so do not make good pets at all.


The Fossa

* The Fossa is only found on the island of Madagascar, and in 2000 there were less than 2,500 left. That makes it an endangered animal.
* Fossa males are 75–80 centimetres long, plus a tail which is 70–90 centimetres long.
* They weigh 6–10 kilograms
* Females are slightly smaller.
* The Fossa is a very agile animal. It can leap from tree to tree in a similar way to squirrels.
* For years, people thought that the fossa was nocturnal, but recent studies have found that they come out during the day as well, depending on how much food is available.
* The Fossa is a carnivore. It hunts small to medium sized animals, from fish to birds.
* It's most common prey is the lemur.
* Fossa pups are born blind and toothless. They are dependent on their mother for about 1 year, and do not even leave the nest until they ar, , e four months old. The Fossa does not breed until it is about four years old.
* Fossas live about 20 years.
*Fossas made an appearence in the film Madagascar and tried to eat King Julian who likes to move it move it.


The Tasmanian Devil

* Devils are the size of small dogs, but muscular.
* Tasmanian Devils are the largest carnivorous marsupials in the world.
* They have black fur, and when they're stressed out, they let out a horrible smell kind of like a skunk does.
* They also scream extremely loudly.
* they can be very vicious when they eat.
* They hunt prey and scavenge like hyenas.
* they live on the island of Tasmania which is near Australia.
* Devils store body fat in their tails. Unhealthy devils often have thin tails.
* The average life expectancy of a Tasmanian Devil in the wild is estimated at six years, although it may live longer in captivity.
* The devil has long whiskers on its face and in clumps on the top of the head. These help the devil locate prey in the dark.
* Devils are nocturnal, but they like to rest in the sun.