It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, and the animal kingdom is no different. Thanks to evolution, predators are able to effectively take down their pre

It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, and the animal kingdom is no different. Thanks to evolution, predators are able to effectively take down their prey in a number of ways, be it using fangs and claws, or poison and venom, just to name a few. Prey on the other hand, either flee for their lives or fight to the death. But it goes way beyond this as there are many animals that protect themselves in the strangest ways, some of which might leave scratching your head. Below are five mammals with what might be the most unusual defense mechanisms. 1. Dormouse When in danger, the dormouse’s first reaction is to get far away from its enemy, but it also has another trick up its sleeve… or tail. If this edible rodent is caught by its tail, then the loose skin comes off, which distracts the predator and allows the dormouse to escape. This is known as autotomy, a rare skill among mammals that can only be used once by the dormouse. This is because the skin does not grow back, then the tailbone falls off or the rodent gnaws it off itself. Some dormice even have tufted tails that serve to distract predators from the rodent’s head. 2. Opossum Opossums are known for being feisty little critters. They will hiss, growl, bite and bare their teeth when scared. When that doesn’t work, they will drop to the ground and feign illness by drooling. And while it's still lying on the ground motionless with its mouth open, the opossum will release an awful smelling odor from its anal gland, which causes most predators to lose interest in the seemingly dead animal. Interestingly enough, this is a physiological response and the opossum actually falls in a comatose state, only waking up when the predator is gone. 3. Potto Never heard of a potto? It’s the collective name for three species of slow-moving primates native to the rainforests of Africa. And no, they’re not related to sloths. Because of their innate slowness, these animals are very much vulnerable to danger, but they aren’t completely helpless. Located on their backs are enlarged neural spines with pointed tips on the end of their vertebrae that protrude from the necks and shoulders. This makes them very hard to swallow, reducing the potto’s chances of getting a lethal bite on its neck. It can even be used to neck-butt enemies! 4. Slow Loris Like pottos, slow lorises are a very vulnerable species, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t look out for itself. Located on both its elbows are poison glands that the slow loris licks, spreading poison all over its fur. Females also spread the poison onto its babies when it licks them, offering extra protection to the young ones. Their bite is also poisonous and when bitten, victims will experience intense pain and swelling. Though the poison is not strong enough to kill a human, it can lead to anaphylactic shock, which can be deadly. 5. Pygmy Sperm Whale The pygmy sperm whale’s small stature makes it the natural prey of much larger animals like sharks, orcas and regular sperm whales that are 20-times their size. As a way to defend itself, the pygmy sperm whale has evolved to expel a reddish, syrupy fluid which the whale spreads around in the water using its tail, creating a dark, murky cloud. Now hidden, the predator becomes confused and the pygmy sperm whale uses this opportunity to make a run (or swim) for it to safety.

Mammals With Unusual Defense Mechanisms

Recent Posts

Categories

Get Triviabright in your inbox.