Scientifically called Cacajao calvus, the bald-headed uakari is a small, New World monkey. It can be easily identified by its bright red face, small tail, bald head, and a thick long golden coat.
The bald uakari is endemic to várzea forests and other wooded habitats such as the Amazon forests of Brazil and Peru. Though they have a short tail, they effortlessly climb a tree using their arms and legs. They usually live in groups as they are social animals. Their groups are called ‘troops,’ which can include as many as hundreds of uakaris.
They mostly eat fruits but can sometimes dine on insects and leaves. Some indigenous people in the Amazon Rain Forest hunt them for food. They are also seen as vulnerable to extinction. Female uakaris give birth to a young one every two years.
While the females attain sexual maturity at the age of three, males become sexually mature at the age of six. Due to the environmental conditions that they live in, uakaris are prone to catch malaria. The ones who have contracted malaria have pale skin. They are not chosen as sexual partners by other uakaris. (1, 2)
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10 Greater Egyptian Jerboa
Greater Egyptian Jerboa
The greater Egyptian jerboa, a species in the rodent family, is mainly found in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia. These cute, tiny rodents are 13 centimeters long with a tail of about 20 centimeters long.
Their hind legs are about four times larger than their forelimbs. They move from one place to another by jumping. The long tail helps stabilize the animal when it moves on its hind legs. Jerboas are social animals, and they live in burrows dug by themselves.
They stay inside their shelters during the day and creep out from their burrows at night in search of food. They mostly eat seeds, shoots, and roots. They do not drink water as they get enough moisture from their food.
Owing to their quick speed, Britain used jerboa as a mascot in World War II. They made jerboa a symbol for Britain’s 7th Armoured Brigade, known as the “Desert Rats.” The brigade fought campaigns in North Africa. Jerboas cannot be kept as a pet due to their association with the monkeypox virus. (1, 2)
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11 Lilac-Breasted Roller
Lilac-Breasted Roller
The lilac-breasted roller is a native of Africa, mostly found in Kenya. In fact, it is the national bird of Kenya. It has a vibrant green-colored crown, with a lilac breast.
The rest of the body is mostly blue or purplish in color. The male and female birds look surprisingly similar to each other, making it difficult to differentiate between the two.
The staple diet of these birds consists of spiders, scorpions, centipedes, millipedes, and snails. In a unique hunting technique, the birds swoop down on their prey, and if it is too big to be eaten in a single go, they tear them apart them with their wings until they are in small enough pieces to be eaten. (1, 2)
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12 Vampire Crab
Vampire Crab
Vampire crabs are native to Southeast Asia. They get their name from the glowing yellow, bright orange or red eyes like that of a vampire.
Also, they are nocturnal and hunt their prey during the night. These non-aggressive creatures can also be kept as a pet in the aquariums. They live up to two to three years when cared for properly. (source)
