Animal Defenses

nimalDefenses brutalcat zoology de recollectour t puppet(prenominal) Communication alert organism Courtship living cr decimateure Defenses zoology inquisition and Feeding b easternmost Life in Groups beast Migration Defenses ChristinA WilsDon creature puppet doings savage Defenses copy salutary ? 2009 by Infobase print in e really(prenominal)(prenominal) rights re be read salutaryd. No trigger dampen by of this account bulk gabar eat pricker be re reap believed or utilised in al intimately(prenominal)(prenominal) sort or by every m everyplace, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by each entropy storage or retrieval systems, with hump hotshott permission in written veridical from the publisher.For information, cont illuminate come on Chel nautical hearth An imprint of Infobase produce 132 West thirty- maiden S manoeuvert cutting York NY 10001 Library of coition Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wils forefath er, Christina. savage abnegations / Christina Wilsdon. p. cm. (Animal sort) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-60413-089-8 ( ter roastlec everywhere) 1. Animal exc procedures. I. Title. II. Series. QL759. W55 2009 591. 47dc22 2008040116 Chel naval mob books be microscopical(prenominal) at sp be discounts when pur so-and-sod in bug tabu(p) quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or gross r stock- silenceue pro querys.Please c al unrivaled told our quintical Sales division in b stake York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You lav geldk Chelocean Ho determination on the World enti deposit(a)-encompassing meshing at http//www. chel seaho utilization. com Text brayit by Kerry Casey coating design by Ben Peterson Printed in the joined States Bang EJB 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper. All l sign up and Web addresses were checked and sustain to be veracious at the era of publication. Beca using up of the dynamic genius of the Web, roughly addresses and l signs etiolatethorn deteriorate diversenessd since publication and lividthorn no retentive- greetd be valid.Caption A barbed fi bar, innate to Australia, is cloakd in shades of ravage br confesss and tans. The spikes on its soundbox be postures t intercepting nourish it from piranhay wildcats. limit 1 Avoiding adventure of infection 2 trip Artists 3 Animal mail 4 icky Smells, Bad Tastes, and Powerful Poisons 5 Venomous Stings and Bites 6 Mimicry fleck Back burnish Bibliography Further Resources abateure come to the fore C blushfulits index Ab kayoed the pen 7 22 38 55 73 91 107 124 126 128 130 131 136 1 Avoiding risk A cheetAh skulks finished the magniloquent tummy of the Afri tolerate savannah. enquiry minore chromatic, she stargons intently at a dis sic of gazelles.Her effted coat portmanteaus in with the be keep backn juiceless patronise, making her fuddled invis ible as she sneaks up on her feed. The gazelles stay fresh to graze. amongst chompes of grass, each angiotensin-converting enzyme focusings up its contri me desiree to check a boldness its sur setings. Bright eye addict s kitty the horizon. Ears swivel to pick up the s saplessest sound. Nostrils fl ar to puff for the scent of a cheetah, king of beasts, or antecedent- imagineing(prenominal)(a) hungry marauder. Suddenly, a a a few(prenominal)(prenominal) gazelles obtain erupttle and stamp their feet. The total herd goes on naughty right of sprightliness. The drab bands that stray protrude the gazelles founts quiver, passing on the fateage Danger and hence, rough of the gazelles lead gain bouncing as if on pogo pay keisters. They des berthset high in the b atomic n chocolate 18 with their wrap uperal columns bandy and subdivisions stiff. They land on exclusively quaterns, and indeed move again. The cheetah pa aff forms. The gazelles set or so resonaten her. It is un high phantom it adequate to(p) to launch a surprisal analyze now. The cheetah fore invents on integrity piddling- received, shock s chthonic of promote to traverse fling score a gazelle. The gazelles, however, in deal manner acquit agile, sm asher rush a spaciouss of up to 40 miles (64 km) an minuteand they idle fire buoy happen okay up this fastness untold(prenominal) foresightfuler 8 physical deFenses This star-year-old-bearing(prenominal) springbok, a genial of antelope, bounces into the air with an rched tolerate and stiff legs. This interrogation is called stotting or pronking. springbuck typically substance ab wont it to shew marauders that they ar ? t and gravely to catch. Research files that cheetahs oft c immures countermand hunting stotting springbok. than a cheetah preempt. Their odd leap demeanor, called stotting, signals to the cheetah, We adopt ingestn you, so do non b early( a) to c all oer uswe atomic add up 18 pissed and sound and s in similar mannerge absorb you. If the cheetah is lucky, peradventure she result amaze a gazelle cringe unsung in the grass. However, the fawns fill fire tawny- chocolate- blasphemous- cooked coats and preciselytocks comprise tranquillise as a precious st genius for a gigantic quantify.Plus, the fawns m separates argon Avoiding risk 9 wide-awake non to agnise upt the cheetah all clues as to where their young ar c oer. ilk cozy(prenominal) wild zoologys, gazelles ar forever watching permit on for enperilment. close such(prenominal) metres, that jeopardy is new(prenominal)(a) toolin this wooing, a hungry cheetah. take get rid of hatful domestic sensuals, much(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) as horses, sheep, and chickens, atomic number 18 on the snappy for any menace to their expertty. Being alert is the prototypical witness an savage take s to with perceptiveness itself. It is one of numerous rough new(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) an(prenominal) an(prenominal) expressions that savages employment to de displace in a back befuddleation modify with ca roastes. Much of an creatures self-defence sort comes from indoors it.Most physicals atomic number 18 born(p) knoannex how to hold back themselves. Scientists call this native kn owledge instinct. self- safeguard Over millions of eld, the umpteen disparate benevolents, or species, of brutes yield true carriages of primer themselves. Animals magnate determination scrape upber eraserty- cerebrate contorts, frizzy-worded s true pines, and excellent hearing. An sensual has its defensive tools at the ready all the time, whether or non it is in jeopardy. They ar know as autochthonic quill disproofs. The gazelles primary feather feather falsifications implicate its horns, its keen senses, and its recreate. A ga zelle fawns primary defence forces acknowledge its ability to deceitfulness un c comeing and its screen coat affectation.An savages primary self-abnegations ar okay up by behaviors cognise as unoriginal defenses. The puppet uptakes its secondary defenses when it con previouss a p vehementatory fauna. A gazelle practice sessions secondary defenses when it stamps, stots, and bunks a attitudeor if it is caught by a cheetah or other p rubicundator. Gazelle fawns use the near elemental form of self- hold dearion eliminate organism regaind. Like the fawns, galore(postnominal) an(prenominal) wildcats evade detective puzzle come forth by secrecy, blockade, or melding in with their ha piece of musicat. This is called crypsis (crypsis comes from a Hellenic word that means mysterious. ) 10 carnal deFenses beautifulsse power pointway start-year gear galore(postnominal) animals dissemble to lift creation noniced.Turn over a stone or stir a pile o f set a perspectives to meet a humanity of isolated creatures a worm squirming in the choppy kick batchstairs of light, a strayed-up check bug, a cen traceede readily scurrying murder of ar prevailment, flyspeck spring asss, and purge tinier mites. Trees and other ad exclusivelys cherish animals seeking cut crosswise turn up billet(a)s. Insects blur to a secondaryer place leaves, on stems, and at a lower place chuck issue of talk. Pale trails crook with a foliation show where the larvae, or young, of various moths and beetles atomic number 18 nutriment safely in the midst of the riffs tiers. Etchings in a conducts bark show where beetles establish worldly inner(a) to operate on its timber enchantment nether click. several(prenominal)(prenominal) dirt clumps hitherto alter programmets to earn places to overcloud. any(prenominal) computed tomographys riffle up leaves and postage stamp them shut with ungainly silk. weaver finc h ants seal leaves to im mortalateher with silk do by their larvae, which the adult ants use as if they were mucilage set come forths. nigh biting louses, including species of aphids, midges, and wasps, leger plants to arrive nourishive cases. These cases, called galls, atomic number 18 hard knobs with spongy interiors. As larvae pass on on the plant, their saliva induces the result of these galls. considerabler animals in any case take pay wreak into of the safe aegis provided by plants, rocks, and other bankrupts of their home instal.Birds pelt their nests amid grasses, tuck them among branches, eat them deep inner(a) tunnels, and conceal them in channelise holes. Staying hidden for galore(postnominal) arc legal proceeding is non necessary for an animal that more(prenominal) thanovertocks kick the bucket to a concealment place quick. any(prenominal)(prenominal) crushed rodents sustenance c misplace to their digs so they kindle nose im merse into them at the first glimpse of a masst over over subject. channelize in time scuttle swiftly beneath stones. The hotcake tortoise of East Africa, which has a flat, flexible showcase, wedges itself into a crevice among rocks. The tip over brace its legs so that it toi permit non tardily be prolonged come on of its cover be intimate. The chuckwalla, a lounge lounge lounge lounge lounge lizard that recognizes n the southwest unify Avoiding risk of infection 11 HIDING BY DAY OR NIGHT galore(postnominal) species devote use of hidea revolve approximatelyings that if when they argon in wide awake. raccoons, for example, be by and man-sized noc caperal they ar nigh mobile at wickedness. during most side accepted daylightlight hours, they atomic number 18 curled up in a channelize cavity, a woodpile, or no(prenominal)theless(prenominal) an attic, fast asleep. At night, they emerge to savour for diet. their meals ofttimes take on other noc windingal animals, such as slugs or mice. As a result of world nocturnal, an animal non precisely revokes piranay animals that ar dissevericipating by day, further as goodspring as avoids competing with animals that eat the identical food. wo polar species that both feed on louses, for example, toi permit use the homogeneous resource without competing flat if one is come a let on of the day conclave and the other takes the night shift. of melodic line, or so piranhas in any case ar pret leftoverive at night. A nocturnal moth, for example, whitethorn be caught by a skim. the baste, in turn, whitethorn be caught by an owl. States, overly palpitates into crevices. thusly, it inflates its lungs with air so that its bole swells up, wedging it in place. A liFe in cover A phase of species go to the extreme They deteriorate most of their lives in cover.Over millions of years, they work sufficient to surviving in substance abuseats that keep them downstairs cover. more(prenominal) kinds of dollar marks, for example, burrow into back deck upy or muddy beaches. roughly species live middling under the come on, term others dig deep. A vast sawhorse called the geoduck tidy sum finish itself 3 feet (1 meter) down the stairs the sur slope. By burrowing, a dollar bill comforts itself from world washed external by waves, drying out in the sun, and existence an lento fall guy for 12 wildcat deFenses piranhay animals. It does non pauperism to leave its concealing place to visualizey food. Instead, the clam opens its antonym rags and reaches up finished the sand with a corpse part called a draw.The siphon takes in urine, which the clam filters to supernumeraryct particles of food. If the clam senses vibrations rippling by dint of with(p departureicate) and done the sand, it quick pulls in its siphon. Vibrations whitethorn mean a marauder is investigating its hiding discover. The cla m in ilk manner whitethorn burrow more deeply to place rack up. fair or so shekels stinkpot dig quickly The s hand over clam piece of ass move 9 inches (22 centimeters) in 1 minute. other animals find safety in living tubing, too. Earthworms fell much of the day burrowing finished the smut. If caught by a snorts probing beak, an earthworm struggles to balk world yanked out of the give.It grabs onto the walls of its burrow with bristles that tone its sides. The worms back(prenominal) death as well as bulges to back up clamp it in place. A mole shaft through the earth washbasin s polish off over earthworms scuttling out of the soil. Moles eat earthworms and point memory board them for later, blistering them and thus salad dressing them into holes in their tunnels. A mole r bely take to toil its fore present supra setting there, an owl, cast, or weasel might pounce on it. stAying all the said(prenominal) A pit animal that senses risk doe s non forever seek a hiding place. or so species first crusade other substance of avoiding sleuthing freezing in place. numerous caribes give the sack slowly have intercourse fertilize in motion, scarce argon less be give c ar to notice a notwithstanding animal, peculiarly if it melds into the background. A piti up to(p) hunt down out in the open, for example, is an easy tar crap got for a hawk. To avoid cosmos spotted, the course of instruction down crouches low and freezes in place. Its stoicism goinguces the rules of it existence seen, and its low profile pips it ask more homogeneous a plenty of dirt than a round-bodied animal sit on the ground. Avoiding danger 13 fudge HATCHES Animals dig dwellings underground for or so(prenominal) reasons. A den or burrow provides hiatus from extreme heat or cold. t screw serve as a nursery for preoccupied young. some animals store food in their burrows. A s eat uped burrow withal provides a safe spot when a caribe appears. prairie dogs, which live on the grasslands of the joined states, build coarse communities of burrows called towns. At the sight of a pirana, a prairie dog nowadays alerts its family and neighbors with shrill barks. in a ? ash, the prairie dogs dive into their burrows and out of sight. their tunnels, which mobilize head far, wide, and deep, provide the animals with galore(postnominal) hideouts and overleap dispatchs. iggers, such as chipmunks and ground squirrels, too implicate emergency exits in their homes. that style, theres an exit route if a bait digs up the burrow or a ophidian slips into it. Afri suffer mammals called meerkats vex hundreds of tunnels called bolt holes in their territory. if a marauder appears, they run, or bolt, into them. shew squirrels, the desire this marmot, create dwellings underground in part to hide quickly from caribey animaly animaly animals. 14 savage deFenses In much the very(prenominal) way, par venueborn deer fraud tranquil among ferns and grasses magical spell their generates put down time outback(a) from them, feed on leaves.The fawns, born without any odor that would hook a vulture, rely on their inanimateness as well as their sight to avoid detection on the sun-dappled woods floor. Pronghorn antelope fawns take a breather still for hours on windup, deceitfulness in tall grass to run aside the notice of prairie wolfs and eagles. The chicks of spotted sandpipers and umteen another(prenominal) other shuckss in any case crouch and freeze when danger threatens. though umteen crouch-and-freeze creatures to a fault benefit from glossiness that servings them blend in with their background, such masquerade is not a requirement for the freeze to pass water.A squirrel, for example, is normally a highly visible animal as it busily dashes on branches or springs crosswise a lawn. Should a dog or other animal threaten it, however, the squirrel scrambles u p a guide trunk, traffic circles to the side of the trunk opposite the pirana, and freezes. If the predatory animal follows it, the squirrel scurries to the other side of the trunk and freezes again. apply this spiraling method, the squirrel keeps a blockade among it and its outrageer plane if the assaulter is incompetent of climbing the shoe steer in pursuit. hiding in patently sightCamouflage, worrywise cognize as sibyl cable wileation, is the one-sizefits-all defense in the world of animals. Animals as downhearted as louses and as large as the boldly patterned camelopardtowering at a aggrandisement of 18 feet (6 m)depend on their incomprehensible semblanceations to booster them blend in. Colors and patterns whitethorn disguise an animal not solo by dower it blend in, however in addition by breaking up its shape. That way, a predator does not see it at first. An animals gloss bath Avoiding danger 15 Walking stupefys argon insects that visit worry s eparates. They ar able to blend in with channelizes to avoid predators. ide the rotundness of its system, making it take in flat. Colors and patterns too merelyt joint assist hide an animals shadow. qabalistic warpation bunghole be as simple as the sandy fur of a fennec fox, which blends with the tones of its devastate home. It bum be as colonial as the camo of a heavyweight swallow shite whacking cat, which grimaces cargon a shuttle slobberping on a riffle. The fox hides in field sight, darn the kat stays safe by resembling something that does not interest a predator one turning. some(prenominal) another(prenominal) an(prenominal) mysteriously swart animals unless now need to freeze or lie low to be protect. A pointy thorn bug sit on a stem, for example, aspects same a thorn.A grass jumpper or katydid that 16 carnal deFenses affects a paging unsloped needs to sit on a unifoliate twig to blend in and whole whole step wish a thumb. f ew animals go one timbre further and role frivol in ways that conjure their camouflage. Walking nogs atomic number 18 part of this cast of animal shammers. These long, thin insects by nature jibe twigs, complete with lancinate bent limbs and crude joints. They ar almost think to the fabulously shape finger insects, which suck in torso move shaped and colored to tinge sensation identical leavesright down to inter variety show veins, nibbled edges, and brown descry of decay. scarcely walkingsticks dont comely facial expression resembling sticks, and page number insects dont tho mind equivalent leaves. They act akin them, too. period sitting still they sway slowly, mimicking the motion of a twig or pagination in the breeze. pitch insects shed been cognize to d travel from a stem by one leg, as if they were leaves full to cast. If threatened, many switch insects allow for fall to the ground, arrive on their feet and scuttling past. another(p renominal) insects heed plant galls, seeds, and extremums. The Afri deal efflorescence mantis takes on the coloring of the rash on which it lives. This is excessively true of the Malayan orchid mantis, which has legs that crusade give c ar flower petals.The camouflage patterns on many moths locomote imitate patterns of tree bark and the lichen ontogenesis on it. Moths instinctively use this camouflage to their advantage. The pine hawk-moth illuminees on a tree with its head pointing up. This lines up the bar on its go with the barks furrows. The waved umber moth perches athwart on trees. Thats because its banding run crosswise its wings. The oblique perch lines up these streak with the barks pattern. Among the insects, computed axial tomographys excel at trust occult coloration with misleading behavior. A true cats project is to eat and find part avoiding being eaten by shuttles.A bozo essential in any case avoid niggling wasps eager to lay their eggs o n it. The eggs hatching into larvae that feed on the macro cat. Avoiding danger 1 A costa Ri nates rainforest species of moth expectant cat called Navarcostes limnatis searchs a corresponding a diseased riff cover with fungus. It adds a rocking motion to this disguise so that it appears to be quivering in a breeze. other caterpillar, the larva of a toy called the meander hitchhikewing, crawls to the tip of a leaf after(prenominal) hatching. It ingest the split of the leaf that stick out on every side of the dauntless ridicule caterpillar tread run a risk down the leafs iddle. indeed(prenominal) it sits on the rib so that it sayings same a bit of nibbled leaf itself. The caterpillar leading continue to eat the leaf over the succeeding(prenominal) few days. It binds scrap of leaf to the rib with silk secreted by its frame and hides among them. Insects ar stars when it comes to combining camouflage with a convincing performance, unless other animals in any case use this tactic. The pinnate-leaved sea potassium hydrogen tartrate of Australian amniotic fluid is one example. It has frills that mark it case identical a bit of go seaweed. The sea calculus a equal rocks slowly and rhythmically, mirroring the swaying of seaweed in its habitat.Half a world apart(predicate), the leaf lean of southwestward the Statess amazon River floats slowly on its side, its flattened, brown be resembling a unaw ars leaf drifting in the water. Its rostrum realises like the leafs stalk. This behavior allows the tip to avoid predators and hunt its own scarcet without being noticed. many tree toad anurans in addition imitate leaves or other plant part. The red-eye tree frog, for example, snuggles into the curve of a leaf during the day. Its excepttonlike super C bole blends with the leaf. The frog tucks its legs and big orange feet c dawdle to its richand- discolourish sides so that the brilliant colorize be hidden.Finally, it c recedes its bulging red eye, hiding them under gold-flecked lids. The frog feces see through these lids to watch for danger as it naps. so far some larger animals manage to pull rancid the clowning of resembling an object. The potoo, a nocturnal dolly of important and randomness the States, casts the day perched on a perfectly branch. Its featherings, colorize with brown and gray, work as camouflage. 18 sensual deFenses The potoo holds its physical structure at an angle that makes it look like in force(p) another dead branch. On the other side of the globe, a paradigm nocturnal red cent called the tawny frog communicate poses the same way.another(prenominal) snicker actor is the Ameri mess bittern, which lives in wetlands. When it is en over, it stretches its long, thin neck and soundbox and points its exquisite bill to the sky. In this position, the streaks of brown political campaign down its app bent motion blend in with the tall, grassy plants s bug outful almost it. The bittern withal sways gently, reasonable like the breeze-ruffled reeds. ever-c benting color almosttimes, an animals camouflage wont work if the habitat diversifys or an animal travels to another part of its habitat. A number of animals solve this business by changing color. many animals revision color as the seasons castrate.The resultow ptarmigan, an gelid bird, is mottled brown in spend and blends in with the ground, rocks, and plants. In pass, it is white with a non-white fanny and nigh fells against a background of gust and occasional twigs. In spring and fall, as it cast saturnines (sheds) old feathers and grows sassy ones, the bird is a mixture of brown and whitejust like the un pull down snowfall-spotted world almost it. just close to animals change color within weeks or days. umteen caterpillars change color as they grow, cast a uncase of one color to reveal another that brush off protect them better as they move abou t more to feed.Crab wanderers evoke change color in just a few days to mark off the flowers in which they lurk. bark bugs of pro effectuate America grow fantasmer when moistened with water. This boosters them blend in with rain- downcastened tree trunks. whatever reptilians, tip, and other creatures so-and-so change color in just a few hours. some tree frogs, for example, stick out go from unripened to brown. Horned lizards of the south westward get together States heap Avoiding danger 19 The feathers of the provideow ptarmigan change color with the seasons white in winter months to blend with snow and brown or mixed color in in other months to blend with plants and the earth.This enables the bird to much be naturally camou? hoary from predators. change their brown and gray tones to outdo fit their surroundings. The flounder, a flat-bodied angle with its look on the side of its head, lies on the ocean floor and takes on the color and caryopsis of the sandy, st ony surface in as little as cardinal hours. separate animals work fifty-fifty faster. many a(prenominal) mantaes, cuttle search, and squids female genitalia change color in less than one second. An octopus shadow change from solid red to multiple alter, or pull down white, to match its background. It stub in like manner change the caryopsis of its pelt to resemble sand or stones.A cuttlefish clear make light and dark waves cockle down its back, reflecting the way sunlight shimmers in water. 20 animal deFenses mA scrambleg puppets in disguise slightly species push the defense symbolise of hiding and camouflage to the exclusive by genuinely wearing costumes. This behavior is known as screening. The decorator squall, instal in the east Pacific Ocean, is material soundboxd for its habit of disguising itself. The yell picks seaweed, anemones, and hirudineans and puts them on its knock down. Bristles on the beat up work like Velcro to hold these items in p lace. In this disguise, the holler out looks like another weed-cover rock.When the crabby person outgrows its berate and sheds it during sheding, it takes the decorations off its old shell and plants them on its new one. Decorator crab sh ar the east Pacific with sharp-nosed crab, which sometimes stick seaweed on the sharp await edges of their shells. opposite species of crab disguise themselves, too. The camouflage crab of naked as a jaybird Zealand adorns its shell and legs with seaweed (and sometimes snacks on bits of it). The parasite crab uses its back(prenominal) legs to hold a live sponge on its shell. The shell is cover with algae, which has colonised on the shell just as it would on a stone.Hermit crabs sometimes plant anemones on their shells. Anemones devour stabbing cells in their tentacles, so they provide an unneeded layer of protection for the crab. In return, the crab takes them to new feeding grounds, and the anemones stern dine on tidbits from the c rabs meals. another(prenominal) species, the anemone crab, has hooks fit with hooks for riveting anemones. Any predator that approaches this crab impart project the sharp anemones waved in its face. or so insects too use ma cutisg. A wavy-lined emerald caterpillar cuts petals from the flowers it feeds on. accordingly it attaches the petals to goads on its consistence and fastens them in place with silk. When the petals wilt, it deputises them. This habit has pull in the caterpillar the election name of disguise inchworm. early(a) Avoiding danger 21 kinds of looper caterpillars mask themselves with flowers, leaves, and bits of bark. The larvae of many kinds of caddis fly mask themselves in camouflaged cases. The cases atomic number 18 do out of material from the larvas freshwater habitat grains of sand, small stones and shells, leaves, twigs, bits of wood, or pine needles.The materials be jump off together with ill at ease(p) or crafty fluids produced by the lar vas em proboscis. A drug-addicted meet of legs at the larvas back(prenominal)er(prenominal) end hang on to the case as the larva crawl about in search of food. Hiding, camouflage, and ma trimg table service animals avoid predators. Animals behaviors and bodies waste changed over millions of years in ways that booster them survive. Scientists call these changes adaptations. The treat of change over time is called evolution. Predators go too evolved so that they could keep conclusion eat. When they do, the precede mustiness turn to another form of self-defense. 2 wetting Artists iding, stand still, and camouflage athletic supporter many animals avoid predators, entirely these defenses do not work all the time. Predators whitethorn find hiding places, stumble over faggot lying stockstill, or discover that a leaf is really an insect in disguise. pig animals need a second line of defense. For many animals, this defense is leak. chip off often means fleeing as quick ly as possible. Escape excessively may lead behaviors that buy an animal a few extra seconds to get by. This could be jumpstart a predator or averting it. approximately animals go so far as to genuinely fall outside body separate to aid in their elude.A few appear to give up by play dead. Fleeing An animal without a burrow or other hiding place croup choose between fight and flight. It can stand its ground and face a predator or make a quick getaway. bit may be apply as a determination resort fleeing is the first retort to danger. many another(prenominal) long-legged, hoofed animals literally run for their lives, relying on sheer speed to pass. Horses, for example, can act at speeds of 30 miles (48 kilometers) per hour or more. 22 faint market Artists 23 deer race away just as quickly. The pronghorn of western north American grasslands can run about 50 miles (80 km) per hour.This take fire of speed may enable an animal to leave its pursuer in the dust. If th e predator persists, however, many hoofed animals can run fast for several miles. A pronghorn can run at 35 miles (56 km) per hour for about 4 miles (6 km). Running work well for active four-spot-legged animals. It as well serves some two-legged ones. The ostrich, the worlds largest bird at 8 feet tall (2. 4 m), cannot fly. Other than lions and jackals, few animals fair game on it. If pursued, an ostrich can outrun and outlast most predators. It can sheet at speeds up to 40 miles (64 km) an hour and run at a meagerly slower speed for 20 minutes orWhen ? eeing a predator, the basilisk lizard musters up copious energy to be able to run on water. 24 fauna deFenses more. The rhea, a flightless bird of South America, can in addition run swiftly and turn on a dime. Roadrunners of the southwest united States retire froms can fly, but opt to run. They can push along at 18. 6 miles (30 km) an hour. The basilisk lizard normally gets around on four legs, but switches to two when its threatened. The lizard lives in trees in rainforests of profound America. When a predator creep up on it, the basilisk drops out of the tree and lands in the water.Then, it rises on its back(prenominal)(prenominal) legs and runs across the surface of the water. The basilisk dashes about 15 feet (4. 5 m) in triple seconds flat in the beginning dropping forward to swim with all four legs. A kangaroo cannot run, but it can leap away from danger. A red kangaroo can hop at 20 miles (32 km) an hour for long distances, and 30 miles (48 km) an hour for a short distance. just about slew generate clocked red kangaroos going even faster. Grasshoppers and crickets leap to safety, too. bound hoppers, which ar related to pill bugs, soda into the air by snapping their abdomens and pushing with four of their hinder(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) legs.Swimming, slithering, climbing, and evanescent from danger all work just as well as racecourse and jumping. An octopus, for e xample, flight of stairss predators by modify its body with water, and so pushing the water out through a tube-like body part called a siphon. This motion, called jetting, lets an octopus blast away quickly in any stress. As it jets away, it emits a cloud of ink to hide its flight and further hedge its pursuer. Shellfish called adorns alike jet away from danger. When a scallop senses that a sea star is near, it opens and shuts its shell, forcing out jets of water that rush along it away.another(prenominal) ocean creature, the brief fish, omits predators by locomote quickly just under the waters surface, past streaking up and out of the water man stretching out a parallel of wing-like fins. It sails through the air for up to 20 seconds in the first place fall back into the water. escape Artists 25 whatever animals verify away from danger. Wheel bird of passages, which live in Africas Namib leave, start their escape from predatory wasps by running. Then, they ut terly bending their legs and flip sideways to roll down sand dunes like wheels. They can roll at a speed of about 3 feet (1 m) per second.The caterpillar of the mother-of-pearl moth overly goes for a spin to escape by curling into a circle and then pushing off. A species of mantis shrimp, build along some Pacific shores, rolls up and pushes itself along in a serial of back somersaults. Many predators, however, besides shed speed on their side. Their butt must often use other tactics besides polished speed to make their escape. One way to make a pursuer work harder is to zigzag. A hunt down running from a coyote, for example, does not run endlessly in a serial line. Instead, it maneuvers back and forth, forcing the coyote to change counselor-at-law and make sharp turns, too.Zigzagging is easier for a rabbit, which is small, than for the larger coyote. The coyote alike cannot tell when the rabbit go out dodge this way or that, so it cannot plan its next move. In this w ay, the rabbit makes the chase more awkward and tiring for the coyote. though a coyote may still succeed in catching its run, there is a circumstances that it may degenerate out, give up, and go look for an easier meal. Other animals withal dart and dash when chased. A herd of impala, excellent antelopes of African grasslands, not just run from a predator but besides zigzag in all directions.Impala as well leap over each other as they run, sometimes springing as high as 10 feet (3 m) into the air. This explosion of application bounds and obnubilates a predator. It likewise makes it difficult for a predator to chase any one animal. Zigzagging mixed with freezing can confuse predators, too. Frogs and grasshoppers give jump in one direction, then freeze, hardly to pop off in another direction if the predator comes near. A predator may not be able to nidus on its eat with all the 26 living creature deFenses unexpected starts and ends. Likewise, a cotton twenty-five pe rcent rabbit may go from zigzagging to freezing as it flees.When it runs, it secondes its puffy white privy like a target. When it freezes, it sits on its stinker. The predator may lose track of the rabbit because the rear has vanished. stArtling A predAtor Anyone who has jumped when take aback knows how a predator might feel when its prey jerkyly bursts into motion after being nearly invisible. The shock of the preys jerky reappearance is miscue BATS kookie hunt on the wing at night. they send out pulses of sound and attend for the echoes to locate their prey. this cover is called echolocation. using it, a bat can pinpoint even piffling insects in ? ight. nsects conduct true escape behaviors to avoid echolocation. some moths can hear the gamey sounds that wacky send out. A moth may ? y in loops to avoid being detected. if a moth senses that a bat is close, it go away simply locate its wings and drop from the sky. some moths go one step further and block the bats signals. A moth does this by making sounds that atomic number 18 similar to the echoes that the bat is try to hear. this can throw the bat off course just long luxuriant to sustain the moth escape. scientists energise belatedly discover that some moths make sounds that warn bats not to eat them because they peck shitty.Bats quickly run into to avoid these moths after a few taste tests. some species of moth that do not taste bad imitate the sounds of the foul-tasting ones, which machinations the bats into steering recognize of them, too. escape Artists 2 bountiful to make a predator flinch or pause for a fraction of a second. That little bit of extra time can let an animal escape with its life. A variety of animals even frolicswoman special alter or body split to attend to them startle predators. These colour and parts are use in behaviors called startle divulges. A startle reveal may be employ to put up off an endeavor right from the start.Many startle endan gers of this type direct abruptly winkle a acute color or pattern. This is the tactic use by the io moth, which lives in join America. At rest, an io moth is pale yellow or brown. But if a bird attempts to grab it, the io moth quickly moves its forewings. This reveals two hind wings boldly colored with a equalise of big fatal vagabond surrounded by a circle of yellow. These spots look like look, and are called ocelluss. To a bird, the gratuity of stemmas may look like the sudden appearance of a larger bird, such as an owl its own predator.The startled bird may fly away rather than risk its life, or it may pause long enough for the moth to escape. Eyespots are found on the wings of hundreds of species of moths and butterflies. They are as well seen on many caterpillars. A swallow bobsled mashs function green body has two huge yellow eyepots on its humped front end. This makes it look like a snake. When threatened, the vine hawk moths brown caterpillar curls into a C and bulges its yellow lookpots. A Malaysian hawk moth caterpillar puffs up its front end when threatened. This makes its eyespots open wide.It withal snaps its head back and forth as if it were a snake about to strike. Other insects flash take aback eyespots, too. The African flower mantis, which commonly blends in with the shapes and modify of its flowery habitat, flares out wings with eyespots when it is threatened. The eyed click beetle has two black eyespots behind its head. An Australian moth caterpillar has eyespots that are normally hidden in the folds of its body. When it flexes its hind end, the folds open like lids to reveal the eyes. 28 AnimAl deFenses Patches of color that do not look like eyes in addition make hard-hitting startle shows.These colors are often hidden until an animal flees. The sudden appearance of this ? ash coloration can stop a predator in its tracks just long enough to let the prey escape. A red-eyed tree frog, for example, usually blends in with the leaf on which it sleeps. If a predator bothers it, the frog first pops open its enormous red eyes. Then it leaps away, turning from a plain green frog into a rainbow of color as its orange-footed legs unfold and its spunky and yellow sides appear. This sudden splash of color startles the predator and buys the frog time to get away. Octopuses in like manner unawares give up on camouflage when they are under attack.An alarmed octopus can burst into startling colors or patterns in less than a second. A fish or tump over that sees A ? ash of the red-eyed tree frogs large red eyes can surprise predators, and give it time to escape. Escape Artists 29 BLUFFING alternate displays are often part of a behavior called bluf? ng. Bluf? ng is a tactic apply by animals to make them look gawk to a predator. An animal that may be exclusively name acts as if it is in reality quite roughshod and possibly dangerous. A predator may back off rather than risk getting injured. Many liz ards combine a startle display with a bluff.A chameleon facing a predator, for example, may all at once turn dark as it puffs up its body to look larger. It likewise hisses, often revealing a graphicly colored back talk. The frilled lizard of Australia confronts predators with a lawless yellow or pink mouth. It adds to this display by outset huge ? aps of shinny on its neck, which are splotched with red, orange, black, and white. The big frills make the lizard look much larger and more intimidating. Another Australian lizard, the bearded dragon, in addition gapes its yellow-lined mouth and raises a beard of high skin under its chin. The beard besides turns blue-black. ts intended meal abruptly turn black or zebra- stripe is often stimulate away. Many kinds of stick insects, grasshoppers, butterflies, moths, and other insects excessively flash clever colors when fleeing a predator. The colors disappear when they leap or fly to a new spot and fold their wings. They then blend in with their surroundings as they sit short still. some(a)times just a spot of color can do the pasquinade. The shingleback scincid of Australia is a stumpy, short-legged lizard. Its earth-tone colors usually hide it. However, the scincid startles authority predators by suddenly opening its mouth and sticking out its mystifying, blue vernacular.It as well huffs and puffs, hissing like a 30 AnimAl deFenses snake. Another Australian lizard that uses this startle display is the blue-tongued skink, named for its turquoise tongue. An Australian legless lizard called the excitable delma does not have startling colors, but it still spooks predators with its behavior. If bothered, this animal twists and turns its body violently as it slithers away. This odd behavior may startle and confuse a predator. deFlecting An AttAck Startle displays and bluffs can serve well an animal escape in the prick of time.Another tactic is to trick a predator into attacking the revile part of its prey or misjudging which direction the prey will go as it tries to escape. An animal can live to see another day if it can keep its head and body safe by getting a predator to merely nip its potty preferably. Colors, markings, and behaviors that encourage a predator to focus on the handlefulness end of its prey are called de? ection displays because they redirect, or deflect, an attack. Deflection displays often make use of eyespots. conflicting eyespots that are flashed to scare a predator, these eyespots show on an animals hind end at all times.They draw a predators attention away from the preys head. As a predator lunges, it focuses on the prominent eyespot at the preys fag end end sooner of on the preys head. The preys actual eyes may be hidden among mark or spots. Eyespots like these are joint among fish, especially coral-reef species such as comminute fish. The four-eyed butterfly fish, for example, has ruin eyes near its tail that look just like its real eyes. The threadfin butterfly fish has a dark spot on a fin toward its rear. A dark stripe on its head runs through its actual eye, which make it less noticeable.Angled stripes on its sides likewise guide a predators eye toward its tail. If attacked, each fish may lose a bit of its tail, but escape with its life. Escape Artists 31 A juvenile emperor butterfly moth angel? sh has an eyespot near its tail, which makes a predator focus on the wrong end. Juvenile emperor allmouth, another coral-reef species, are covered with loops of white and light blue on a dark background. These loops sough around a large eyespot near the angelfishs tail, while its actual eyes disappear among the stripes on its head. A predators gaze is naturally pulled to the wrong end.Insects similarly use eyespots in their buckle displays. These eyespots are always visible, not like the eyespots used to startle predators. They are in addition littler and closer to the wings edges. Many species of butterfl ies spo rt such eyespots on their hind wings. A bird that snaps at the wrong end of such a butterfly leaves notches in the wings but loses out on a meal. Some 32 AnimAl deFenses butterfl ies have hind wings tipped with humbug legs and antennae. Scientists have noticed that some of these butterfl ies will even creep converse along a stem for a second or two after landing, which might sponsor fool a nearby predator.One butterfly found in Malaysia has such a convincing head on its hind end that it is sometimes called the back-to-front butterfly. Other insects rely on false heads to dodge predators, too. A lanternfly of Southeast Asia has antennae lookalikes interruption from the ends of its wings near a pair of eyespots. When the wings are folded, the lanternflys tail looks like a head. The insect even walks backward when it senses danger. Some lanternflies turn this trick around and have heads that look like full dress. The giant desert centipede of the southwestern United States is not an insect, but it uses the false-head trick, too.Its tail end looks just like its head, right down to antennae-like attachments. If a predator grabs the centipedes hind end because it mistakes it for the head, the centipede can twist around and piece it. The shingleback skink, a lizard of Australia, as well as uses this tactic. Its stumpy head and tail look nearly identical. A predator that grabs the wrong head will be impress to see the skink scurry off in the opposite direction. Many snakes too use the two-headed trick. They roll up in a ball and hide their heads in their coils when under attack. Then they wave their white tie to threaten the predator and deflect its attack.These snakes sometimes have intense colors on their trail that enhance this trick. Southeast Asian snakes called kraits, for example, wave red white tie and follow. The ring-necked snake of trade union America coils its tail to display the dexterous orange-red underside. The color and whorled can trouble oneself a predator. In Africa, the shovel-snouted snake coils its tail, too. Other kinds of snakes even prod their tails at their assailants as if they were going to bite them. Escape Artists 33 label markings are parking lot among animals, and some scientists are taking a second look at them to see which ones may be used as deflection displays.The black tip on a weasels tail, for example, may succor trick a hawk into trying to grab the tightly fitting tail instead of the body or head. LOSING LIMBS AND TAILS Some animals whose tails are grabbed have a surprise in store for their assailants. Shockingly, their tails break off while their owners escape. Many North American species of skinks, for example, have bright blue tails when they are young. A skinks blue tail workings as a deflection display to protect its head. But if a predator very seizes the tail, it breaks off. The skink runs away, sledding its tail worm and squirming behind it. The predator gets nothing but a osseous mouthful.The skinks tail later grows back. The broken-tail trick is used by many kinds of lizards, even ones that do not have brightly colored tails. Geckos, anoles, and iguanas all can shed their tails. This is in addition true of some legless lizards, which are called glass snakes because of the way their tails bust when they break. The predator doesnt break these lizards tails The lizards do it themselves. The movement of muscles in the tail causes one of the tail clappers to snap in half(prenominal). Some rodents can in addition shed part of their tails. Spiny rats, which live in parts of South and Central America, have tails that break off.Gerbils and some species of rats and mice lose the out layer of skin and fur on their tails. The acanthous rats are left with stumps, but rodents that shed their tails diligence lose the rest of the tail later. Unlike lizards, rodents do not grow back the wanting(p) parts. Tails are not the merely body parts shed by a nimals. Some animals lock of their limbs instead. Some species of octopus 34 AnimAl deFenses can dislodge some of their fortify if they are attacked. The move arms distract the predator and let the prey escape. big(a) tropic centipedes as well toss off legs if they feel threatened.The dis committed legs writhe and even make screechy noises to distract predators. Octopuses grow new limbs. Centipedes dont, but they have so many legs that the loss of a few doesnt harm them. A crab also can drop a claw or leg if attacked. Some species jerk their assailants first and then release the emaciated claw. The crab runs away while the predator frantically tries to mangle the painful claw. Lobsters also release their claws in this way. Crabs and lobsters replace the claws over time as they molt and grow new outmost coverings called exoskeletons. Insects and spiders, such as the dadaism longlegs, have legs that are easily pulled off by predators.They do not grow new legs, but get around just fine with the remaining ones. Some geckos save their skins by losing them. These geckos are covered with an outer layer of skin that is only loosely connected to the skin underneath. The outer layer slips off if a predator grabs them. The gecko scurries away as if it had simply popped out of a quiescence bag. Birds cannot shed their skins, but they can lose feathers. Normally, a birds feathers cannot easily be pulled out. However, a predator that grabs a birds tail is often left with a mouthful of feathers. This feather loss is called terror molting.Some scientists think it may help a bird wrench out of the detainment of an owl or other predator, just as a butterfly sheds wing masters as it struggles to escape a spiders web. They also think that a bird can fright molt in midair, leave a burst of feathers behind it that might deflect a hawks attack. Though many animals lose parts of their outsides to back themselves, some species of sea cucumber vine vines lose th eir internals instead. These plump, slippery ocean animals usually are protected escape Artists 35 by sticky mucus covering their bodies. If a sea cucumber is attacked, it expels its internal variety meat from its hind end.The sticky guts can trap a crab or startle a bigger predator. Then the sea cucumber creeps away while its attacker either struggles with the mussy organs or eats them. inwardly a few weeks, the sea cucumber grows new organs. vie deAd A variety of animals escape death by playing dead. This defense is called death feigning. Animals that play dead may depend as if they are offering themselves up on a platter. Yet, many predators hunt prey in response to movement. Many animals also do not eat prey that they have not killed. By playing dead, an animal may make its attacker lose interest.A predator may also get unconcerned if its prey seems to be dead. It may straighten its grip and give the prey a chance to escape. Many insects are known to feign death. These in sect actors include many species of beetles, grasshoppers, stick insects, and caterpillars. Some insects curl up and remain still. Others let go of branches and drop to the ground. Certain reptiles, such as chameleons and many tree snakes, also drop to the ground and lie still. Many birds also go limp when caught by a predator, and then instantly come back to life at the fi rst chance for escape. Baby ospreys play dead in the nest when their mother gives a type call.Going limp and lying still works well for many animals, but a few species be Academy Awards for their death-feigning skills. Among these exceed actors are the possum and the hognose snake, both found in North America. An phalanger de brooks itself at first by growling, hissing, and showing its odontiasis. If this does not frighten away the dog or other 36 AnimAl deFenses The opossum keeps predators away by curling up and playing dead. This pretend act is the reason for the phrase playing possum, which means to fak e being dead. escape Artists 3 ocean SLUGS VERSUS SPINY LOBSTER ctopuses, squids, and cuttle? sh give notice ink as they escape. scientists off-key this was a defense behavior. now, because of a recent discovery in sea slugs, researchers are taking a closer look at the ink. authentic species of sea slugs also produce ink-black clouds. the ink was known to taste bad. now, however, scientists know that the ink changes the behavior of a predator called the mordacious lobster. chemicals in the ink seem to muddle the lobsters actions. An inked lobster gives up its attack on a slug. it may take aim itself and begin digging and grabbing at the sand with its claws, as if it were feeding. erhaps other animals ink also affects their predators in ways yet to be discovered. animal that is with child(p) it, the opossum drops dead. It rolls onto its side, rounds its back, and goes limp. Its tongue lolls from its open mouth. Its eyes close midwayjust enough to let it keep track of its pred ator. An opossum will keep playing dead even if the predator bites it. It does not hearten until the predator goes away and the sailing is clear again. Hognose snakes also use other defenses before resorting to playing dead. A frightened hognose snake will first raise its head, spread its neck wide, and hiss.Then, it will produce a bad smell. If this act fails, the snake flips onto its back and lies still. Like the opossum, it opens its mouth and lets its tongue hang out. If it is picked up and dictated on its belly, it will keep flipping onto its back and playing dead. 3 Animal armour A ogre reptile lumbers through a patch of low-growing plants. It swings its head to the side to snatch a mouthful of leaves. The head is covered with flat, haggard houses. Sharp triangles stick out from the sides like horns. Spikes also run down the sides of its broad, domed back, which is shingled with bony plates.This spiky, equip reptile is an ankylosaurus, a dinosaur that lived about 70 mi llion years ago. It was one of the most heavily armoured of all dinosaurs. The bony plates in its skin were welded to its skeleton in some places. fifty-fifty its eyelids contained pads of bone. Few carnivorous dinosaurs could take on this equiped dinosaur, which was as long as a give instruction bus and as heavy as a tank. If a predator did try to sink its teeth into an ankylosauruss armored back, the reptile had one more defense. It swung its huge tail at its confrontationa tail that ended in a ample club of coalesced bone. mail was a primary form of defense for prehistoric animals. Today, many animals still use it. Sharp spikes and back swot, knotted bony plates, shells, and impenetrable skin help protect animals from the teeth, jaws, and claws of predators. 38 Animal weapons 39 spikes And irritants Most insects have deep-chested outer skeletons that serve as armor. These exoskeletons may also fellate spikes and spines, which add to an insects defense. Many species of crickets and grasshoppers, for example, have spines on their legs and backs. Many ants have spines in the shopping center of their back that protect them from other insects nipping jaws.Praying mantises have spurs on their claws that not only help in grabbing prey, but also inflict wounds on predators. Caterpillars typically have low-keyed bodies. This makes them tempting morsels for predators. But most caterpillars have other ways to protect themselves. Some have spikes or splenetic, hair-like A caterpillars bristles, like those of this gipsy moth caterpillar, can be used as a defense against predators. 40 AnimAl deFenses bristles. Caterpillars can be so briary that they appear to have fur. The bristles lecture a predators skin and eyes. If a predator unexpectedly inhales some bristles, they can hurt its nose, throat, and lungs.Other small animals have spines, spikes, and bristles, too. The spined spider has an array of big, red spines on its body. Millipedes have bundles of acrid bristles along their bodies and on their hind ends. These bristles come off and get stuck in the faces and jaws of ants and other predators. Large spiders called tarantulas also defend themselves with bristles. A tarantula uses two of its hind legs to rub bristles off its abdomen, which sends hundreds of the tiny barbed bristles at the attacker. The bristles irritate its eyes, nose, and mouth. Spikes and spines also protect animals that live underwater.The tiny young, or larvae, of crabs have spines that help them float while also dirty fish. Likewise, acanthous lobsters are protected by spines that line their antennae and point forward along their shells. The crown-of-thorns sea star is also acanthoid. This sea star has as many as 19 arms, with stout pink or yellow spines lick out of its orange, red, and discolour skin. The spines not only pierce skin, but also stage a treat of painful venom. ocean urchins are like living pincushions. Their hard, round bodies br istle with spines. An urchin uses its spines to help it move. The sharp spines also keep many predators at bay.Some sea urchins spines are connected to glands that make venom. Long-spined hatpin urchins have venomous spines that can be up to 12 inches (30 cm) long. Some species of fish and jellyfish hide in hatpin urchins. Stonefish have spines connected to venom glands, too. These are well-camouflaged fish that lie on the seabed in some tropical waters. Their spines pierce and kill predators that grab them. Surgeonfish, which also live in tropical waters, have a pair of Animal Armor 41 ocean urchins, like this common sea urchin found along the coast of Scotland, use their bristles for go as well as defense. azor-like spines on either side of the tail. The fish slashes at attackers with these spines. Sticklebacks are named for the spines that stick up on their backs. A stickleback can lock these spines in an unspoiled position. The number of spines varies, as shown by their names , which range from three- to fifteen-spined stickleback. The porcupine fishs name is likewise a clue to its defense. This fish is covered with sharp spines. When threatened, the fish inflates its body with water, and the spines stick out in all directions. This makes the fish too big for some predators to 42 AnimAl deFenses wallow. It startles other predators, which may decide not to tackle the suddenly enlarged prey. A variety of lizards also wear spike-studded armor. The well-named thorny devil resembles a miniature dragon as it strolls across the Australian sand, looking for for ants to eat. Spikes of many sizes jut from its legs, sides, tail, back, and head. Despite its name, a thorny lizard is not aggressive. If threatened, it tucks its head between its front legs. This makes a large, spiky bump on its neck stick outa bump that looks like an even more unappetizing head than the lizards actual one.Just as splenic are the pierce lizards of dry lands and deserts in parts of Mexico and the southwestern United States. A This thorny devil shows off its spikes of many sizes as it walks along a alley in the Yankee Territory, Australia. Animal Armor 43 pierce lizard has spines running down its sides, back, and tail. Strong, sharp horns jut from its head, making it look like a tiny triceratops. If a predator threatens it, a horned lizard puffs up its body so that its spines stick out. It also turns its head to present its horns. Some species can also fountain tear from the corners of their eyes.The source can pullulate out up to 3 feet (1 m). The blood tastes bad, so the squirt both surprises and disgusts a predator. The armadillo lizard of grey Africa is also spiky. It makes the most of its spikes by whorl into a ball and grabbing its tail in its mouth when threatened. This turns the lizard into a prickly doughnut. Mammals also make use of spines for protection. Porcupines, for example, fend off predators with spines called quills. in that location are about 25 species of porcupine. slightly half of them are found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The rest are found in Central and South America, with one species living in North America.A North American porcupine is covered with about 30,000 long, sharp quills. The quills range from half an inch (1. 3 cm) to 5 inches (12. 7 cm) long. A porcupine warns enemies before they attack. It lowers its head, lifts its tail, and raises its quills and rattles them. It also clacks its teeth, stamps its feet, and gives off a very strong smell from a patch of skin on its back. If the attacker persists, the porcupine will back up toward it and whack it with its tail. The quills, which are barbed at the end, pop off the porcupine and stick in the attackers skin.They are painful and can actually practice deeper into skin and muscles over time. The African plumose porcupine also warns predators not to mess with it. It shakes its tail, making a loud marvellous noise with a clump of special, pickl e quills. This porcupine also raises quills on its back that can be up to 20 inches (50 cm) long and are boldly striped in black and white. As a last resort, it will run sideways or backward to jab its quills into its foe. 44 AnimAl deFenses A young lion tries to ? ip over an African cespitose porcupine in order to kill it in South Africa, where porcupines are the principal nourishment of Kalahari lions.Hedgehogs are also prickly. A European porcupine has about 5,000 short, sharp spines. Unlike a porcupines quills, hedgehog spines do not come out of the skin when used for jabbing. A hedgehog usually flees or hides in the face of danger. If it is cornered, it raises its spines and then rolls into a ball, protecting its soft belly and its head. A hedgehog can stay furled up for many hours, and a predator is likely to give up nudge the unresponsive, prickly ball. An uncurled hedgehog, however, may leap backward into a predator or thrust its spiny body into its face. Spines also protect spiny anteaters called echidnas.Echidnas are Australian monotremes (egg-laying mammals) that eat Animal Armor 45 insects, snaring them with their long, sticky tongues. Hundreds of spines cover an echidnas body. A spine can be about 2 inches (60 mm) long. If threatened, an echidna digs quickly into the ground, going away only its spiny back showing. It can also roll up into a ball or wedge itself into a crevice among rocks. equip ON THE inner some animals have spikes that come into play only when they are attacked. Among these unusual animals is a mammal called the potto. the potto is a slow-moving, tree-dwelling African animal. hree bones in its neck end in dense spines that stick up through the skin. the spines usually are buried in its thick fur. however, if threatened, a potto curls up so that its neck change form and the spines stick up. some scientists have tardily found that the spines are sensitive to touch and that pottos sometimes rub necks with each other. t hey are researching to see if pottos use their spines to communicate with one another. A fire hook called the sharp-ribbed newt also has hidden spines. its spines are the ends of its ribs. if attacked, the newt pushes its ribs so that they form rows of bumps on its back. here are poison glands on the bumps. the sharp rib tips may also poke out of the newts skin. the hero termagant of west Africa does not show its force out its armor is completely hidden inner(a). this armor is its oneof-a-kind backbone. each bone in its spine has ridges on it and ? ts snugly into the bones on either side of it. the spine is also very ? exible, and the ribs attached to it are very thick. A person weighing clx pounds (2 kilograms) can stand on the shrews back without harming it. why the shrews back is so strong is still a mystery, though its strength may certainly stop some predators jaws from oppress it. 6 AnimAl deFenses The army of spiny mammals includes the spiny rats of Central and South Am erica. Some species of spiny rats have sturdy spines, while others have stiff, bristly hair. Spiny rats can also shed their tails to escape a predators grip. Another group of spiny mammals, the tenrecs, is found on Madagascar, an island off the east coast of Africa. A tenrec can roll up into a ball like a hedgehog. It also has a powerful bite and will butt its enemy in the neck with its spiny head. shells A sturdy shell is the primary defense for a variety of very slowmoving animals, such as turtles, tortoises, garners, and clams.Turtles and tortoises are reptiles with bodies wrap in shells. Turtles spend much or all of their lives in water, while tortoises live on land. both have shells do of two parts an upper partitioning called the epidermis and a lower class called the plastron. The shell is basically a sturdy box made of bone. The inside of the carapace is made of bones fused together. These bones include the turtles spine and ribs. The plastron is made of bone, too. I n most species, the outside of the carapace is covered with plates made of a strong material called keratinthe same substance that forms hooves and fingernails.These plates are called scutes. Some turtles have just a few scutes imbed in a thick skin on the carapace. Some have none at all. Many turtles can pull their heads, tails, and legs partly or fully into their shells. loge turtles have hinged plastrons, so they can close the openings in their shells. Desert tortoises fold their thick, scabrous legs in front of their withdrawn heads to form a shield. A turtle can stay inside its shell for hours, waiting for a predator to give up. It will stay enclose in while a predator sniffs it or rolls it around. Animal Armor 4For slow-moving animals like the snail, a shell is a primary defense. This snail is resting on a leaf, but it can quickly disappear inside its shell if it senses a threat. Snails, clams, mussels, and other mollusks also are protected by shells. The soft, boned body of a mollusk is covered with a kind of skin called a cover. In the mantle are glands that produce the materials that form the shell. These materials include minerals that the mollusk gets from its food and from the water, sand, or soil in which it lives. A snail seems to carry its shell on its back, but much of its body is actually inside the shell.If threatened, the snail pulls its head and its sizable foot inside the shell. Many kinds of snails seal the shells opening with a hard plate on the end of the foot. Sea snails called limpets have feet that work like suction cups and help them grip rocks severely so that they are difficult to value off. 48 AnimAl deFenses INSECT harness most insects tough exoskeletons protect their bodies from predators and from drying out. however, some insectsincluding young insects, such as caterpillarshave soft bodies. they bene? t by adding an extra layer of cautionary armor. cale insects, for example, are named for the armor they produce. A y oung outgo insect ? nds a spot on a plant where it can feed. then its body oozes substances that form a shield over it. the insect lives underneath this shield. different kinds of outmatch insects make different kinds of shields. Armored scale insects make hard, bendable shields. soft scale insects make softer pliable coverings, or shields that look like balls of cotton. ground pearls, which are related to scale insects, make round, waxy covers that look like beads. caterpillars of some moths make a sticky, bumpy covering for their bodies.Ants that bite these caterpillars end up with jaws full of goo. the ants bodies and legs also effect coated with the sli