• Question: What is your favourite animal

    Asked by anon-217981 to Emma, Shannah, Richard, Matthew (known as Kaan by, johnpaterson, Anna on 8 Jun 2019. This question was also asked by anon-218296, anon-218859, anon-218334, anon-218394, anon-218093.
    • Photo: Emma Markham

      Emma Markham answered on 8 Jun 2019: last edited 8 Jun 2019 2:07 pm

      There are so many, it’s hard to choose just one!!! I do love bats, I think they are incredible, the way they have adapted to be able to fly and find food in the dark. I love that we now have technology which lets us hear their calls and identify which species is flying around outside, even if you can’t see them. I also really love the Mantis shrimp, which is a little shrimp which can hit it’s prey with a bubble of air faster than a bullet! It can also see UV and polarized light!!! There is so much we don’t know about this animal but it is already helping is create new innovations, like new types of body armor.

      I think I’m always drawn to the unusual and weird animals, because they can teach us something new about the world.I’m really enjoying watching SpringWatch at the moment, because I always learn something new about local wildlife we often take for granted.

    • Photo: John Paterson

      John Paterson answered on 10 Jun 2019:

      I really like animals that experience the world in a very different way from humans, so one of my favourites is the octopus. I’m fascinated by the fact that they seem to be really intelligent but have evolved that intelligence in a completely different way to humans. They have 9 brains – one for each of their tentacles and one big brain in the centre of their body. How do they see the world? How do they think? I love to imagine these things.

      I do also love gibbons though, which are a kind of ape, I just really like the idea that they can swing through trees faster than 30mph. It would be incredible to be able to do that.

Comments

  • Photo: Thiloka

    Thiloka commented on :

    Mine is probably the elephant- they are such sensitive, caring and wise animals. They protect their communities when under threat but also remember those that have helped them. There is a great respect for the elephants in Sri Lanka, where I was born, however unfortunately these elephants are being driven out of their territories due to deforestation and building and so are becoming considered dangerous to communities that are moving into their habitats. Also, sadly, poachers continue to hunt elephants for their tusks. I wish we could all exercise a bit more respect towards the other creatures that walk this planet!