絵で見る動物雑学ロゴ-128

絵で見る動物雑学

Author: animal

  • [Wow!] Milk Though It’s a Bird? The Mysterious Parenting of Pigeons with “Pigeon Milk”

    [Wow!] Milk Though It’s a Bird? The Mysterious Parenting of Pigeons with “Pigeon Milk”

    When speaking of “milk,” people tend to think it belongs only to mammals. But did you know that a familiar type of bird also produces milk for child-rearing? That bird is the pigeon.

    Pigeons secrete a special liquid called “pigeon milk” (also known as crop milk). Unlike mammals, it does not come from mammary glands; rather, a part of the esophagus called the “crop” develops and secretes it.

    The most distinct feature of pigeon milk is that “both males and females produce it.” The parent birds feed this milk to the chicks mouth-to-mouth, and the chicks grow rapidly using this as their nutrition source.

    The wonder of pigeon parenting lies in using the unique means of “milk” for child-rearing, despite being a bird. The way you look at a familiar pigeon might change a little.

    Graphic recording explaining pigeon child-rearing via "pigeon milk" (crop milk) secreted by both males and females. Trivia depicting the mechanism of milk production in the crop and the mouth-to-mouth feeding of chicks.
  • [Truth] A Hippo’s “Blood Sweat” Isn’t Actually Blood! Its Surprising Role

    [Truth] A Hippo’s “Blood Sweat” Isn’t Actually Blood! Its Surprising Role

    Have you ever heard a slightly creepy and mysterious rumor about hippos? The rumor states that “hippos secrete blood sweat.” Actually, half of this rumor is true, and half is false.

    It is a fact that hippos secrete a red fluid, but it is not blood. This red fluid has two amazing roles that protect the hippo’s skin under Africa’s intense environmental conditions.

    “Sunscreen”: By covering the skin, this fluid protects the hippo’s delicate hide from strong ultraviolet rays.

    “Sterilization & Moisturizing”: This fluid has the effect of suppressing the growth of bacteria while also protecting the skin from drying out.

    A hippo’s “red sweat” is actually a hippo-specific “natural luxury skincare (sunscreen & cream)” that evolved to survive harsh environments.

    Infographic explaining the role of the red fluid secreted from hippo skin. Trivia detailing its effects as sunscreen (UV protection), and for antisepsis and moisturizing, presented via illustration and text.
  • [Surprising!] The Real Reason Koalas Sleep 22 Hours a Day

    [Surprising!] The Real Reason Koalas Sleep 22 Hours a Day

    Did you know about the surprising lifestyle habit behind a koala’s cute appearance? Actually, koalas sleep for a whopping “22 hours” a day. This is one of the longest sleep durations in the animal kingdom.

    Why do they need to sleep for such a long time? The secret lies in their main food source: “eucalyptus leaves.” Eucalyptus actually contains toxins that are harmful to many animals.

    Koalas consume a vast amount of energy to break down these eucalyptus toxins within their bodies. Therefore, by dedicating almost all their time to sleep, except for the “2 hours” spent eating, they minimize physical exhaustion. It turns out a koala’s sleep is an amazing survival strategy for living in a harsh environment.

    Trivia infographic explaining why a koala, depicted eating eucalyptus, sleeps for 22 hours a day, citing energy used to decompose eucalyptus toxins.