Wings, Fins & Scales

The bald eagle's name comes from an old word for white, not from actual baldness.

The ostrich, the largest living bird, cannot fly but is the fastest running bird on land.

Emperor penguin males incubate their eggs on their feet through the harsh Antarctic winter.

Hummingbirds are the only birds able to fly backward, hovering in place with rapid wingbeats.

The great horned owl's specially structured feathers muffle sound, letting it fly almost silently.

The flamingo's pink color comes from pigments in the algae and shrimp that make up its diet.

The wandering albatross, with the largest wingspan of any bird, can glide for hours without flapping.

The toco toucan's oversized colorful bill also helps the bird regulate its body temperature.

Only male peafowl, or peacocks, display the famous elaborate fanned tail feathers.

The great white shark can detect a single drop of blood diluted across a vast volume of water.

Clownfish live safely among stinging sea anemone tentacles, immune to venom that would harm other fish.

Atlantic salmon migrate upstream to spawn, often returning to the exact stream where they were born.

Seahorses are among the only species where males, not females, carry and give birth to the young.

The anglerfish lures prey with a glowing bioluminescent appendage in the darkest depths of the ocean.

The manta ray filter-feeds on tiny plankton despite its enormous, wide flat body.

The pufferfish inflates dramatically to deter predators, and many species carry a toxin more potent than cyanide.

The swordfish's long flat bill gives it its name, and it ranks among the fastest fish in the ocean.

Bluefin tuna can keep their body warmer than the surrounding water, unusual for a fish.

The peregrine falcon can exceed 240 miles per hour in a hunting dive, the fastest animal on Earth.

The red-bellied piranha's fearsome reputation for aggression is often more exaggerated than deserved.

The Komodo dragon, the largest living lizard, delivers venom as well as bacteria through its bite.

A chameleon's eyes move independently, letting it look in two different directions at the same time.

The Nile crocodile, among the largest and most dangerous crocodiles, can hold its breath over an hour.

The green anaconda, one of the heaviest snakes, kills prey by constriction rather than venom.

The king cobra, the longest venomous snake, can raise a third of its body off the ground when threatened.

Galápagos tortoises rank among Earth's longest-lived animals, with some individuals surpassing 100 years.

The leopard gecko can voluntarily drop its own tail to escape a predator's grasp.

The green iguana has a light-sensing third eye on top of its head, in addition to its two normal eyes.

A rattlesnake's warning rattle is made of interlocking keratin segments at the tip of its tail.

The leatherback, the largest sea turtle, lacks a hard shell and instead has a flexible leathery carapace.