H is for Hercules Beetle

The Hercules Beetle lives in Central and South America. They are found in the tropical rain forests.

The Hercules Beetle is one of the biggest beetles in the world.  Some males can reach up to 17cm in length, and can carry 850 times their own weight.  It's colors are black, brown, blue, green, white, and yellow. 

The Hercules Beetle Has at least 100 babies at a time.

This beetle is an herbivore which means it eats plants. Their main food is decaying wood, fruit, and leaves. Their favorite food is decaying wood. These beetles have some predators  like Bats, Birds, and Rats.

The insect's scientific name is Dynastes Hercules. It's lifespan is 3-5 months.

I personally would not want to touch one of these bugs!

 

 

G is for Great White Shark

The great white shark lives in oceans of the coasts of North America, Southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand, parts of the Meditaranian and Japan.  They are in a group called Mackerel sharks.  They are rare.

Great white sharks can be 5940 to 7040 pounds in weight.  They are very big compared to us.  Their teeth are about 3 inches long.

They usually hunt alone and can sometimes eat mammals.  Sometimes a great white shark will poke its head out of the water to smell for prey in the area.  They sometimes stay along the reefs to spot fish and mammals.  If an animal is bleeding the great white shark can smell it from a distance.  They attack very fast.

They can have  one to two babies.  Sometimes baby sharks will be eaten by other sharks. 

I think that great white sharks sound very scary and I would not want to meet one face to face!

 

 

 

 

F is for Flying Fish

Flying fish live in tropical and subtropical waters all over the world.  They have large, stiff pectoral fins  and they are about 45 centimeters long from head to tail.  The pectoral fins are used for gliding through the air near the water.

They swim up and break through the water surface by moving their tail 70 times per second!  Once the flying fish breaks through the water, it opens its pectoral fins and holds them slightly up to itself  in the air.  It folds its wings back to dive into back into the water.

The top speed for gliding is 16 kph.

The flying fish eats plankton which it gets from the surfac of the water.

I think the flying fish is one of the weirdest creatures that I've ever heard of and I would really love to see one!

 

 

 

 

E is for Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes are also called diamond snakes, the common rattle snake, the diamond rattler, the Florida diamondback snake, water rattler, or the woodland rattler. They are the most venomous snakes in America.

These snakes are among the largest snakes on earth.  The heaviest Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake ever found weighed 15.4 kilograms (34 pounds).  The length is usually 3 to 5 feet long.  People have seen Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes that are 8 feet long!  They are usually brown, brownish yellow, brownish grey, or olive brown in color.  Their skin is covered with diamond shaped scales.  Their belly is yellow or cream.

They live in dry pine forests, salt marshes, swamp forests and cypress swamps in the united states.  They live in southeastern North Carolina, Florida, southern Alabama, and Mississippi.

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes catch their prey by surprising it.  It eats small mammals like rats, birds rabbits, and lizards.  Adults usually eat rabbits.  Some people have seen them eat turkeys! Young snakes eat smaller mammals like rodents and squirrels and sometimes insects.

Since they are reptiles they lay eggs.   

My nana once saw a rattlesnake at Zion National Park while we were walking on a trail.  She screamed! I was very surprised!